Vices: Pride, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Envy, Gluttony. Even though they are not mentioned in Scripture, these seven nouns underpin Christian teaching. The "Seven Deadly Sins," or seven horrible thoughts, deserve damnation only by thinking about them.
Brief History of Seven Deadly Sins
In a letter dated 375 AD, Christian monk Evagrius Ponticus described the "Eight Tempting Thoughts/Demons." These included gluttony, sexual immorality, avarice, grief, anger, sloth, vainglory, and pride. Pope Gregory I, often known as Gregory the Great, rewrote the list in 590 AD and publicized the "Seven Deadly Sins."
Ponticus's letter was placed in a Praktikos, a textbook for monks that warned them against temptations that could lead them to wander from their austere lives (which usually meant hiding in the Egyptian deserts), so the public ignored it. Many considered Ponticus's views on sin heretical because he rejected Original Sin, the central doctrine that every human being inherits, as a descendant of Adam and Eve, the disobedient sin of giving in to temptation in the Garden of Eden and that can only be eradicated through Baptism. Additionally, most of his writings are untranslated into Greek or misattributed to others.
First, while some Bible scriptures include elements of the Seven Deadly Sins, none list all seven. Two times, Jesus best explains the list. The Matthew Gospel one is first. The heart causes murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, false testimony, and slander (Matthew 15:19). We're presumably more interested in the Ten Commandments, which outlaw murder (6th), adultery (7th and 10th), theft (8th), and false testimony/slander (9th). Luke's Gospel provides the second. An impure spirit leaves the body and wanders deserts looking for repose. Additionally, it promises to return to its home. The house is clean and organized when you arrive. Seven more evil spirits are abducted and move in with it. Final state is far worse than the beginning. Luke 11:24–26.
Second, Ponticus is credited for writing the Seven Deadly Sins, but other authors have mentioned them. It's also long been believed that Ponticus's list was evil. Harvard University medieval studies professor Morton W. Bloomfield wrote "The Origin of the Concept of the Seven Cardinal Sins" in 1941 to trace its beginnings to the Hellenistic era. In her 2009 book The Seven Deadly Sins: Their Beginning in the spiritual teaching of Evagrius the Hermit, Anglican priest Angela Tilby claims that the Greek philosopher Diogenes Laertius, who lived in the second to third century BC, was the real founder.
Ponticus finally uses "logismoi," meaning "thought," to describe his eight sins. This was justified by his mistaken belief that sin develops over time rather than being instantaneous and preventable. The author's idea that the Eight Tempting Thoughts were just that—temptations monks would encounter inevitably, which could lead to disaster but were avoidable—inspired him to write his works. "To what extent these [tempting-thoughts] can agitate the soul or not is beyond our control; what we can control is whether they remain [in us] or not and whether they arouse the passions or not," said Ponticus in Praktikos. As time went on, the eight challenges affected society rather than just one monk. Ponticus likewise believed these temptations sought to strip us of our intrinsic purity as God's image. This view also saw individuals as evil. They become more menacing with "Principal," "Deadly," "Cardinal," "Vice," and "Sin."
John Cassian-Evagrius Ponticus Case
John Cassian, Ponticus's student, and Latin translator, boosted their renown. Cassian was more than a translator, although deriving inspiration from Ponticus's works virtually indistinguishable. His own set of ideas and adjustments to the teachings made them more logical, which helped them achieve social acceptance.
Cassian produced his Twelve Books on the Institutes of Coenobia and Remedies for the Eight Principal Thoughts between 417 and 419 AD. The series is called Ionhannis Cassiani De Institutis Coenobiorum Et De Octo Principalium Vitiorum Remediis Libri XII in Latin. In the final eight volumes of the Institutes, Ponticus presents his Eight Tempting Thoughts sequentially. Cassian translated Accidia, Gluttony, Fornification, Covetousness (Avarice/Greed), Anger, Dejection, Pride, and the "Eight Principal Thoughts".
