Christianity's Seven Deadly Sins: Are There More?

The seven deadly sins are a classification of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. They are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. However, there are more than seven sins. The seven deadly sins are simply broad groupings that many sins fall under. Vainglory, acedia, thoughtlessness, capriciousness, resentment, fear of death, vanity, idol worship, and sordidness are all examples of sins that are not part of the seven deadly sins.

Pride

> "Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that Lucifer became wicked: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."

In Christian tradition, pride is associated with Satan. It was the sin of pride that led Lucifer, the most beautiful and perfect of God's angels, to rebel against God and fall from heaven. Some Christians believe Lucifer engaged in a battle with St. Michael the Archangel and was subsequently cast into hell by God. The ousted angel Lucifer subsequently became known as the Devil or Satan, and the angels that joined his rebellion became known as demons. The role of pride in both the fall of Satan and of Adam and Eve was particularly popularized in John Milton's epic poem 'Paradise Lost'.

Vainglory

The difference between pride and vainglory can be summed up as follows: pride says, "I think I'm someone great", while vainglory says, "I want you to think I'm someone great". Vainglory is about the human desire for honour, glory, recognition, and approval. It is about wanting to be seen as the best, even if one does not truly believe oneself to be so.

In the Christian tradition, vainglory is considered one of the seven deadly sins, or cardinal sins. These are the seven behaviours or feelings that inspire further sin. The concept of the seven deadly sins originated with the Christian monk Evagrius Ponticus in the 4th century, who listed eight "evil thoughts", including vainglory. In the 6th century, Pope Gregory I revised the list to seven, combining vainglory with pride. However, some modern Christian traditions continue to view vainglory as a separate sin from pride, as it is seen as a more accurate description of the human desire for recognition and approval.

• Exaggerating or lying to impress others
• Gossiping or speaking badly about others to boost one's own image
• Hiding one's true self to maintain a false facade
• Doing good deeds to be noticed and praised, rather than out of genuine kindness
• Constantly seeking the approval of others
• Boasting about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities

Envy

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, envy progresses through three stages. In the first stage, the envious person tries to lower the other person's reputation. In the second stage, they experience either "joy at another's misfortune" or "grief at another's prosperity". The third stage is hatred, as "sorrow causes hatred". Aquinas also considered envy to be a progenitor of vainglory, or unjustified boasting.

In modern times, the concept of the seven deadly sins continues to influence religious and philosophical thought, art, and popular culture, including literature, film, and television.

Sloth

The idea of sloth as a sin dates back to antiquity and includes a range of mental, spiritual, pathological, and conditional states. Spiritually, acedia was initially associated with religious persons, particularly monks, who became indifferent to their duties and obligations to God. Mentally, acedia is characterised by affectlessness, a lack of feeling about oneself or others, leading to boredom, rancour, apathy, and a passive, inert, or sluggish state of mind. Physically, acedia is marked by a cessation of motion and indifference to work, resulting in laziness, idleness, and indolence.

In his Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas Aquinas defined sloth as "sorrow about spiritual good" and as a "facetiousness of the mind which neglects to being good". According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sloth is a "culpable lack of physical or spiritual effort". It involves ignoring the seven gifts of grace given by the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Piety, Fortitude, and Fear of the Lord). This disregard can slow spiritual progress towards eternal life and lead to a neglect of charitable duties towards one's neighbour and animosity towards God.

Emotionally and cognitively, acedia manifests as a lack of feeling for the world, others, or oneself. It leads to alienation from the world and oneself, resulting in withdrawal from participation in or care for others or oneself. This condition can range from profound versions of complete withdrawal to a lesser but more noisome element noted by theologians. According to Gregory the Great, "from tristitia, there arise malice, rancour, cowardice, and despair". Chaucer identified characteristics of acedia, including despair, somnolence, idleness, negligence, indolence, and wrawnesse, which can be translated as "anger" or "peevishness". Chaucer viewed sloth as the refusal to undertake works of goodness due to the perceived difficulty and grievousness of the circumstances.

Gluttony

In the Bible, the Book of Proverbs advises:

> "Do not join with wine-bibbers, nor with those who glut themselves on meat. For drunkards and gluttons come to poverty, and lazing about clothes one in rags." (Proverbs 23:20–21)

In the 6th century, Pope Gregory I (the Great) enumerated the seven deadly sins, which were later elaborated upon by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. Aquinas identified five ways in which gluttony can present itself:

• Hastily, by eating or drinking too rapidly or at an inappropriate time.
• Sumptuously, by eating or drinking rich or expensive fare over healthier or more moderate options.
• Excessively, by consuming too much.
• Greedily, by eating or drinking too eagerly and refusing to share.
• Daintily, by eating food that is of excessive quality or overly prepared.

In Dante's Inferno, gluttons are punished in the third circle of hell, where they are guarded and tortured by Cerberus, a monstrous three-headed beast, while lying face down in icy mud and slush.

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