Difference between revisions of "Original sin" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:The Fall of Man-1616-Hendrik Goltzius.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Fall of Man]] by [[Henrik Goltzius]], 1616]]
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'''Original sin''' is a Christian [[doctrine]] describing the first human act of disobedience, as well as the ongoing fallen state of [[humanity]] bound in enduring, irremediable [[alienation]] from [[God]]. Christian tradition regards original sin as the general lack of holiness into which human beings are born, distinct from any [[actual sin]]s that a person may commit later.
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According to Christian theology, '''original sin''' (also called '''ancestral sin''', '''hereditary sin''', '''birth sin''', or '''person sin''') is the fallen state of humanity. In the history of Christianity this condition has been characterized as something as insignificant as a slight deficiency to something as drastic as [[total depravity]]. Western Christian tradition regards it as the general condition of [[sin]]fulness (lack of holiness) into which human beings are born, distinct from any [[actual sin]]s that a person may or may not commit later. Eastern Christian Tradition too identifies original sin as physical and spiritual death, the spiritual death being the loss of "the grace of God, which quickened (the soul) with the higher and spiritual life"<ref>[http://www.pravoslavieto.com/docs/eng/Orthodox_Catechism_of_Philaret.htm The Longer Catechism of The Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church]. Pravoslavieto.com. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref> Others see original sin also as the cause of actual sins: "a bad tree bears bad fruit" ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 7:17, [[New International Version|NIV]]), although, in this view, original and actual sin may be difficult to distinguish.<ref>Blocher, Henri. 2004. ''Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle''. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 083082605X.</ref>
 
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Used with the definite article ("the original sin"), it refers to the first sin, committed when [[Adam]] and [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] succumbed to the serpent's temptation, commonly known as "[[The Fall of Man|the Fall]]."
 
  
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This first sin ("''the'' original sin") is traditionally understood to be the cause of "original sin" (the fallen state of humanity).
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Used with the definite article ("''the'' original sin"), the term refers to the first [[sin]], committed when [[Adam and Eve]] succumbed to the [[serpent]]'s [[temptation]], commonly known as "[[Human|the Fall]]." This first sin is traditionally understood to be the cause of "original sin." While Christians derive the idea of original sin in part from the [[Old Testament]], the doctrine is rejected in Jewish [[theology]].  
  
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The [[New Testament]] basis for the concept of original sin is found particularly in the writings of [[Saint Paul]], who held that [[Christ]] came as a "new Adam" to redeem humankind from sin. However, it was not firmly established in Christian tradition until the [[pelagius|Pelagian controversy]] of the fifth century. The Western Christian tradition concerning original sin, both Catholic and Protestant, is largely based on writings by [[Augustine of Hippo]]. Eastern Orthodox tradition does not go as far as Augustine did in terms of the damage that the first sin did to human nature.
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While Christians cite references to original sin in the Old Testament (such as [[Psalm]] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051:5&version=31 51:5]), the doctrine is not found in Jewish theology.
 
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The Western tradition, both Catholic and Protestant, concerning original sin is largely based on writings by [[Augustine of Hippo]], who concluded that unbaptized infants go to hell<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/limbo2.htm Limbo: Past Catholic statements on the fate of unbaptized infants, etc. who have died]. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref> because of original sin.
 
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The Latin [[Church Fathers]] who followed Augustine adopted his position, and it became a point of reference for Latin theologians in the Middle Ages. In the later mediaeval period, some theologians continued to hold Augustine's view, others held that unbaptized infants suffered no pain at all: unaware of being deprived of the [[beatific vision]], they enjoyed a state of natural, not supernatural happiness. Starting around 1300, unbaptized infants were often said to inhabit the "[[Limbo#Limbo of Children|limbo of infants]]".<ref>[http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=7529 Study by International Theological Commission, 19 January 2007]. Catholic Culture. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref> The [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a1.htm#VI ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 1261] declares: "As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: 'Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,'<ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|10:14}}; cf. {{bibleverse|1|Tim|2:4}}</ref> allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism." But the theory of Limbo, while it "never entered into the dogmatic definitions of the Magisterium ... remains ... a possible theological hypothesis".<ref>[http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=7529 Study by International Theological Commission, 19 January 2007]. Catholic Culture. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref>
 