Conferences 5, the fifth volume of Collationes Patrum XXIV, which Cassian shortened to Collections or Conferences, expands on the Eight Principal Thoughts in the 420s. The series is Latin for Fathers' Collations or Egyptian Monks' Conferences.
The Collections' elaborations on Ponticus's writings show that Cassian's names for his Tempting Thoughts remained essential. Although there will always be differences between the two, Cassian did make certain changes to his list to improve their popularity.
Cassian added "reaffirmation". In Conferences 5, Chapter 18, Cassian says, "Everybody is perfectly agreed that there are eight principal faults which affect a monk." This statement confirms eight main ideas. This may have been an attempt to distinguish himself from the unpopular Ponticus, who failed to explain his eight concepts.
Ponticus's writings were incoherent and did not follow the Eight Tempting Thoughts. Although Praktikos is the most famous work on this topic, other works incorporate the following ideas: About the Eight Malevolent Spirits, Vices Resistant to the Virtues, or Malevolent Enemies of the Virtues, brief explanations; Antirrhetikos, also known as Refutations, is a collection of scriptural passages used to debunk the Eight Tempting Thoughts, separated into eight chapters for each thinking, and On Thoughts and Exhortation to Monks.
In On the Vices Opposed to the Virtues, Ponticus lists nine vices, including Envy (which Pope Gregory would reinstall), between Vainglory and Pride, which is unusual for him. However, it and Antirrhetikos were built like Praktikos around Pride, Acedia, Sexual Immorality, Avarice, Sadness, Anger, and Gluttony. With new links, On Thoughts' eight thoughts are listed. Strangely, Gluttony, Avarice, and Vainglory come first. Gluttony preceded Fornification and Avarice, and Sadness and Pride followed. Finally, Anger preceded Vainglory. Gluttony, Fornication, Avarice, Corporeal Concerns, the Wandering Mind (essentially Acedia), Anger, Acedia (again), Sadness, and Pride are repeated in a usual list with various things. Exhortation to Monks. This material is based on research paper excerpts because Ponticus' publications are scarcely translated into English.
Ponticus describes the eight wicked spirits in order of Cassian's Institutes: gluttony, adultery, greed, rage, depression, accidie, vainglory, and pride. All of Cassian's publications follow this sequence, giving the Eight Principal Thoughts a firm foundation.
Finally, Cassian writes in Institutions XII that pride is the "root of all evil" and that "faults...spring from the evil of pride," strongly believing that pride is the worst sin (a stance Pope Gregory would later develop). In Praktikos, Ponticus calls Acedia "the most burdensome of all the demons," arguing that it is the worst sin. In Praktikos, Ponticus said Pride might "conduct the soul to the very worst fall," influencing Cassian's decision.
Still, Cassian's Institutes and Conferences publications made him famous. Cassian's hastily published and unsatisfactory treatise, De Incarnatione Domini Contra Nestorius (On the Incarnation of the Lord Against Nestorius), a response to Pope Leo the Great's request, would continue to be used and shape the beliefs of others, including those who would play pivotal roles in the early Christian church. This makes Cassian a key figure in Western monasticism.
Pope Gregory the Great
Gregorius Anicius, an impassioned monk from riches and with a good education at a chaotic time, was one of many influenced by Cassian's writings and published many notable works. He was elected Pope Gregory I in 590, but better remembered as Pope Gregory the Great. Even though he preferred monastic life, he accepted the job and helped expand the Catholic Church. He was canonized and named a Doctor of the Church, a distinction bestowed on saints whose writings are considered classics. His moniker of "the Great" is a testament to his great accomplishments.
Pope Gregory had considerable power and influence, and he made many important decisions. Paying hostage ransoms shows his authority, which he used to morally oppose the Germanic Lombards' Italian conquest. He made many additional contributions besides assisting the underprivileged and writing essential works of literature and prayer.
