Seven Deadly Sins, in Christian theology, are moral failings that seriously interfere with living a spiritual life. The sins traditionally are anger, covetousness (desiring things that belong to others), envy, gluttony (greedy eating), lust, pride, and sloth (laziness). They are sometimes called the cardinal sins. The seven deadly sins became a common subject in the sermons, plays, and art of the Middle Ages in Europe.
Several early Christian writers developed lists of deadly sins. Saint Gregory I, who was pope from 590 to 604, organized the list that has become standard. The most important discussion of the sins appears in the Summa Theologica, written during the late 1200’s by the great medieval theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas wrote that the seven sins were notable for their potential to cause other sins as well as for their serious nature. According to Aquinas, pride was the most serious of the seven sins.
