One of my favorite contemporary Christian thinkers and writers is Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, who teaches at Calvin University. I’ve read some of her work (and plan to read more), heard her give a keynote address at a philosophy conference just this past November, and worked with her as a contributor to a book I co-edited several years ago. I’ve always been challenged and encouraged by the depth of her thought and its practical importance for those who want to cultivate virtue. I’m currently reading through the second edition of her excellent book, Glittering Vices, and will be sharing some of her helpful insights now and in future editions of this newsletter. If your interest is piqued, I highly recommend buying and reading this book.
As a reminder, this newsletter - Rediscovering the Way - is aimed at helping us cultivate character and contribute to the common good. I think both are central to what it means to be a follower of the Way (Acts 9:2; 24:14) in particular, and more generally for what it means to simply be a good human being. One thing that prevents us from doing both of these things is our struggle with sin (as many Christians might put it), in particular our struggle with different moral vices. We don’t talk about vices that much. But doing so can be very useful. A vice is a bad moral character trait that undermines our ability to live well. Vices corrupt, corrode, and undermine both our character and our relationships with others. Think about the ways that envy can harm a relationship between friends, or how wrath can damage a parent-child relationship in the short and long term.
The seven deadly sins are better thought of as the seven capital vices. Not as catchy, but more accurate. The capital vices of vainglory, envy, sloth, avarice, wrath, gluttony, and lust wreak havoc on our characters, our happiness, our relationships with others, and our world. They are called capital vices because all of our other vices, and our immoral or sinful acts, can be traced back to one of these seven vices. And at the root of all of these vices is our self-centered pride. On this, Gregory the Great explains:
For when pride, the queen of sins, has fully possessed a conquered heart, she surrenders it immediately to seven capital sins, as if to some of her generals, to lay it waste…For pride is the root of all evil…But seven capital vices, as its first progeny, spring doubtless from this poisonous root…[and] these several sins have each their army against us.1
Because of the power that these vices possess, there is wisdom in what Horace once said: “To flee vice is the beginning of virtue.” A virtue is an excellent moral character trait that helps us to live well. Fleeing our vices is a good first step towards cultivating virtue, which enables us to have deep, loving, and secure relationships with others, and enables us to truly flourish. In short, having virtue helps one lead a good life, and be a good human being.
All of this is important for Christians; it is also important for those who have a different faith, or no faith at all. As Konyndyk DeYoung puts it, “the moral project for a Christian is to die to the old self and rise to new life in Christ” (15). We are to shed vice, and grow in virtue. We are to become more Christlike. For others, the capital vices are also a problem, apart from religious motivations and goals. All of these vices undermine our flourishing, they damage our relationships, irrespective of our religious commitments or lack thereof.
Konyndyk DeYoung offers several other reasons for reflecting on the vices. Doing so will help us understand human nature more deeply. It can also give us a framework for understanding our culture, one in which six-pack abs are more highly valued than compassion, patience, and humility. The vices help explain why this is so. As we think about the difference between revenge and righteous anger, or the reasons why there is so much contempt on our political tv shows and in politics more generally, a grasp of the nature of vainglory, wrath, and envy can be very helpful. A deeper understanding of the vices can also produce personal spiritual rewards, as we’ll see. Studying the vices can also shed light on our reading of the Bible. As we become more attuned to the vices that underlie wrong behavior, we are also better able to see how the teachings of Scripture encourage us to cultivate character in dependence on God, within a community of other followers of the Way.
We all have good reasons not only for thinking about the seven capital vices, but also for doing what we can to lay them aside in pursuit of virtue, human flourishing, and the common good. Next month, we’ll begin our reflections on the seven capital vices by examining vainglory and envy. We’ll also consider some practices to engage in that will help us overcome and even begin to rid ourselves of these two capital vices.
Other Resources
I will often post links to other helpful resources, both things I’ve developed as well as the work of others. As some of you know, I’ve done some writing on Christian ethics and guns in recent years. I believe that we can protect the rights of responsible gun owners while reducing gun violence in America. If I’m right about this, then this is a significant thing we can do to promote the common good in America. I’ve posted a couple of online essays here, because the topics they focus on come up over and over again when this is discussed in Christian circles. If you’re interested, you can check them out:
Gregory the Great, Moralia on Job 31.45.87-88.