Pope Gregory's vast multi-volume series Moralia in Job, or Morals in Job, comments on the Bible's Gospel of Job. This is one of his many works. Pope Gregory repeats the "Seven Principal Sins/Vices"—vainglory, jealousy, rage, melancholy, avarice, gluttony, and lust—in Section [XLV] of Book XXXI, Volume III—The Sixth Part
Pope Gregory reduced pride but did not eliminate it. He agreed with Cassian that it was the "root of all evil" and put it highest among sins. He claims that pride delivers a conquered heart to seven great sins, like giving it to her generals to demolish. An army follows these generals because they commit many violations.God was grieved that we were imprisoned to these seven prides, so Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, fought for our freedom in the spiritual war of the crucifixion and resurrection with sevenfold love.
Pope Gregory reinstated envy as a mix of vainglory and pride, which Ponticus had left out of On the Vices Opposed to the Virtues. Pope Gregory says jealousy causes "horror, whispering, detraction, exultation at a neighbor's misfortunes and affliction at his prosperity". Like Pride and maybe influenced by Ponticus's portrayal in On Thoughts, he gave envy a dominating role in Genesis, the first book of the Bible to describe the Garden of Eden. Pope Gregory's Job Moralia [I] begins, "The devil, through envy, inflicted the wound of pride on healthful man in Paradise [Adam]." Pope Gregory explains in Section [XLV] that jealously arises from vainglory, which corrupts the afflicted and leads to envy. Why? Because it's undoubtedly envious of others who gain authority while it pursues an empty name. Another feeling jealousy can cause is anger. The mind's ability to be calm decreases as jealousy wounds it more.
He also combined Sloth, Gloominess, and portions of Ponticus's Anger under the new sin of "Melancholy," as Ponticus believed Anger generated Gloominess. "From melancholy there arise malice, rancor, cowardice, despair, slothfulness in fulfilling the commands, and a wandering of the mind on unlawful objects," Pope Gregory says in Section [XLV].
Pope Gregory promoted the Seven Deadly Sins as a concept and standard because he believed sin was an intrinsic human quality that caused us as heirs of Adam and Eve to deviate from our all-powerful God. Several steps were also taken to promote discipline in avoiding the Seven Principal Vices. He instituted universal celibacy for Roman Catholic priests, a lasting reform. It was meant to prevent the sons of ordained pastors from inheriting rich Church property, but it became a strong conviction in sexual taboos, restricting lust.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
It was certain to happen that someone would follow in Pope Gregory's footsteps and expand upon his ideas, given the magnitude of his impact. Thomas Aquinas, a priest and theologian from the thirteenth century, was one such individual. Like Pope Gregory, Aquinas was canonized as a saint in 1323 and designated a doctor of the Church in 1567 for his influential writings on the Catholic Church and other matters. Also, the French Church of Jacobins holds some of his remains as relics, a practice common in Catholic practice for the veneration and honor of holy people.
Although he passed away before it was finished, Aquinas spent 1265–1273 writing Summa Theologica, also known as Summa Theologiae, a multi-part compilation of the beliefs of the Catholic Church up to that point. The structure consists of posing a question, outlining about three arguments against that question, and finally including Aquinas's views and responses to those arguments. The inquiries touch on several Catholic themes, and Aquinas cites a number of authors, including Pope Gregory and the much-admired Aristotle, in his replies.
On the Seven Principal Vices in Summa Theologica, Aquinas concurs with Pope Gregory's views to a large extent. Together with Pope Gregory, Aquinas describes a capital vice as follows: "In this way a capital vice is one from which other vices arise, chiefly by being their final cause, whose origin is formal, as stated above" (I-II:84:3 and I-II:84:4). So, a major vice isn't just someone else's principle; it's also their director and, to some extent, their leader. This is because the art or habit that leads to a goal is always the one in charge of how to get there. As a result, Gregory likens these capital vices to "commanders of an army."
