While this was an interesting read, I feel like other books have reviewed morals and morality in a more approachable way.

Can evil and sin ever be called good?

Welcome to the post-Modern era.

In this concise read John Koessler takes readers through the 7 deadly sins, once objectively viewed dangerous and deadly, but in our present day the definitions have been twisted and changed to be almost admirable. The author shows how these sins have been rebranded as virtues in our Western culture, as we say, "Oh a little pride, lust, greed, etc. won't hurt."

Koessler takes us back to the Biblical definitions of these sins, defining what God clearly calls good and what is sin. As Christians who have accepted Christ as Lord, we are called to live upright and holy lives, though we will never be completely cleansed from our sinful natures until we are made like Him.

This book is accessible and easy to read, conversational in tone, yet digging deep using cultural examples as well as Biblical ones, backing it up with text. Each chapter ends with a few brief questions to ponder and self examine.

Overall, this book is a timely reminder of what makes each of these sins so deadly, as we mere humans try to twist the meanings to suit our sin. Koessler encourages Christians and churches to stand firm, using discernment, and God's Word to wage our war against sin knowing that the battle is already won in Christ.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A timely book for us as believers in a world where we are inundated with a plethora of obstacles. The issue lies in the fact that we as the church take these, and weigh them up against what the world seems to deem "normal".
Koessler has an inviting writing style that mixes his theological background with that of a layman in the church. Tackling these issues head-on, he is able to vocalise the errors in our ways, and provides a practical solution to each.

Highly recommended!

What is virtuous? How can virtues ever be dangerous? After all, the way we counter vices is to incorporate virtues into our lives. Not exactly. The saying, "A wolf in sheep's clothing" is a warning for us to beware of what's on the inside, and not to be deceived by what we see on the outside. This is what this book is about: Beware of the dangerous vices disguised as virtues. In short, be careful of dangerous virtues. Using the classic seven deadly virtues as a framework for the book, author John Koessler attempts to warn us not to be too comfortable with sin, especially those vices that masquerade as respectable sounding virtues. Going back to the desert fathers, one of the key purposes of these ancient saints is not about becoming more holy but to be more aware of their sinfulness. By understanding the characteristics and behaviours of these sins, they would be better equipped to deal with these impediments on the path to holiness. This means we do not just rest at calling something as sin. We need to recognize and remove their roots. One of these roots is the insidious way in which sins have become too comfortable in our daily lives. Fornication has been replaced by a generic "making love" where the superficial use of love covers the multitudes of sensuality. Greed has been replaced by ambition. All these subtle degradation of the flesh needs to be dealt with firmly and if needed, forcefully. This means diligent and deliberate perseverance toward sanctification. The author notes that while Christian living implies the "being" before the "doing," it does not mean we remain passive. Instead, we make a conscious choice to eradicate sin as a way to establish our virtues. Focusing on eradicating sin is a step forward to a virtuous life.

Koessler begins with the big one: Love. He describes the shifts of attitude from the sexual revolution in the late 60s to the confusion over sexual desire and preferential lust. Are we captive to our lusts or are we able to align our values with biblical virtues? By recognizing the dangers of lusts, we begin the journey to its opposite: Love. On gluttony, the basic problem is the "sin of inordinate appetite." By setting limits and self-denial, we will be able to overcome such sin even in the light of worldly temptations. On greed, the author warns us that it has been replaced by "prosperity" which is unlimited wanting. Worse, it "will make atheists of us in the end."


The classic seven deadly sins have also been countered by the seven holy virtues. According to author John Koessler, that is not so. In fact, the effects and deceitfulness of sin could derail and demonize any virtues that humans want to practice. Like the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve thought that it was alright to eat the forbidden fruit, under the guise that knowledge was good for them. Unfortunately, it was direct disobedience of God resulting in the entry of sin into the world. We could also justify any sinful act with the general statement: "We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. Of course, we went off the rails." That was one of the reasons why the earliest monks went to the desert to grow in their spirituality is not just to be more holy, but to be more aware of their sinfulness. Indeed, spirituality has two parts. The masquerade for sloth is "leisure." Some subtle thoughts could include the popular "Work smart not hard." Beware of the "empty hours" that we carve out, where we fail to make good use of the time we saved. The vice of wrath is also disguised by an outrage cry out for justice. This is especially so when the outrage comes from a crowd. This could quickly lead to violence and riots. It is important to be careful about philosophical abstraction and personal experience. Grace and mercy are powerful counters to the wrongful expressions of justice. On envy, we are cautioned against "materialistic porn" and how it "collaborates with pride and anger." It is good to learn that envy only goes to build up a dangerous secondary image instead of our true primary character. The final warning is on pride, and how it is often a form of narcissism.

My Thoughts
My first thought is that vices are more dangerous than before. This is because of how it has shape shifted from ancient vices into modern renditions of acceptable virtues. What is worse is the human tendency to desire things that are sinful. This is perhaps the more dangerous of them all. Put it another way, when the heart is corrupt, anything can be corrupted. Thus, it is never too drastic to overestimate the problem and be diligent about eradicating sinful thoughts and actions. Avoid sin like a plague. Using the language of Covid-19 prevention, maintain a distance from sin. Wear masks of biblical values if distance cannot be avoided. Wash our hands regularly through confession and repentance.

