If you have additional questions from the sermon this morning about identifying the root of sin in your life, consider reading Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies by Calvin College philosophy professor Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung.
In her book, DeYoung explores the “seven deadly sins” or “capital vices.” DeYoung prefers the term “capital vices” because “vices concern deeply rooted patterns in our character, patterns broader than a single act but narrower than our sinful human condition in general.”
Although there is no official historical list of the vices, DeYoung settles on envy, vainglory, sloth, avarice, anger, gluttony, and lust, dedicating a chapter to each one. You may be surprised to see that pride is missing from the list, but DeYoung argues that pride is the root of all sin, underlying all the capital vices.
If some of her capital vices sound like outdated terms, consider a few of her definitions:
- Vainglory — excessive desire for others’ attention and approval; “Maybe vainglory is the vice for those convinced deep down they will never really be good enough to shine without artificial lighting and a little extra polish.”
- Sloth — spiritual laziness; allowing work, busyness or anything else to crowd out time for our spiritual life
- Avarice — overzealous desire to acquire and keep material goods; “the desire to be able to provide fully for ourselves, and therefore not to have to depend on God.”
- Gluttony — “Gluttony is really not about how much we’re eating, but about how our eating reflects how much pleasure we take in eating food and why.”
In addition to defining each capital vice and examining the destructive behaviors or sin that result when we allow these sins to go unheeded, Glittering Vices offers suggestions to allow God to transform these areas.
For additional insights into the book, you can click to read this 2009 Christianity Today interview with DeYoung.
All is well,
Lisa