Prima Secundae Partis, the first half of the second book, deals with vices and sins; Aquinas also argues that the Seven Deadly Sins do in fact exist. He said, "It would seem that we ought not to reckon seven capital vices, viz. [namely] Vainglory, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Covetousness, Gluttony, Lust" in response to the objection. Because vices are at odds with virtues. However, the four aforementioned traits are the most important. According to his reasoning, there are only four major vices because "virtue" is born out of submitting one's appetite to reason or the immutable good (God), whereas "vice" is born out of wanting what is temporary or changeable. Accordingly, it is unnecessary for the main vices to oppose the main virtues (I-II:84:4). Thus, seven capital vices are possible, despite the fact that there are only four principal virtues, due to the fact that they originate from various places. So, you can't dismiss the seven - Pride, Anger, Sloth, Covetousness, Gluttony, and Lust.
In I-II:84:2 Aquinas reiterates, as Cassian and Pope Gregory had done before him, that Pride is the first transgression, and in I-II:84:I and II-II:118:7 he repeats the same for Covetousness (Greed). In II-II:35:4, he defends sloth, which Pope Gregory had omitted; in II-II:36:4, he defends envy, which Ponticus had used once but which Pope Gregory restored; and in I-II:46:1, he defends anger. Despite this, Aquinas calls anger a "Special Passion" in his answer. Although wrath and hatred are distinct emotions, Aquinas likewise rejects hatred as a mortal sin in II-II:34:5. as Aquinas did believe in the other sins (as was shown in the preceding paragraph), he probably thought it was superfluous to elaborate on the ones already named as they were the more widely acknowledged ones.
Because of his prominent position within the Catholic community, Aquinas's remarks in Summa Theologica helped to disseminate the Seven Deadly Sins even farther.
Dante Alighieri
A prominent work that deals with the Seven Deadly Sins is Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, a three-part allegorical poetry written in the fourteenth century. The poem is divided into Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, which are Italian words for Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, respectively.
Alighieri narrates his imaginary descent into Purgatory in Part II of Purgatorio. The modern-day list of sins—Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust—are separated into seven terraces in Alighieri's Purgatory, each of which is meant for a certain type of sin. He sorts them according to love: pride, envy, and wrath stem from a desire to hurt other people; sloth from a lack of love; and greed, gluttony, and lust from an excess of material love.
It appears that Aquinas's remarks and Cassian's deeds prompted him to remove Vainglory and replace it with Pride. Pride was thus deposed from its sovereign status. While arguing that envy is a capital vice, Aquinas cites Pope Gregory's claim that pride gives rise to vainglory in Summa Theologica II-II:36:4. It seems like Aligheri is using this to make the case for excluding Vainglory from consideration as a Principal Thought, while John Cassian is using it to argue that Envy shouldn't be. Aligheri probably thought it unnecessary because Aquinas had defined Vainglory and Pride similarly, and Pride is more prominent than Vainglory.
Pope John Paul II
Despite their lack of official recognition, the Seven Capital Vices were highly esteemed by many Catholics. The Seven Capital Vices were fully incorporated into Catholic canon in 1992, after centuries of anticipation, when Pope John Paul II released the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a reference book gathering key Catholic doctrines. Pope Gregory and John Cassian are on the list, but Thomas Aquinas and Dante Alighieri aren't. Section V. of Part Three, Section I, Chapter 1, Article 8, The Proliferation of Sin states that vices can be categorized based on the virtues they oppose or attached to the capital sins that Christian experience has identified, following the work of St. John Cassian and St. Gregory the Great. We call them "capital" because they lead to more crimes. Sloth, avarice, pride, envy, wrath, lust, and gluttony round out the list of vices.
Ponticus’s Original List
Ponticus demonstrated how the initial sins could seduce ascetic monks and derail their discipline. As systemic issues arose, sin definitions became more vague and diversified. (The dictionary and "Sin of Gluttony" define "Gluttony" differently). (This History Channel playlist traces the evolution of these definitions.)
Fasting and skipping meals were common among austere monks. According to Ponticus, gluttony might refer to food or to monks' predisposition to "recall those of the brethren who have suffered these things [side-effects of fasting, abstaining, and being secluded from physicians]." Gluttony can motivate monks to "tell them [others practicing self-control] all about their misfortunes and how this resulted from their asceticism."
