Session 38 – Soft Men and Moral Collapse: Reclaiming Paul’s Warning in 1 Corinthians 6:9

This lecture addresses the question of moral collapse by looking at the meaning of ‘soft men’ in 1 Corinthians 6.9 and in Graeco-Roman literature. It explains the philosophical understanding in antiquity of the soul’s parts and applies the discussion to Paul’s use of ‘soft men’ and his ethics more generally. The study highlights the importance in Christian ethics of a conversion of the soul through the work of Christ and the Spirit to bring about moral order rather than human-centred efforts through a ‘therapy of desire’.