Book - On Hope by Joseph Pieper
Introduction
As the contemporary
global geopolitical reconfiguration advance faithfully towards its most
dangerous phase, decades-long patterns unravel to clash with history bringing both uncertainties and certainties of unanticipated/anticipated realisations.
Naturally in some places, optimism explode as an industry. Sadly optimism has
little to do with hope. To suggest that the most learned and most advanced weren’t
taught hope is not unfounded. On Hope is a timely book that fully
captures the notion, meaning, context and operation of hope grounded on a solid
human foundation and enhancement in Christian virtue. What it lacks in volume,
it compensates in substance which the author did sufficient justice. A summary
is presented below.
Summary
From
the start it is important to state that hope is active, a method, a praxis and
practical. It is intrinsically given to movement, coherent in process and alive
in doing. Hope as a notion and meaning is precisely located in Spirituality
through one of dimension of its orientation, which is goodness.
Pieper
asserts that as a notion hope is an indispensable equipment for lived
experience where life is considered as a pilgrimage. It provides the quality
that enables one or groups to capture their creatureliness as embodied spirits in
history. A pilgrim transit between dual points in existence (life and death), ontology (non-being and being) and experience (nothing and something/goodness). Hope is always seeking fulfilment which locks one in
anticipation for discrete daily good that finally accumulate at the end.
Therefore
to live implicates the present with the future in a complex process based on
anticipation of good in an uncontrolled timeframe. The goal of a pilgrim is
goodness or happiness. On the other hand hope’s orientation to goodness is the
spring for empowering the will to continue appropriating good despite the cost while
simultaneously extending it to others in anticipation.
So
the pilgrim exists and lives in hope seeking happiness and goodness until the
end comes in death. However hope is unlimited by death since the spirit is not
constrained by time. Cessation of physical existence only shows that the spirit
is above time because there is meaning to life beyond time.
As Christian
virtue, hope assumes an elevated character of entrenched disposition or habit
for realising the ultimate meaning of humankind. It becomes a virtue because it
is theological in the sense that it is beyond humankind’s ability or capability
to fulfil goodness and happiness. Therefore hope is supernatural, a constituent
and an outflow of God.
Moreover
this theological character is inclusive through analogous reflections of other
religions including indigenous principles and doctrines. Therefore “when we
say, then, that hope is a virtue only when it is a theological virtue, we mean
that hope is a steadfast turning toward the true fulfilment of man’s nature,
that is, toward good, only when it has its source in the reality of grace in
man and is directed toward supernatural happiness in God.”[1]
The pre-conditions of Christian hope are magnanimity and humility. Magnanimity reflects confidence to pursue the highest possibilities in history courageously. In contrast, humility concentrate on boldly appreciating the unquantifiable distance between humankind and God, the unequal/uneven gap between creature and Creator positively as it were. Christian humility reached its nucleus in Christ’s self-emptying (kenosis). Hope with faith and love constitute the core of supernatural life in a Christian as dispositions or accepted habits aided by grace.[2] Humility is not being soft, quiet and passive.
Therefore
supernatural life of a Christian is thus captured in a theological circle, as
“thus the theological virtues flow back upon themselves in a sacred circle: one
who is led to love by hope has thereafter a more perfect hope, just as he also
believes now more strongly than before.”[3] Critically, prayer flows
from and proclaims hope. All prayer are acts nourished by anticipation.
Lastly
there are obstacles to hope resulting to hopelessness. The first is the
conscious and deliberate willing that anticipates non-fulfilment of goodness
and happiness. This is despair, when all hope is denied, lost or given up on
the path of pilgrimage. History and reality are deleted. Think of suicides.
The
second is the conscious and deliberate willing to manipulate anticipation towards fulfilment of goodness and happiness. This is presumption where
pilgrimage is compromised by accelerated anticipation contrary to the spirit.
This is the fast-forwarding of fulfilment through creating false hope. Think of
governments’ promises irrespective of time, systems and types. The contemporary
global geopolitical reconfiguration is grounded in a crucible of false hopes
where parties commit everything to retain declining hubris, prestige and power.
This
is an important text and is highly recommended. It is slightly technical
which compels the reader to read the text with fidelity, respect and patience.
Life is beautiful!
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