Sins of the American Empire and Pastoral Responses

This article describes attributes of the American Empire and addresses characteristic sins—pride, sloth, greed, and idolatry—that are necessary for maintaining the domestic and foreign policies aimed toward expanding the economic and military power of the United States. In particular, I claim that theo-political narratives and rituals extant in U.S. culture are internalized, structuring our collective psyches and shaping both our wills and actions. Pride, sloth, greed, and idolatry signify the distortion of will, giving rise to actions that result in harm and alienation. To address this reality, several pastoral strategies are depicted.

Ryan LaMotheEmail: