Seven Faces of Sin: A Study Guide to Biblical Models for How Evil Originates and How it can be Overcome

This book began as a series of classes that I gave to the monks at New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, California. The monks encouraged me to publish the material. Later when I was teaching a course on the New Testament at the School for Deacons in Berkeley, I remarked that every preacher should preach on sin at least twice a year. My students seemed surprised and intrigued and asked me to explain. I attempted to do so briefly, but the explanation was not adequate. Later another member of the faculty heard that I thought that deacons should at least occasionally preach on sin, and she was horrified. Apparently she thought, as I also do, that many sermons on sin are destructive, even sinful! This book is a longer and, I hope, more satisfactory explanation of why I feel the Church needs more sermons on sin, what those sermons should say, and what the biblical basis for that preaching might be. I am posting this book on line in the hope that my students, both past and present, and anyone else who might be interested may have access without cost to my more considered reflections