Devotion to God expressed through religious belief and morally disciplined conduct.
Reach for it when naming a virtue within a tradition that uses God-centered language
For the community, godliness included hospitality to strangers.
| warm | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal |
|
| literary |
warm
Fits when deep respect for the divine is the specific attitude
Careful Reverence is a feeling or manner, not a whole pattern of conduct.
professional
devoutness
Fits when sincere commitment to religious practice needs a neutral label
Careful Devoutness measures commitment, not whether conduct is morally admirable.
formal
Fits when sacred purity or dedication to divine service is meant
Careful Holiness is a stronger theological status than ordinary godliness.
formal
piety
Fits when reverent religious practice is the central quality
Careful Outward or conventional piety cannot establish ethical conduct.
formal
righteousness
Fits when acting rightly according to moral or religious law is central
Careful Righteousness can sound self-congratulatory and may not imply worship.
literary
sanctity
Fits when sacredness or inviolability deserves emphasis
Careful Sanctity applies to places, principles, and life as well as personal character.
life of godliness
She understood a life of godliness as service rather than display.
practice godliness
The sermon asks listeners to practice godliness through honest work.
outward godliness
Outward godliness meant little without compassion.
Keep in mind
Godliness is tradition-specific. It should not be used as a neutral measure of moral worth across different beliefs or nonbelief.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Flame, not lame, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated
Your browser isn't saving lists, so this one will be cleared when you leave the page.