Deadly Thoughts, Christian Virtues, and Godly Training
On Sunday in class, I talked about eight negative thoughts and eight Christian virtures. Evagrius of Pontus identified these in fourth century A.D. You will recognize many parallels between the deadly thoughts and the seven deadly sins.
Thoughts
Gluttony
Anger
Greed
Envy (Vainglory)
Pride
Lust
Acedia / Indifference
Sadness / Melancholy
Not to get into too much into the transmission history, but the lists are related. We know that John of Cassian took Evagrius list and brought it over into Latin, and later writers (such as Gregory I) gave us formalized the seven deadly sins as lust, gluttony, greed, sloth wrath, envy, and pride.
What I have found helpful, though, is that Evagrius also identified eight virtues
Virtues
Temperance
Mildness
Generosity
Happiness (desiring what is good for others)
Humility
Chastity
Diligence
Wisdom
In the book, Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion , Gayle Beebe observes that Evagrius understood that each of the eight virtues was a perfect antidote for the deadly thoughts.
Thoughts Met By Virtues
Gluttony is mastered by Temperance
Anger is mastered by Mildness
Greed is mastered by Generosity
Envy is mastered by Happiness
Pride is mastered by Humility
Lust is mastered by Chastity
Indifference is mastered by Diligence
Sadness or Melancholy is mastered by Wisdom
This all makes sense. What we discussed in class though is how do you cultivate the virtues? The answer is by embracing training. Our souls need to be trained so that they respond with virtue. This is not unlike the efforts that a runner takes to get ready to face a marathon. A daily regimen helps athletes take the steps that are needed to run in a race. Dallas Willard in The Spirit of the Disciplines identifies inward and outward disciplines.
Inward Disciplines
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study
Outward Disciplines
Simplicity
Solitude
Submission
Service
Confession
Worship
Guidance
Celebration
Jesus embodied these disciplines and they enabled him to live a virtuous, holy life on the Earth. As we cultivate inward and outward training into our daily life, we too can begin to live in ways that are more wholesome.
So teach your children about simplicity and solitude. The result will be the growth of temperance, generosity, and happiness. You might notice that gluttony, greed, and envy have less a hold in your life. This is a gift of grace, God’s gentle working in your life.
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