There is a virtual epidemic of addiction in the United States, both traditional addictions to drugs and alcohol but also newer addictions, like sex, gambling, rage, work, and food/eating. Some authorities have labeled addictions the number one mental health problem in America. We are spending millions of dollars annually trying to prevent, understand, and treat this epidemic--and yet by any measure of success we are losing this "war." In this cultural context Dr. Sullender invites us to look again at the spiritually based scheme of the Seven Deadly Sins, which originated at the dawn of Western civilization. He suggests that what our spiritual forebears meant by "deadly" is best captured in the modern concept of "addiction." Based on this thesis, this book explores what is addictive about the sins of pride, envy, anger, greed, gluttony, sloth, and lust, and suggests that these sins are all obsessive, and as such become the mental component in the addictive cycle. Each chapter concludes by offering some spiritual resources, practices, and insights that can help us win the battle against addiction, which is ultimately won or lost on a mental or spiritual plane.
"By focusing on the traditional seven deadly sins, Sullender shows the attitudes that cause so much unhappiness in our lives and relationships are addictions that have their genesis in our natural human needs. Because our struggle with sin begins--not ends--with our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, Sullender offers a compelling vision of the lifelong journey of becoming saved through recognition of our addiction and the employment of the spiritual resources available to disarm it."
--Donald Capps, Professor of Pastoral Theology Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary
"Resurrecting the seven deadly sins of antiquity as a cogent framework for analyzing life in our contemporary world reflects the task of Scott Sullender in this intriguing book. He correlates and integrates his theological, psychological, and spiritual convictions, utilizing the phenomenon of addiction as the common denominator that underlies and gives expression to the seven deadly sins in our age. This carefully researched and constructed volume will provide an important angle of vision for caregivers in our contemporary context."
--Robert H. Albers, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Pastoral Theology, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
R. Scott Sullender is Associate Professor of Pastoral Counseling at San Francisco Theological Seminary. He is a licensed psychologist in California and a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. He is the author of Losses in Later Life: A New Way of Walking with God. His forty years of professional work has focused on the integration of spirituality and psychology in the context of the healing of persons and their families.
"By focusing on the traditional seven deadly sins, Sullender shows the attitudes that cause so much unhappiness in our lives and relationships are addictions that have their genesis in our natural human needs. Because our struggle with sin begins--not ends--with our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, Sullender offers a compelling vision of the lifelong journey of becoming saved through recognition of our addiction and the employment of the spiritual resources available to disarm it."
--Donald Capps, Professor of Pastoral Theology Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary
"Resurrecting the seven deadly sins of antiquity as a cogent framework for analyzing life in our contemporary world reflects the task of Scott Sullender in this intriguing book. He correlates and integrates his theological, psychological, and spiritual convictions, utilizing the phenomenon of addiction as the common denominator that underlies and gives expression to the seven deadly sins in our age. This carefully researched and constructed volume will provide an important angle of vision for caregivers in our contemporary context."
--Robert H. Albers, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Pastoral Theology, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
R. Scott Sullender is Associate Professor of Pastoral Counseling at San Francisco Theological Seminary. He is a licensed psychologist in California and a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. He is the author of Losses in Later Life: A New Way of Walking with God. His forty years of professional work has focused on the integration of spirituality and psychology in the context of the healing of persons and their families.
