The Dark Side of the Soul

In The Dark Side of the Soul, the author explains and illustrates the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ with contemporary examples. ‘Sin’ is an old-fashioned word for some startlingly contemporary problems. Far from being about trivial naughtiness or seedy self-indulgence, it’s about the financial scandals that have rocked our world, and most of the ills that beset us today.In clear and accessible language, Cherry shows that the traditional Christian concept of sin is a vital tool in understanding what is wrong with human beings. Far from leading people into a guilt-trap, ‘sin’ is a healthy and truthful word that can help to set us free.Human beings are neither intrinsically evil nor congenitally inclined to virtue, but many of the problems and predicaments that trouble us today can be better understood, and more effectively resolved, if their deeper roots are taken into account.In this fresh interpretation, the author shows that, for example, our economic problems, and our fixation on financial criteria in decision-making, can be understood through the twin lenses of avarice and lust. Our obsessive busyness is a manifestation of sloth; and our desire to control, and our perfectionism, are outworkings of spiritual pride.Crucially, although sin is an important and necessary word for people to understand and come to terms with, it is never, in the Christian worldview, the last word.

“This book will be accessible both to committed Christians and to others who are willing to examine their lives with resources from Christian thought ... It helps us understand the interconnectedness of human sinfulness”

Church Times
There is much to admire in this contemporary mapping out of traditional monastic teaching on the seven deadly sins The Tablet
What distinguishes Cherry’s work is that he takes a more nuanced approach to the sins, breaking down the traditional seven inherited from Evagrius, Aquinas and others, and interpreting them through the lenses of sociology, psychology, economics and philosophy as well as Scripture and theology ... While the outline of this book does make it useful for dipping into, there is a sustained argument that makes the whole worth more than the sum of its parts ... An excellent resource that’s actually more suited to the pastoral task of helping people (starting with themselves) to follow Jesus more faithfully while all the time struggling to throw off the sin that so easily entangles. -- Ashley Lovett Socketts Regent’s Reviews (Regent’s Park College, Oxford)

Stephen Cherry is Dean of King's College, Cambridge, UK. He is the best-selling author of Barefoot Disciple, the Archbishop of Canterbury's 2011 Lent Book (Continuum, 2010), and Healing Agony (Continuum, 2012).

The word 'sin' has fallen from grace. Although the language of sin is alive and well in the liturgy of the church, it is often misunderstood and misused by Christians. It is only used in everyday life and public discourse when describing the most perverse faults of others or with a toxic degree of irony. Stephen Cherry invites the reader to take a closer look at what 'sin' is, and how a clearer understanding of the concept can help explain some of the most intractable issues facing individuals, communities and the world today. .. Sin: A User's Guide offers a contemporary understanding of sin, avoiding the archaic and the obscure. It shows that a proper understanding of sin, while inevitably uncomfortable, does not lead to condemnation but to liberation. Cherry demonstrates how developing the understanding of sin was key to Jesus' ministry, and argues that it is crucial that the church continues this work in a time when scientific and psychological explanations often leave little room for the theological. Outlining the history of sin and how it has come to be so misunderstood, he then considers key ways in which 'sin' operates in the world today, and explores how modern life might be transformed by access to the vocabulary of sin and a better understanding of its concepts.

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