Secondly, sins are most dangerous when dabbled with. There is a reason why the Bible calls us to flee the temptations of youth (2 Tim 2:2). That is why I appreciate Koessler's consistent calls to avoid the slippery slope, and if necessary, fight the sinful desires. In each chapter, he offers us ways to do just that. One interesting observation is how he sees social media being a platform "suited for pride." This forces the reader to take a step back to ask why do they post what they post. Is it for personal likes or is it truly to contribute to the wider Internet community? Even more dangerous is how each vice pairs or partners with other vices to become a bigger monster. This reminds me that the vices cannot be taken piecewise manner. They must be dealt with as a whole, because they come in different forms at different times. Even the use of the seven cardinal sins could be a misnomer too. Perhaps, recognizing the traits of each and to label them as sinfulness will help us avoid being caught up with semantics.

Finally, we all need this warning. For some, it might come too late. I think it is never too late to turn away from wicked ways and toward holy living. In fact, there is a good chance that the longer one is a believer, the bigger the blind spots that these sins occupy. Whether visible or invisible, we need to heed the warning that Peter has mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8 to "Be alert and of sober mind" for the enemy is like a prowling lion looking for someone to devour.

The seven deadly sins might be a classic framework developed many centuries ago. However, sin is not bound by time. They metamorphosed into new shapes and sizes in each new generation. We all need to wake up to this danger before it is too late.

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. He is also a writer and contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where he served for 25 years as a faculty member. Prior to joining the faculty of Moody, he served as a pastor in central Illinois for nine years. John posts regularly to his podcast and blog, JohnKoessler.com.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Sin. Who likes to talk about sin? Not many. But John Koessler takes on the traditional seven deadly sins in Dangerous Virtues: How to Follow Jesus When Evil Masquerades As Good. As a former pastor and current professor of theology, Koessler writes for the layperson, exploring sin as a corruption of our humanity. Part of being a disciple of Jesus is to correctly orient our natural inclinations. For example, the sin of envy does not imply that desire itself is wrong. "The key to defeating envy is not to suppress our capacity for desire but to reorient it. . . . We don't need to stop desiring. Our desires need a conversion."

Far from soft-selling or minimizing sin, Koessler takes it seriously. He writes, "Sin is more that a weakening of human goodness; it is an absence." Koessler's pastoral tones lends itself to discipleship, not condemnation. A recognition of sin, in this case the seven deadly ones, is an opportunity for understanding the human condition and the Christian call to holiness. Ultimately, the follower of Jesus can lean on Jesus' grace and forgiveness while growing in virtue. Koessler doesn't trivialize or minimize sin, nor does he trivialize following Christ, but he makes it clear that Christ's work in us is the only way.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I wasn't expecting this book to be as enriching has it has been for me. It doesn't sugarcoat anything. This is a powerful and timely read for what is happening this year in 2020. I suggest this book for any Christian who is serious about their faith and separating themselves as far away as possible from sin. I'm so thankful i read this book this year.

“We are living in an age when the seven deadly sins have become the seven deadly virtues. By focusing on these sins, we can see how our culture’s ideas about what is right have done dangerously wrong.”

What are these seven deadly sins and how do we recognise them in their dangerously disguised form in today’s culture? And how have we come to this situation?

This is the premise that Pastor and Bible teacher John Koessler pursues and expounds on in his new book “Dangerous Virtues - How to Follow Jesus When Evil Masquerades as Good” (Moody Publishers; Pub Date: 1 September 2020).

Koessler devotes a chapter each to discuss the seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. He examines their meanings and manifestations in detail with constant reference to what the Bible says about each sin. He then explains how modern culture has downplayed the severity of each sin by viewing it instead as a virtue, a word that, in its traditional sense, seems outdated nowadays. Thus Lust becomes Love, Gluttony becomes Satisfaction from food, Greed becomes Prosperity, Sloth becomes Leisure, Wrath (Anger) becomes Expression of Justice, Envy becomes Fairness, Pride becomes Confidence.

Does the Bible have a remedy to overcome these sins and realign modern culture’s thinking back to God’s? Most assuredly it does, says Koessler. And he goes on to prescribe God’s remedy for each sin.

But these prescriptions presuppose that one must deal with the root of the whole problem: the ongoing struggle with sin in one’s own life. Koessler provides the answer with these words:

“The answer to the believer's ongoing struggle with sin is new life that comes to us through Christ. But the solution is also Christ's death. Sin's ongoing presence in the believer's life can be countered only by the cross. When sin attempts to reassert its dominance in our lives we must ‘put to death’ whatever belongs to our fallen nature (Col. 3:5). The cross is more than a historical event. Our union with Christ in His suffering means that it is also a power that we apply to the law of sin that dwells within us. This is not magic or even mysticism. It is the exercise of faith.”

Koessler has provided the Christian community with a readable, well-researched, doctrinally sound but also a timely book. It deserves to be read widely although I suspect it will not be an easy read for some as it deals with a subject that a lot of people are not comfortable with.

Much benefit will be gained by giving this book a more focussed second reading as there’s so much in this book that needs to be unpacked and understood.

It’s not my place to point out errors in this book but I can’t help noticing an apparent inconsistency in the titling of the chapters, which is this: Chapters 2 to 6 are titled according to their respective dangerous virtues whilst Chapters 7 and 8 according to their deadly sins. I don’t know if this is deliberately done but perhaps the publisher would take note.

I’m happy to recommend this book by giving it a 4-star rating. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me the ARC eBook to read in exchange for a fair review.

Interesting look at what some people ignore. A rest read.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.