Ponticus describes sexual immorality in general, possibly because he fears going into too much detail will mislead him. All of a monk's efforts to become holy are wasted when they have "desiring for different bodies," even if they were skilled at impulse control. People may hallucinate because of sexual urges and "speak certain words and then hear them, as if the thing were actually there to be seen."
Ascetic monks didn't require wealth because they lived alone. Since avarice was a direct violation of their way of life, Ponticus considers it a consequence rather than a cause. Monks would detest their life because avarice made them pay for things they didn't need, resulting in "long old age; hands powerless to work; hunger and disease yet to come; the bitterness of poverty, and the disgrace of receiving the necessities from others."
Gloominess is different from other flaws since it makes monks miserable while they stay in their lifestyle. Current monastic lifestyle causes "frustrated desires" and Anger transgression. They are taught that "home and parents and [the] former course of life" are "gone and cannot be recovered due to the present way of life". Gloominess weakens determination, so a "second" sin takes hold more strongly after this faith test.
Anger controls monks once it takes root. Because his "indignation against a wrongdoer or a presumed wrongdoer" builds up over the day, the monk must be calm during prayers. Nightly monk bitterness symptoms include "bodily weakness," "pallor [paleness]," and "attacks from poisonous beasts." The monk's soul becomes "savage."
Ponticus calls Acedia "the most burdensome." From 10 to 2 p.m., monks' acedia makes them think time stops. They neglect their duties and focus on time, to the degree where the monk "observe[s] the sun in order to see how much longer it is to [3 P.M.]." The monk develops resentment toward "his place, his way of life, and the work of his hands," especially after a recent loss, which forces him to live an austere, lonely life apart from his loved ones and the ease of his former life. "No other demon comes immediately after this one (Acedia)"—Acedia, not Anger, causes this hatred. Curiously, Acedia could work out nicely. The monk will want to leave his unhappy life, but he must embrace this and achieve "a peaceful state and unspeakable joy."
Vainglory strikes unexpectedly. Vainglory is a more intense, dependent, and practically possessive need for it, so vain; nonetheless, it is standard to seek validation or glory from others. Monks feel pressured to "publish their efforts" after ordination because they think their miraculous healings will be acclaimed like Jesus'. Vainglory indoctrinates monks with "empty hopes" and dreams, which might lead to Pride, Sadness, and/or Sexual Immorality to pursue glory or cope with its absence.
Pride was supposed to "conduct the soul to the very worst fall," making it a terrible sin. The monks' pride made them egotistical, prevented them from accepting God's support, prevented them from crediting God for their successes, and caused them to judge others who had other ideas, even if they were more traditional. Pride can lead to rage, grief, and "complete insanity," which may refer to the absurdity of placing oneself in God's place.
Artistic Representation
Works of art frequently depict the Seven Deadly Sins, as do many other Catholic topics. This is due to the fact that, first of all, they are only concepts that may be introduced into various settings to add flavor.
Along with the aforementioned Purgatorio, Dante Alighieri's first and most popular part, Inferno, also contains, though to a lesser extent, the Seven Deadly Sins. Alighieri claims that the Roman poet Virgil guided him on his imaginary journey to Hell. Hell is composed of nine concentric tiers. The first layer, Limbo, is non-punishing. The next eight layers are designed to punish eight separate sins, with the severity of each layer increasing as one falls into and approaches the center of the circle. The eight rings stand for the following sins: overindulgence, avarice, wrath, slander, aggression, dishonesty, and betrayal. The second to fifth circle correspond to four of the commonly held beliefs, albeit they do not adhere closely to any enumeration of the Seven or Eight Tempting beliefs.
The famous Christian author John Wycliffe, whose works were foundational to the Protestant Reformation, is often said to have been the first to name the seven deadly sins. An Old English manuscript from the fifteenth century called the Lanterne of Light details the seven deadly sins embodied by the infamous rulers of hell: the haughty Lucifer, the gluttonous Beelzebub, the jealous Leviathan, the avaricious Satan, and the slothful Belphegor.
