Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society

Sin. Many Christians today have lost the ability to talk about it in personal terms. For the last quarter century the theological establishment, like society, has consigned the human predicament to structures of political and economic oppression or to systemic evil such as race and gender discrimination. In the process, people have lost interest in the internal workings of the human soul, attributing the evils of our world to social forces beyond the scope of personal responsibility. But in this book, author Ted Peters boldly revisits the dark side of human nature and the perennial categories of sin that have been glossed over by our pluralistic culture. Using numerous illustrations from everyday life as well as the social sciences, Peters examines the kinds of evil - both individual and societal - that we all confront on a daily basis. Facing human iniquity head-on, Peters offers serious theological reflection on sin in a readable and popular style, provides an up-to-date examination of Satanism, and introduces a provocative new theory about how sin works in daily life. Following an intriguing introduction that traces humanity's seven steps from innocence to radical evil, subsequent chapters probe the seven deadly sins of the present age: Anxiety, Unfaith, Pride, Concupiscence, Self-Justification, Cruelty, and Blasphemy. The book concludes with an inspiring and triumphant recognition of God's gracious offer of forgiveness in answer to the power of sin and evil. Written both to educate and to inspire, Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society is an illuminating guide for the educated reader, regardless of field or walk of life. This challenging book forces everyone to ask the question "Am I a sinner?" while it simultaneously provides the gentle and much-needed reminder that God's grace is available to all who answer in the affirmative.