SH+2015-16+P4+Seven+Deadly+Sins

Aim: Tatjana Wagner


Each of the seven deadly sins has a different meaning, all contributing to one higher meaning, and each represents a characteristic inherent in all people. “ In Latin and English, the Seven Deadly Sins are: superbia (pride), avaritia (greed), luxuria (extravagance, later lust), invidia (envy), gula (gluttony), ira (wrath), and acedia (sloth). Each of the Seven Deadly Sins corresponds to one of the Seven Holy Virtues, and together these lists were the moral standards and tests of the early Catholic Church” (“Seven Deadly Sins”). Each sin is described as a “deadly” characteristic that is present in all people. Each sin can be interpreted differently, but each interpretation has close to the same base. Pride, which is the deadliest of the sins according to Christianity, is described as an overpowering love of self. As well as: greed is a strong desire to gain, lust is an obsessive and unlawful thought, envy is a jealousy of others, gluttony is overindulgence, wrath is wanting revenge, and sloth is being lazy. All of these can compare to the seven holy virtues, where each virtue is the opposite of the sin. The virtue opposite of pride would be humbleness, the opposite of greed would be generosity, etc. The sins and the virtues are known to be the “moral rules” ("Seven Deadly Sins"), where it is the goal to strive for the virtues and to stay away from the sins. These have such a large impact, that they may have been put there to keep society in order. When putting these two lists together, it separates the good behaviors from the bad. It creates a barrier between the two and sets standards for people to reach for. Having a socially accepted barrier, it allows for the standards to be put in place and for society to have an order.

“Seven Deadly Sins.” // New World Encyclopedia //, 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

=** Historical Implications: Jacob Magnusson **=

In history, the Seven Deadly Sins have been mentioned all across the world, most notably in Christian texts. History Has been completely altered, in such a way that Shingler examples, “When Dante’s Inferno was released, A rise in Christianity occurred due to fear of Hell” (Shingler 24 Aug). The concept of these Deadly Sins is enough to scare the entire population into acting “appropriately”. It shaped the entirety of the free will in a free population. By following the Seven Holy Virtues, it also does what is best for society, and that “fear” always keeps them in check (New World Encyclopedia). The Seven Deadly Sins hold together the foundation of not just religious society, but secular society as well, which shows just how they have shaped and molded history, with the hands of free will.

Works Cited “Seven Deadly Sins.” // New World Encyclopedia //, 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Shingler, David. "Dante's Inferno Background Presentation." Empire High School, Tucson, AZ. Aug. 2015. Keynote Address.


 * Audience: Joseph Smith **



While the Seven Deadly Sins can be applied to anyone, there is of course a primary audience. That primary audience is Christianity. Christians believe in these sins in such a way that, in the bible it declares,“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers” (Proverbs 6:16-19). The bible was written by Christians for Christians and thus the primary audience of Christian writing would be the followers of Christ. However, that is not the only audience the seven deadly sins were meant for. A second audience to the Seven Deadly Sins are the everyday people in the world. The Seven Deadly Sins are described as the worst things any person, Christian or not, can do ("Seven Deadly Sins"). It does not take a Christian to know not to commit adultery and one doesn't have to be Christian to know not to envy and steal others belongings or to be hateful to other people. This common in most people because of they way have been raised, and even without Christian values, people have been taught enough to know that the seven sins are wrong. Thus, the ethics involved in these sins can be used by anyone wishing to lead a better life, even if they do not have the same Christian upbringing.

Works Cited:

“Proverbs 6:16-19”, //The New American Bible//, 1970. Print. 26 August 2015

“Seven Deadly Sins.” //New World Encyclopedia//, 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

When Dante wrote his book Inferno, the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins exploded. It became socially known that if anyone committed any of the Deadly Sins, they were going straight to hell. It was stressed that it was unacceptable for anyone to commit any sin, much less any of the Seven Deadly Sins. However, in today’s society, sinning in general has slipped from many people’s minds. With the technological advances in today’s society, sloth is a common sin seen on the daily. In New World Encyclopedia, the author defines the sins as “a list of the worst vices that cut a person off from God’s grace” ("Seven Deadly Sins"). This statement could be seen as an opinion, but considering how much of an impact Inferno had on the public, it can be assumed that the Seven Deadly Sins are seen as a very terrible deed. The concept of the sins are such a popular topic to explore, that even TV show characters are inspired after them. The culture in which the Seven Sins were provided were much more strict than the culture they are presented in now.
 * Cultural ** (Marissa Walker):

Works Cited: “Seven Deadly Sins.” //New World Encyclopedia//, 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.