New Course on the Seven Deadly Sins And Their Remedies

We are just 11 days from the start of Lent and traditionally Catholics “give up” something for Lent as a penance for our sins.  But instead of giving up something like chocolate or cookies or caffeine, this year, maybe we should think bigger.  How about giving up sin?

Lent

As Catholic.com says, “Lent is the 40 days before Easter in which Catholics pray, fast, contemplate, and engage in acts of spiritual self-discipline. Catholics do these things because Easter, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, is the greatest holy day of the Christian year (even above Christmas) and Catholics have recognized that it is appropriate to prepare for such a holy day by engaging in such disciplines.”

In short, during Lent, “Catholics imitate Christ by spending 40 days in spiritual discipline.”

All Catholics should know that the good works of prayer, penance, and almsgiving are three of the imperatives of Lent.  And for those who want to put some oomph into the penance imperative, a new, free, self-paced, online course from Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS) may be just the ticket.

The course is entitled “The Seven Deadly Sins And Their Remedies,” and it kicks off on Sunday, February 11.  It runs through Palm Sunday, March 23.  Dr. Kevin Clarke, Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry and Associate Professor at SHMS, is the host of the six-module course.

As the webpage announcing the course states, participants will “Delve into the fascinating world of the seven deadly sins that have captured the imaginations of literary giants like Dante and artistic legends like Hieronymus Bosch.”

While these ‘capital vices’ have been known about for centuries, so, too, has the wisdom necessary to conquer them.

“Long before modern times, the revered Fathers of the Church identified these sins—sometimes called the ‘eight evil thoughts’ in the East—and offered time-tested remedies.”

As a Patristic Scholar (one who studies the early Fathers of the Church) Dr. Clark offers his insights into these remedies.

Course Aims

The course aims to help participants:

• “Learn to diagnose your inner struggles and examine your conscience with newfound clarity.
• “Uncover the ancient wisdom of luminaries such as Gregory the Great, Augustine, Maximus the Confessor, and many more.
• “Discover how to turn your ‘evil thoughts’ into virtuous living, taking strides towards holiness.”

As with all of the free, online courses SHMS offers, “The goal of the course is not to deliver a high level of rigor or stress, but instead engage Catholics who want to learn more about their faith.”

Course Structure

The six modules are:

#1: A Brief History of the Deadly Sins
#2: Repelling Evil Thoughts with the Virtues
#3: The “Base” Passions and the Path to Self-Mastery
#4: The “Spirited” Passions and the Path to Peace
#5: Overcoming a Vice of the Whole Soul
#6: Humility to Conquer the Rational Passions

Each of the six self-paced modules includes:

• A Lecture Video (~20 minutes)
• Lectio Divina Exercise (~10 minutes)
• Personal Assessment Quiz (~5 minutes)
• Supplemental Reading Material

Additionally, the course includes a discussion board to allow participants to share with each other any insights they’ve learned.

During the course, says Dr. Clarke, “We’ll even look at some of the capital sins that don’t make it into some of the lists of the seven deadly sins, and we might not be familiar with them or recognize how dangerous they are.”

Easy Sign Up

Signing up for the course is easy.  Simply go the course registration webpage, click on the “Register Today” button, and complete and submit the form.  Registrants will receive a username and password for accessing the online class.  The class is conducted using “Canvas,” SHMS’s learning management system.

Because the non-credit course is conducted entirely online, students can complete the course working within their own schedule.  The course is also structured to provide students with the freedom to engage with the material at their own pace.

About Dr. Clarke

Dr. Clarke has taught for over a decade at various levels.  He has served on the faculties of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, Ave Maria University, and John Paul the Great Catholic University.  He is the editor of “The Seven Deadly Sins: Sayings of the Fathers of the Church.”  This book was the inaugural volume, in 2018, of a series of books from the Catholic University of America Press.

He is also a member of a number of academic societies, including the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Academy of Catholic Theology.  He is also the national correspondent for the United States of the International Association of Patristic Studies.

More Info

For more information on the course and/or to sign up for the course, you can use the webpage link above or click on this link.

The course sounds like a great way to put some meaning into Lent.