This article focuses on the theory put forward by Donald Capps in his The Depleted Self (Sin in a narcissistic age. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993) that there is a particular link between some forms of narcissism and the commitment of particular deadly sins. The data in the research reported in this paper robustly validate the idea that the psychological consequences of the bureaucratic consumer society, understood as a lack of individual well-being leading to a narcissistic defense, show the theological relevance of the deadly sins in understanding those conditions in society which on a global scale appear to threaten the individuality of the single person. Narcissism, both in its covert and overt mode, seems to be the most important variable in explaining the two factors of sin: resentment and desire. In addition to the effects already accounted for by well-being and narcissism, the possible contribution of religion and biography is explored.
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