General theories of crime purport to explain all types of criminal behavior regardless of the contextual framework and individual differences in which the criminal act in question is embedded (Lilly , Cullen, and Ball, 2011, p.110). As a result, not only are these the most ambitious explanations of crime in the field of criminology, but they are also subject to scrutiny from rival criminologists who find such theorizing implausible. Nonetheless, the general theories of crime proposed in the last century have been among the most influential in the field and have forever changed the paradigm of criminal thinking. Furthermore, the contemporary criminological goal appears to be to generate a more comprehensive explanation of crime; a generalizable theory that can serve as a panacea to the question of what drives people to commit crime (Adams, 1996). In this article I will discuss several attempts to generate a general theory of crime with a particular emphasis on Travis Hirschi's two control theories and Robert Agnew's general strain theory. I will also discuss that although these theories have had some success in attempting to formulate a theoretical umbrella under which to encompass all criminal behavior; there remains a need for considerably more in-depth empirical research to fully substantiate the claims made by these theorists. Ultimately, I will defend the position that, while the creation of a general theory of crime is a goal that should be aggressively pursued by those in the field of criminology, such theorizing is fraught with danger and remains a utopian ideal that must yet to be achieved. despite the best attempts of some of the most innovative and influential minds in the field of crime… half of the article… explanations of criminal behavior that exist in the current literature. However, even if such a theory is possible, the field of criminology is too young and the current body of research is limited to suggest that individuals who commit crimes of passion are similarly bound to commit white-collar crimes, rape, property crimes, distribution of contraband, or any other overt act that the State chooses to deem illegal. Indeed, as this article has attempted to demonstrate, some of the most influential minds in the history of criminology have yet to create a truly general theory that can consistently withstand the rigors of empirical research conducted by current criminologists who subject criminological theories to scrutiny. . As a result, the search for a general theory of crime remains elusive, at best and at worst, like ghost hunting...