But the Seven Deadly Sins aren't something you'd find in a book. An intricate film from the sixteenth century titled The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things. The seven horrible scenarios that make up the circle represent the titular sins. You may see this artwork in the article's opening image. From highest to lowest, in a clockwise direction, the middle ring parts represent: Indulgence is displayed by a drunk, a server, a gluttonous father and son; An unmotivated individual who does not get ready for either work or prayer throughout the day; Goals as a couple, with one of them enjoying a clown show; Satisfaction comparable to a lady admiring her reflection in a demon-possessed mirror set in a tastefully appointed room; Angry outburst when a female steps in to stop a vicious fight between two country folk; Feelings of envy, such as those experienced by a married couple when their daughter accepts a rose from a rich man in return for a substantial amount of money and when they see another rich guy's bird; & In this film, greed plays the role of a corrupt judge who takes bribes from witnesses while seeming ostentatiously engaged in a case. In the middle of the ring of sins stands Jesus Christ. at the four corners of the artwork, beginning at the top left corner and moving clockwise, there are circles that symbolize Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
There is evidence that the Seven Deadly Sins are still with us today. Nakaba Suzuki's "The Seven Deadly Sins" is a famous example of this type of work. For some reason, it imbues the heroes with sinful traits that are typically linked with evil and transforms them into decent individuals.
The Seven Deadly Sins will continue to be depicted in many aspects of life. Although the specific list will alter over time, the core of this evil concept has stayed the same for millennia.
Seven Deadly Sins
Many seven deadly sin lists conflate pride with vainglory. An expert on the seven deadly sins and a professor of scripture and patristics at St. Patrick's Seminary and University, Kevin M. Clarke argues that, strictly speaking, they are distinct.
1. Pride / Vainglory
A fault that compels us to check our social media "like" numbers is vainglory, he explains. "We seek human acclaim at vainglory." "Pride is a sin where I essentially take spiritual credit for what I've done," according to the author, in contrast to "ascribing one's good deeds to God."
2. Avarice
Avidity, according to Newhauser, "is not only a desire for wealth but for honors [and] high positions," as Gregory the Great put it. "So he knew that things that seem insignificant to us could actually be the target of greed." Although some of the transgressions may differ throughout lists, avarice or greed is present on every single one.
3. Envy
Though Clarke claims that "Evagrius doesn't have envy in his list," the truth is that Evagrius did include grief. "Envy encompasses two aspects: delight in another's misfortune and sorrow at another's fortune. Sadness and envy go hand in hand because these feelings are closely related." In his list of vices, Gregory included envy, which he described as leading to "exultation at the misfortunes of a neighbour, and affliction at his prosperity." This is how Gregory put it.
4. Wrath
While it's natural to feel angry when wronged, fury goes beyond that. It is a deadly sin, according to the Catechism, "If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor." Artists in the Middle Ages often represented scenes of violence and suicide to convey the intensity of human emotion.
5. Lust
The scope of lust is so wide that it includes both intramarital and extramarital sex. An excessive or disordered desire for sexual pleasure is what the Catechism means when it talks of lust. To seek sexual pleasure apart from its procreative and unitive functions is to engage in ethically wrong behavior. This is likely the most sinful thing about which public opinion has evolved. The majority of American Catholics think the church should approve of birth control and that same-sex marriage should be allowed, according to surveys by Gallup and the Pew Research Center, even though the Catholic church formally opposes both.
6. Gluttony
According to early Christian theologians, gluttony encompasses not only overeating but also excessive alcohol consumption and an unhealthy obsession with high-quality foods.
Clarke admits that she may be guilty of gluttony if she feels an overwhelming need to consume pricey and delicate foods.
7. Sloth
"Sloth" now means "laziness," but according to Newhauser, it denoted "a lack of care for performing spiritual duties" to early Christian thinkers. Even though sloth wasn't in Gregory's list of seven sins, he did bring it up when discussing depression as a fault, saying that depression caused "slothfulness in fulfilling the commands." Aquinas kept drawing a connection between sloth and grief even after he changed the former to one of the cardinal sins. He described sloth as a type of grief that makes a person lethargic when it comes to spiritual practices since they tire the body.
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