The Significance of Hope in Spiritual Development. A Psychological and Theological Perspective

Abstract

Hope, as one of the theological virtues, is an important area of human spiritual development. However, like the other virtues, it is necessary to shape it along with the development and growth of spiritual life. The article will discuss threads of hope from the theological perspective and spirituality, both from the point of view of Catholic theology but also from the point of view of human psychological development. Hope will be analyzed from a theological, moral and biblical perspective, and its meaning, importance and universality will be indicated. Then, the process of shaping human spirituality will be described: its importance from a theological perspective, and the individual stages of spiritual development will be presented from the perspective of developmental psychology and the psychology of religion. The last part will present contemporary research on the relationship between hope and human spirituality as well as perspectives on further research directions.