The Thomistic Institute Order and Disorder among the Capital Vices – Dr. Carl Vennerstrom
Apr 30, 2026
Dr. Carl Vennerstrom, a scholar of eastern patristic theology and monastic tradition, outlines the structure and healing of the capital vices. He traces chains from gluttony to acedia, distinguishes vainglory and pride, and maps a path of virtues ending in humility. He highlights monastic methods, diagnosis of root causes, and the role of death contemplation and confession in cultivating humility and hope.
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Chain Reaction Of The Capital Vices
- The capital vices form a cascading chain where early bodily sins weaken resistance to later temptations.
- John Cassian and Evagrius map gluttony → lust → greed → anger → sadness → acedia, showing how one vice predisposes the soul to the next.
Gluttony As The Backdoor To Other Passions
- Gluttony is treated as a foundational weakness because over-satisfaction of one appetite extends desire to other spheres.
- Evagrius/Cassian link overeating to sexual lust and then to greed, since money can purchase sensual satisfactions.
Acedia As Total Spiritual Oppression
- Acedia attacks the whole person, combining anger, desire, imagination, and reason into pervasive despair.
- In the desert it looks like hating place, work, brothers, and time, then fantasizing about a 'better' monastery as a pious escape.