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E thics, philosophy of religion [from Latin caritas , generally translated as love] The benevolent love for God and one's neighbors (others). Charity, along with faith and hope, is one of the three cardinal Christian theological virtues . Among them, faith is first in order of origin, while charity is the highest in order of perfection. Charity is the fundamental and underlying spiritual orientation for Christian life, and determines all other moral and intellectual virtues. For Christians, this is because we come from God and will go back to God. Charity is not instrumental but is unconditional and is pursued beyond the present life. Currently, charity is the voluntary provision for the poor and suffering and the pursuit of other good causes. It is taken to mean the same as philanthropy. “Charity is the mother and root of all the virtues in as much as it is the form of them all.” Aquinas, Summa Theologiae ... log in or subscribe to read full text