Proposed themes from May 2007 - the seven deadly sins... and some opposing virtues:

Sin	Virtue	Quotes / Resources	Scripture suggestions
Pride (hubris, vanity, narcissism) But what's wrong with self-respect, dignity, honour, racial pride... In a human-centred world does pride becomes a virtue? Worship the notion of self-fulfilment, realising our potential, personnel growth. Society acclaims certain characteristics (intelligence, beauty, wealth, power) – pride is the belief that possession of such traits infers rights (to a good job, better pay…) or value… Technological/scientific achievement,as the fruits of pride (Prometheus)?	Humility (modesty, selflessness, giving of respect) But what differs it from self-abasement or humiliation? Lack of humility seen in misuse of science & technology.	"inordinate self-love is the cause of every sin ... the root of pride is found to consist in man not being, in some way, subject to God and His rule." Thomas Aquinas "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbour." Dante	Mark 7 Paul’s conversion Proverbs 16:1-20 Isaiah 14:3-21 Prov. 18:12 Prov 15:25-33 (Isaiah 55:8) Philip 2:3-8 (humility) See Milton!
Greed (avarice, covetousness, materialism) Excessive love of material wealth. Calculating materialism - euphemisms: 'economic security'; ;'financial success' - mortgaging the present to secure the future? Renders all value instrumental - a means to an end - nothing holds intrinsic value (whether spiritual, aesthetic, emotional etc) Greed as idolatry Condemnation of greed not same as condemnation of spiritual(?) value of earnt wealth, entepreunership or negates the power of money to do good?	Generosity (vigilance, liberality) Liberality - just acquisition and wise use of money to good end?	"it is a sin directly against one's neighbour, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches, without another man lacking them... it is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, inasmuch as man contemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things." Thomas Aquinas 'If money be not thy servant it will be thy master. the covetous man cannot so propery be said to possess wealth , as that may be said to possess him.' Francis Bacon 'Nothing can be so hard for those who abound in riches as to conceive how others can be in want' Jonathan swift 'He who witholds a pennyworth of worldly goods from his neighbour, knowing him to be in need, is a robber in the sight of God... Further I declare, who spares a penny for himself to put it by against a rainy day, thinking, I may have need for that tomorrow, is a muderer before God' Meister Eckhart Greek Legend of King Midas - dehumanizing power of greed? Chaucer: The Pardoner's Tale (modernised TV versions?)	Matthew 6 (discourse of ostentation - "You can't serve both God and Mammon") & Luke 16:9-13 (The unjust steward) 'eye of a needle' discourse Mathew 19: 20-24? Ecclesiastes 5:10-16 - 'the man who loves money can never have enough...' Tale of the Golden Calf I Timothy 6:9-10, 17-19 Isaiah 58 - nature of true fasts Fallow & Jubilee years - Leviticus 25 - placing limits on greed/accumulation of wealth
Lust (inappropriate / excessive desire, physical desire, obsession) Excessive love of sensuality, sexual desire, physical pleasures... etc	Chastity (purity, love, discipline)
Wrath (anger, fury, hate, violence) Uncontrolled passion? Is not necessarily selfish - use of violence to achieve justice?	Patience (composure, kindness, mercy, forbearance, compassion, peace)	"A passion of the sensitive appetite is good in so far as it is regulated by reason, whereas it is evil if it set the order of reason aside." Thomas Aquinas "love of justice perverted to revenge and spite" Dante	Jesus' clearing of the temple... was this anger?
Envy (jealousy) ... of possessions, characteristics, skills, spirituality... ... think advertising Envy vs the desire for justice / equality?	Charity (love, giving satisfaction, liberality)	"Charity rejoices in our neighbor's good, while envy grieves over it." Thomas Aquinas "love of one's own good perverted to a desire to deprive other men of theirs." Dante
Gluttony (over-indulgence, excessive consumption) Excessive love of consumption - the consumerist society	Temperance (self-restraint, moderation, abstinence)	"Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating and drinking, but an inordinate desire... leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists." Thomas Aquinas
Sloth (laziness, melancholia, apathy, nihilism) failure to love God and His works; the absence or insufficiency of love	Zeal (enthusiasm, diligence)	"sluggishness of the mind which neglects to begin good... [it] is evil in its effect, if it so oppresses man as to draw him away entirely from good deeds." Thomas Aquinas

Vice or Sin?
In many ways we would be better to refer to the seven deadly vices and their respective virtues. Vices and virtues are concepts derived from Greek philosophy, while sin comes from the Hebrew and New testaments. The former are character traits the later are traditionally considered specific acts. The seven deadly vices might therefore be the more appropriate term as ‘they are basic, perhaps universal human tendencies from which sins result… the vice of greed gives birth to the sin of theft’ (Schimmel: Seven Deadly Sins (1997)).

In Art & Literature
Where to start? Famous examples from literature include:
Chaucer - the Parson’s Tale
Spenser – the Faerie Queene
Marlowe – The Tragical History of Dr Faustus
and of course Dante.

Among the representations of all seven sins in art are:
Otto Dix The Seven Deadly Sins (expressionist)
Hieronymus Bosch The Seven Deadly Sins




Films / Plays
From the silly to the serious - but just to generate thoughts!

Pride: King Lear / Ran, Coriolanus, Julius Ceasar, Troy

Greed: The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, Macbeth / Throne of Blood

Anger: Mystic River, Taxi Driver, Titus Andronicus, Revenge of the Sith, High Plains Drifter

Envy: Amadeus, Othello

Lust: Body Heat, All About Eve, Closer, Measure for Measure, Anthony & Cleopatra, Cymbeline, Dangerous liaisons, Notes on a scandal...

Gluttony: La Grande Bouffe,

Sloth: Nine to Five, Hamlet, Slacker


Links
Of varying interest & quality:

http://www.deadlysins.com/sins/
http://vocationalpsychology.com/essay_11_sins.htm
http://www.whitestonejournal.com/seven/
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/110/story_11007_1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins