For those who like to read, there are a number of excellent books on the Seven Deadly Sins that could be a great accompaniment during Lent. Below are some recommendations from Byron Borger, owner of Hearts and Minds Books in Dallastown, PA. If you decide to purchase one, please consider buying it from our friend Byron and support his wonderful and unique bookstore! You can order online at http://www.heartsandmindsbooks.com.
Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes, Jeff Cook (Zondervan), $12.99. This is creatively written, colorful and contemporary, and compares the seven deadly sins with the beatitudes, which is brilliant. An upbeat, almost hip sort of read.
Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the 7 Deadly Sins, William Willimon (Abingdon), $14.99. You might know the thoughtful, eloquent United Methodist former chaplain at Duke and his engaging style. He’s solid and practical and only a little flamboyant.
Dangerous Passions, Deadly Sins: Learning from the Psychology of Ancient Monks, Dennis Okholm (Brazos), $16.99. Okholm is a Benedictine oblate, an evangelical Anglican who teaches at Azusa Pacific and Fuller Seminary. He knows the monastic tradition really well, and here he looks at how this classic wisdom can be helpful today. Remarkable and highly recommended, if a tiny bit dense at times.
The Seven Deadly Sins Today, Henry Fairlie (University of Notre Dame), $22.00. This is one we often recommend as it is cited and seen as somewhat of a classic. It was written in the mid seventies, so may be a bit out of date with the “today” part. I sold it to Os Guinness many years ago, and he replied that it was very useful, if I recall. Mature, a bit philosophical, by an important British thinker.
What Your Counselor Never Told You: Seven Secrets Revealed – Conquer the Power of Sin in Your Life, William Backus (Bethany), $20.00. This may be a bit too “self-helpy” workbook stuff for some, but it is suggested by our friends at the C.S. Lewis Institute, and they use it in their Fellows program. It really is a deep and practical study of the deadly sins, and offers a no-nonsense Christian guide to character formation and repentance.
Seven Deadly Sins: The Uncomfortable Truth, Dan Boone (Beacon Hill), $11.99. This is pretty gracious and nuanced, not a guilt-inducing exposé, but a look at what he calls “imperfections that sin uses to tarnish and infect our lives.” The author is the President of Trevecca Nazarene University, and is upbeat and witty.
Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies, Rebecca Konynkyk DeYoung (Brazos), $17.99. This same author has also written a fantastic, thoughtful book called Vainglory which is just one of the major sins, you know. This book on the Seven Deadly Sins is the foundation for her second book. De Young teaches philosophy at Calvin College and is a very good writer, and a broad, ecumenical thinker.
7 Deadly Sins 