Godliness

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

  reverence

  deep respect for the divine is the specific attitude

  not when Reverence is a feeling or manner, not a whole pattern of conduct.

• professional

  devoutness

  sincere commitment to religious practice needs a neutral label

  not when Devoutness measures commitment, not whether conduct is morally admirable.

• formal

  holiness

  sacred purity or dedication to divine service is meant

  not when Holiness is a stronger theological status than ordinary godliness.

• formal

  piety

  reverent religious practice is the central quality

  not when Outward or conventional piety cannot establish ethical conduct.

• formal

  righteousness

  acting rightly according to moral or religious law is central

  not when Righteousness can sound self-congratulatory and may not imply worship.

• literary

  sanctity

  sacredness or inviolability deserves emphasis

  not when Sanctity applies to places, principles, and life as well as personal character.

• impiety
• wickedness
• irreverence

• 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.

• Godly adj.

Godliness is tradition-specific. It should not be used as a neutral measure of moral worth across different beliefs or nonbelief.