Pleasure drugs and classical virtues: temperance and abstinence in U.S. religious thought

Abstract

This essay considers U.S. Christian attitudes toward psychoactive substances. It presents classical Christian thought and the opinions of major historical church figures about pleasure drugs (especially alcohol) for comparison with contemporary attitudes about licit and especially illicit pleasure drugs (cannabis, cocaine, etc.). The Four Cardinal Virtues of Thomas Aquinas are the primary analytic rubric but selected Protestant denominational leaders are also cited. U.S. drug policies are critiqued in light of each virtue. The active moral character of the virtues is contrasted with the authoritarian and conformist aspects of abstinence ideology. The rhetoric and diverse viewpoints of the so-called Temperance Era are also considered.