| Summary: | The theological reasons for The Church's charity The Roman Catholic Church has three major missions - liturgy, evangelization and deacony. Charity had been given an organised structure in the first century A.D when the apostels chose seven men, the deacons, and so established it indefinitely in church life. The goal of this thesis was to find the origins of the third church mission, charity. The first written part describes charity from its historical point of view. It also introduces several saints who had dedicated their lives to charity, while it focuses on their motivation. To demonstrate the importance of charity work The Orthodox Church is discussed, which is famous for its low ambition in the field of organised help. The second part of the theses interprets the biblical and theological origins of charity. Before closing up with a final chapter, it discusses themes that are connected with this subject. It describes the meaning of love, brotherhood, responsibility and the value of human life. The final chapter arrives at the main point of the subject - the main and only source of neighbourly love - Holy Trinity, God's justice and Image of God in man. KEYWORDS: charity, love, Trinity, Catholic, Orthodox.
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