The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy

Love of Other People’s Stuff

Dante groups Envy with Anger and Pride as the sins of “Perverted Love.” The other two groups are “Insufficient Love” and “Excessive Love of Earthly Goods.” Envy is perverted because it “loves” what other people possess, rather than what is Good, Beautiful and True. It is often portrayed as “eating away” the heart of the envious person. Dante shows the envious as among those farthest away from Paradise, with their eyes sewn shut, but weeping over their sins. Again, a common metaphor for Envy is “wearing out the eyes.”

 

For continued reading, the following are a few good books:

“The Great Divorce,” by C.S. Lewis

“Prayers,” by Michel Quoist

“Transformation in Christ,” by Dietrich von Hildebrand.