  
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Augustine's formulation of original sin was popular among Protestant reformers, such as [[Martin Luther]] and [[John Calvin]], and also, within Roman Catholicism, in the [[Jansenism|Jansenist]] movement, but this movement was declared heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08285a.htm  Jansenius and Jansenism]. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref>
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Augustine's formulation of original sin was accepted by Protestant reformers such as [[Martin Luther]] and [[John Calvin]] and thus passed into most mainline Protestant churches. However, the doctrine has been reinterpreted or denied by various modern Christian and contemporary denominations.
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Like other traditional church doctrines, original sin has been denied or reinterpreted by various modern Christian denominations (such as the [[Unity Church]]) and theologians (such as [[Matthew Fox (priest)|Matthew Fox]]).
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[[Islam]] accepts the fact that the first human couple disobeyed God in [[paradise]], but, like [[Judaism]], denies the doctrine of original sin. Adam is seen as the first [[prophet]], having repented of his sin in paradise and thereafter living a sinless life of submission to [[Allah]].
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By analogy the term "original sin" is used in fields other than religion to indicate a pervading inherent flaw.<ref>[http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=312 Environmentalism's view of original sin.] Capitalism Magazine. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref>
 
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==The original sin (the Fall)==
 
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{{main|Fall of Man}}
 
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===Classical Biblical view===
 
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Adam and Eve's sin, as recounted in the [[Book of Genesis]] is sometimes called in Hebrew החטא הקדמון (the original sin), on the basis of the traditional Christian term. But the term used in classical Jewish literature is חטא אדם הראשׁון (the sin of the first man, or of Adam).
 
  
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==Account in Genesis==
 
[[Image:Michelangelo Buonarroti 022.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Michelangelo]]'s painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall)]]
 
[[Image:Michelangelo Buonarroti 022.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Michelangelo]]'s painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall)]]
  
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The account in Genesis 2-3 implies that [[Adam and Eve]] initially lived in a state of intimate communion with [[God]]. The narrative reads that God "caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the [[Tree of Life|tree of life]] also in the midst of the garden, and the [[tree of the knowledge of good and evil]]" (Gen. 2:9, [[New American Standard Bible|NASB]]). While not forbidding Adam, in that state, to eat of the tree of life, God forbade him to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, warning him that he would surely die if he did ({{bibleverse||Gen.|2:16-17}}). The [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] persuaded Eve to eat from the latter tree and "she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate" (Gen. 3:6, NASB). After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve became aware of their [[nudity|nakedness]] ({{bibleverse||Gen.|3:7}}). God bestowed a curse upon each of the active participants. The serpent has a lowly physical form and there is conflict between the woman and the serpent and between each one's offspring ({{bibleverse||Gen.|3:14-15}}). The woman undergoes childbirth pains and is dominated by the husband who is the object of her desire ({{bibleverse||Gen.|3:16}}). And the man has to struggle for his [[sustenance]] ({{bibleverse||Gen.|3:17-19}}). In addition, Adam and Eve are expelled from the [[Garden of Eden]], so that they may not eat of the "tree of life" and so live for ever ({{bibleverse||Gen.|3:22-24}}).
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The account in Genesis 2-3 implies that [[Adam and Eve]] initially lived in a state of intimate communion with [[God]]. The narrative reads that God "made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:9). God forbade Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning him that he would die if he did (Gen. 2:16-17). The [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] persuaded Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit and she also "gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Gen. 3:6).
  
