The Ladder Of Divine Ascent By St. John Climacus

In the most general terms, to sin is to commit an action that goes against God’s will. However, not all sins carry the same price. Throughout history, sins have fallen into a spectrum ranging from lesser, or venial sins, to the infamous seven deadly sins known today. Venial sins are sins that most humans will commit in their life, and have earthly consequences that can be repented for to gain access to Heaven. The more severe deadly sins damn the soul the Hell and are harder to repent for. Specific examples on what are considered sins can be easily seen from the bible. Verse Galatians 5:19-21 states a wide variety of sins such as “adultery, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
Although it is hard to pinpoint exactly where the concepts of deadly sins were defined, a 7th century text written by St. John Climacus called The Ladder of Divine Ascent lists 30 chapters, or “rungs”, on which a soul must overcome to reach God. Among these rungs, there are examples of five of the modern seven deadly sins specifically mentioned. The two that do not have specific rungs, lust and envy, are still mentioned in various chapters. The Ladder of Divine Ascent was later refined by Pope Gregory I (whom it was originally written for) to the modern list of the seven deadly sins known today. This is this list in which Dante uses and popularizes in his Divine Comedy. In this paper the focus with be on the deadly sin of avarice, starting with its formation and interpretation throughout history, it’s prevalence in the modern world, and how Dante is accurate in his explanation of how any why humans fall to
The basis of greed is based upon the desire to possess far more than what is need for survival. In historical texts, punishment for committing sins of greed have been divinely harsh, and earthly writers took great lengths to communicate on how severe this sin was. “Avarice, or love of money, is the worship of idols, a daughter of unbelief, and excuse for infirmities, a foreboder of old age, a harbinger of drought, a herald of hunger” (Climacus 66). St. John Climacus is one such writer who took the imagery of a soul, while satisfied with earthly wealth, still hungered for divine wealth. Dante also continues this imagery by saying “A she-wolf showed herself; she seemed to carry every craving in her leanness” (Inferno I, 49-50). This perception of the body hungering for divine goodness

The perception of Avarice in the modern world is one similar to older perceptions. The concept of avarice or greed has always been a part of human civilization. “I think the most powerful dynamic in human societies is the yearning for status.” (How Should We Distribute Out Wealth)

One key difference between the historical perception of greed and the modern interpretation is on how the sin is punished. In medieval times, greed was punished in a divine manner. In the fourth circle of the Inferno, Dante the pilgrim sees souls pushing large boulders in a semicircle and striking at each other. Dante