Patience is often regarded with suspicion in fast-paced, modern societies and by those who see the command to "be patient" as a tool of oppressors. For patience to be recognizable as a virtue, it must be distinguished from mere waiting and needless suffering. In The Virtue of Patience, scholars working in philosophy, psychology, and religious studies consider what makes patience a virtue, how to model and study patience, and how we can think about the value of patience across the boundaries of disciplines, cultures, and religions.