SLOTH VERSUS ZEAL

Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) is best known as the writer of the Lord Peter Wimsey crime mysteries. However, she considered her greatest literary achievement was her translation and commentary of Dante’s Divine Comedy. A formidable intellect, she was a Christian apologist, friend of C.S. Lewis and other Christian writers. Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was an Italian poet whose work was comparable to Chaucer and Shakespeare in English. His Divine Comedy describes the journey of the soul from Hell, through Purgatory to Paradise. Using allegory, classical myths and historical references he expounds the vices and virtues of humanity within the context of the Christian gospel. It is an enthralling Christian allegory of sin, redemption and ultimate enlightenment. The Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges considered it “The most moving lines literature has ever achieved.”

In the second book, Purgatory, Dante discussed the seven roots of sin and their remedy: Pride (Humility), Envy (Generosity), Anger (Meekness), Sloth (Zeal), Covetousness (Liberality), Gluttony (Temperance), and Lust (Chastity). Here is how Sayers described Sloth in Canto XVIII.

The sin which is English is commonly called Sloth, and in Latin acedia, is insidious, and assumes such Protean shapes that it is rather difficult to define. It is not merely idleness of mind and laziness of body: it is that whole poisoning of the will, which, beginning with indifference and an attitude of “I couldn’t care less”, extends to the deliberate refusal of joy and culminates in morbid introspection and despair. One form of it which appeals very strongly to some modern minds is that acquiescence in evil and error which readily disguises itself as “Tolerance”; another is that refusal to be moved by the contemplation of the good and beautiful which is known as “Disillusionment”, and sometimes as “knowledge of the world”; yet another is that withdrawal into an “ivory tower” of Isolation which is the peculiar temptation of the artist and contemplative, and is popularly called “Escapism”. The penance assigned to it takes the form of the practice of the opposite virtue: an active Zeal.

Indifference, I couldn’t care less, morbid introspection and despair, tolerance, disillusionment, isolation, escapism. All these descriptions of Sloth ring true of our current culture. It is the narrative preferred by those who hold positions of secular and often ecclesiastical authority. It is ungodly and at variance with the teaching of Scripture. It is zeal which is commended by the apostles. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:10,11). “Flee from all this [love of money which is the root of all evil] and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 11,12).

Zeal calls us to be active, not passive, not to allow others to define us or direct us. Zeal calls us to resist secular sirens who counsel us to acquiesce in evil and error and to withdraw into an ivory tower of isolation. We cannot escape being engaged with the world, to oppose false teaching, and to embrace the narrative of eternal life in the gospel. We may be going through hell but our eyes should be on paradise. Thank you, Dorothy Sayers and Dante, for calling us back to the truth of the gospel.