In Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, Elizabeth Oldfield uses the seven deadly sins as a framework for exploring practices that can shape character and provide consolation in the midst of global upheaval and troubling times. Oldfield is a Christian and tells her own story of finding and losing and finding faith again, but she claims that whether readers share her faith or not, the concepts connected to the seven deadly sins and the practices for dealing with them can be helpful to anyone who wants to navigate life better. She proposes that in the face of problems that are too big for any individual to solve (like climate change), we retain agency over the kinds of people we are, and it is worthwhile to develop the sort of character that will prepare us to do what is right and good even if it seems the world is falling apart.

While Oldfield speaks of her own faith and uses ancient religious concepts to discuss character and well-being, she attempts to make the book accessible to a broad audience in a secular, pluralistic society by avoiding talk about God or basing claims in the Bible or church teaching until the last chapter, “the G bomb.” While reading the book, I felt the riskiness of her strategy. I found myself wondering whether the content would be too Christian for the unreligious and not Christian enough for those who practice the faith.

Despite my misgivings, I enjoyed the book and found helpful ideas in every chapter. Fully Alive is heavy on story and humor. Oldfield’s wit and candor provide the tone of a wise friend and made me feel as if I would truly enjoy hanging out with her and discussing the everyday and cosmic ins and outs of life. I appreciated reading a book that was helpful but not heavy.

Intrigued? Oldfield wrote a brief article based on Fully Alive, for Comment magazine that can give you a flavor of the book. She also hosts The Sacred podcast and is a member of a small, intentional living community, which was recently featured in The New York Times.