Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

America and the Eighth Deadly Sin

  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article, I argue that the cultivation of innocence in the United States, coupled with policies of free market expansionism, the acquisitiveness of capitalism, rising militarism, the hubris of democratic evangelism, free market fundamentalism, and the immense U.S. militaristic and economic power, is an especially fatal sin. In general, I contend that nurturing innocence involves overlooking the inadvertent and advertent destruction and suffering that has resulted from U.S. interventionist policies and actions in the 20th and 21st centuries. Finally, I argue that the cultivation of innocence, which is often supported by Christian theological language, contradicts central Christian beliefs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aquinas, T. (1989). In T. McDermott (Ed). Summa theologiae: A concise translation. Westminster, MD: Christian Classics

  • Aron L. (1996). A Meeting of Minds: Mutuality in Psychoanalysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacevich A. (2002). American Empire. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacevich A. (2005). The New American Militarism. London: Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin J. (1955). Notes of a Native Son. Boston MA: Beacon Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellah R., Madsen R., Sullivan W., Swidler A., Tipton S. (1985). Habits of the Heart. New York: Harper and Row

    Google Scholar 

  • Bick E. (1968). The experience of the skin in early object relations. International Journal of Psychoanalysis 49:484–486

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bollas C. (1992). Being a Character: Psychoanalysis and Self-experience. New York: Hill and Wang

    Google Scholar 

  • Bromberg P. (1998). Standing in Spaces: Essays on Clinical Process, Trauma, and Dissociation. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Capps D. (1987). Deadly Sins and Saving Virtues. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky N. (2004). Hegemony or Survival. New York: Owl Books

    Google Scholar 

  • Corradi-Fuimara G. (1990). The Other Side of Language: A Philosophy of Listening. London: Routledge Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellenberger H. (1970). The Discovery of the Unconscious. New York: Basic Books

    Google Scholar 

  • Farley E. (1978). Psychopathology and human evil. In: Bruzina R., Wilshire B. (eds) Crosscurrents in Phenomenology. The Hague, Martinu NIJHoff, pp.211–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Farley E. (1990). Good and Evil. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Farley E. (1996). Divine Empathy. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghent, E. (1990). Masochism, submission, surrender. Contemporary psychoanalysis, 26, 108–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grotstein J. (1977). The psychoanalytic concept of schizophrenia: II. Reconciliation. International Journal of Psychoanalysis 58:427–452

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez G. (1988). A Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll: Orbis Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Haight R. (1991). Sin and grace. In: Fiorenza F., Galvin J. (eds) Systematic theology: Roman Catholic perspectives. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, pp 77–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall J.D. (1991). Thinking the Faith. Minneapolis: Fortress Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Heidegger M. (1971). On the Way to Language. San Francisco: Harper Collins

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson C. (2000). Blowback. New York: Owl Books

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson C. (2004). Sorrows of Empire. New York: Owl Books

    Google Scholar 

  • Keylor R. (2003). Subjectivity, infantile Oedipus, and symbolization in Melanie Klein and Jacques Lacan. Psychoanalytic Dialogues 13:pp 211–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kierkegaard, S. (1846). Concluding unscientific postscript to the philosophical fragments: A mimic-pathetic-dialectic composition: An existential contribution, by Johannes Climacus. Responsible for publication: S. Kierkegaard. Trans. D. Swenson and W. Lowrie (1941). Princeton, NJ: Princteon University Press

  • LaMothe R. (2002). Envious faith. American Journal of Pastoral Counseling 6:29–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaMothe R. (2003). Greed, faith, and the search for a transformative object. American Journal of Pastoral Counseling 6:23–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lasch C. (1979). The Culture of Narcissism. New York: W. W. Norton & Company

    Google Scholar 

  • Loewald, H. (2000). Primary process, secondary process, and language. In The Essential Loewald (pp. 178–206). Hagerstown, MD: University Publishing Group

  • Lundestad G. (1990). The American “empire.” Oxford: Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Meares R. (2000). Intimacy and Alienation: Memory Trauma and Personal Being. London: Routledge Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Meltzer D. (1975). Adhesive identification. Contemporary Psychoanalysis 11:289–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell S. (2000). Relationality: From Attachment to Intersubjectivity. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitrani J. (1995). On adhesive pseudo-object relations. Contemporary Psychoanalysis 30:348–366

    Google Scholar 

  • Moltmann J. (1981). The Trinity and the Kingdom of God. San Francisco: HarperCollins

    Google Scholar 

  • Niebuhr H. (1942). War as the judgment of God. Christian Century 59:630–633

    Google Scholar 

  • Niebuhr H. (1943). War as crucifixion. Christian Century 60:512–515

    Google Scholar 

  • Niebuhr, H. R. (1941). The meaning of revelation. New York: Collier Boos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogden T. (1989). The Primitive Edge of Experience. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahner K. (1984). The doctrine of sin. In: Rahner K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Theology. New York, Crossroads, pp 1579–1586

    Google Scholar 

  • Riceour, P. (1974). Original sin: A study in meaning, trans. P. McCormick. In P. McCormick (Ed.), The Conflict of Interpretations (pp. 269–286). Evanston, IL, Northwestern University Press

  • Ruether R. (1983). Sexism and God Talk. Boston: Beacon Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryn C. (2003). America the Virtuous. London: Transaction Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  • Schimmel S. (1992). The Seven Deadly Sins. New York: Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoenberg, P. (1984). Sin. In K. Rahner (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theology (pp. 1579– 1586). New York: Crossroads.

  • Stern D.N. (1997). Unformulated Experience. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Suchocki M. (1995). The Fall to Violence: Original Sin in Relational Theology. New York: Continuum

    Google Scholar 

  • Tillich P. (1957). Systematic Theology, vol. 3. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Volf M. (1996). Exclusion and Embrace. Nashville: Abingdon Press

    Google Scholar 

  • West C. (2004). Democracy Matters. New York: Penguin Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams R. (1985) Sin and evil. In: Hodgson P., King R. (eds) Christian Theology Philadelphia, Fortress Press, pp.194–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Winnicott D. (1971). Playing and Reality. London: Routledge Press

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saint Meinrad School of Theology, 200 Hill Dr., St. Meinrad, IN, 47577, USA

    Ryan LaMothe

Authors
  1. Ryan LaMothe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Dr. LaMothe has published two books, Revitalizing Faith through Pastoral Counseling and Becoming Alive: Psychoanalysis and Vitality as well as numerous articles, Correspondence to Ryan LaMothe, rlamothe@saintmeainrad.edu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

LaMothe, R. America and the Eighth Deadly Sin. J Relig Health 45, 477–495 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-006-9065-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-006-9065-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation