Gluttony. Lust. Greed. Anger. Sloth. Envy. Pride. The capital vices are the gateway drugs to countless sins. But where did this tradition come from? Unsurprisingly, it can be traced back to the teachings of the Church Fathers, whose words-included in this book-answer such questions as: So how do the capital sins spawn other vices in the soul? How does one cultivate the virtues that heal the soul from those vices? How are gluttony and lust related? What role does almsgiving have in soothing the passion of anger? As the path of the book descends through the vices, the words of the Fathers will assist readers in being more realistic about the attacks upon the soul. Edifying and medicinal, each chapter begins with vice and ends with virtue, so one's path through the chapters represents a sort of ascent out of sin and on to the road to righteousness. The text gives special attention to the thoughts of Augustine of Hippo, Evagrius of Pontus, John Cassian, Gregory the Great, and Maximus the Confessor.
