This volume looks at the history of the idea of sin as it has influenced and shaped Western culture. Emphasis is placed on an inter- and cross-disciplinary approach. * Connects philosophical and religious concepts from the Middle Ages to the modern era * Shows how the seven deadly sins are reflected in contemporary and popular culture * Gives readers an overview of the seven deadly sins in accessible language * Looks at the significant changes in the Western view of sin from Gregory the Great to Pope Francis's "theology of sin" to the media's condemnation of minor transgressions as "sins"