What is the foundation of love? This study will address the question of whether fear of God or love of God is the real motivation for charity in human interaction, while perhaps equating the two terms more than might be initially evident. I will argue for a theistic understanding of love, advocating for the idea that humans can be selfless when their view of humanity is aligned with God’s view of us. Functioning from a largely Christian perspective, the paper will explore the implications asserted by all the world’s great religions that divine love itself can inspire charitable human conduct. I will argue that it is not in fact fear for our own salvation that causes religion to motivate us. Rather, it is the realization that ethical action is truly possible through the power of a divine love that draws all creation back unto itself. Using the Gospels of the New Testament, the work of Homer, Dorothy Day, and Pope John Paul II, among others, I will make a case for divine love as the necessary (although often invisible) foundation for human charity.

Young professionals in the US face fierce competition unlike that of any other generation. This creates an environment where the only way to truly realize success is to diligently work and plan your future, potentially years before you know where you really want to end up, and even then, you can still fail. As a young millennial on the cusp of college graduation, I understand this situation especially well. I want anyone who is willing to take the time and initiative over their life to have a chance at succeeding. I hope my book will help others realize that success is within their reach.

Each part of the book is written from a different relative, literarily-inclined perspective. The portion of this submission that captures what my experience as a Barrett student has lended to my approved manuscript (by Dorrance Publishing Co.) lies with the excerpted material from Part IV. Below is the table of contents for the novel work itself, as well as the styles of writing assumed per part.