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===Reform and Conservative Judaism's views===
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After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve became aware of their [[nudity|nakedness]] (Gen. 3:7). God bestowed a curse on each of the participants: the serpent must eat dust and there will be enmity between its offspring and those of the woman (Gen. 3:14-15). The woman will experience pain in giving birth and will be dominated by her husband (Gen. 3:16). The man, rather than living in a [[paradise]] of abundant fruit trees, must struggle for his [[sustenance]] (Gen. 3:17-19). In addition, Adam and Eve were expelled from the [[Garden of Eden]], so that they may not eat of the [[tree of life]] and live forever (Gen. 3:22-24).
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The more modern liberal branches of [[Judaism]], such as [[Reform Judaism]] and [[Conservative Judaism]], which see no "evil" other than the evil actions of human beings, disagree with traditions that identify the serpent with [[Satan]]. Eve's only transgression was that she disobeyed God's order. Adam was with her the entire time and at no time stopped her. Therefore, it is incorrect to blame Eve alone. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden and had to live ordinary, human lives. In other words, they had to "leave home" and grow up and live as responsible human beings. If they had never eaten from the forbidden tree, they would never have discovered their capacity to do evil. God gave Adam and Eve [[free will]] when He created them, but it was not until they ate the fruit that they became aware of the possibility of choosing to do evil or to do good, as they originally had no knowledge of both.
 
  
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===Dead Sea Community and Ancient Judaism===
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==Original sin in Christianity==
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Some of the ancient Jewish peoples, most likely around the Second Temple era, viewed original sin not coming from Adam and Eve, but rather from just before the flood (Genesis 6:2) where the "sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married." The interpretation is that these "sons of God" were fallen spirits who married earthly women and their fallen state gets entered into humanity that way. This view is clearly seen in the Dead Sea community as the origins of original sin. Although this may have been in opposition to the Rabbinic Tradition at the time which saw dual created Adam, one as corrupt and fallen and the other as the Spiritual Man.
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{{Christian theology}}
  
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==Disputes concerning original sin==
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===Pauline doctrine===
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The doctrine of original sin has received considerable scrutiny from contemporary Christians. The chief dispute centres over the emotional argument of whether an apparently innocent baby can be deemed subject to sin and death. The dispute centres around distinctions between personal sin (i.e. freely willed, conscious and understood) and original sin (not the result of free will). The [[Augustine of Hippo#Doctrine on Original Sin|Augustinian]] tradition makes a clear distinction between sin which is the result of freely and consciously chosen actions, and the impersonal nature of original sin; namely the unchosen context and situations into which the child is born and which surrounds the baby, and into which the child might be educated and formed. Effectively, the Augustinian teaching says that even though the baby has not made any conscious choice, it is nevertheless personally affected by—and subject to—sin, and that God's grace is essential to give hope and salvation. The Augustinian view is seen by some scholars as a negative view of human nature, since [[Augustine of Hippo]] believed that the human race, without God's help, is depraved.
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In Christian tradition, the doctrine of original sin is often traced to the [[Apostle Paul]]'s description of human sinfulness, especially in the [[Epistle to the Romans]], as a universal condition inherited from [[Adam]].
  
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Original sin, from the Augustinian perspective, is not a free and individual choice by a baby; but rather the effect of the sum total of "world sin," taught analogously through the story of the sin of Adam and Eve. The Augustinian doctrine of original sin teaches that every individual is born into a broken world where sin is already active; that they are inevitably influenced personally by the actions of others and the consequences of choices made by others. The Augustinian effectively believes that human nature—and hence every individual person—is flawed. The Augustinian remedy for original sin is [[baptism]]; the ritual washing away of the unchosen but inevitable condition of birth sin; and a vigorous declaration by Christians that sin shall not prevail, but that God's grace can overpower it with our free cooperation.
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:All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 2:23-24).
  
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Some individuals challenge the entire doctrine of original sin as unbiblical, understanding  that the children should not be punished for the sins of the fathers. [[Ezekiel]] 18:20 states unequivocally that descendants are not to be punished for their parents' sins. On the other hand, Exodus 20:5 says, "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."
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:For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19).
  
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Those who understand original sin as personal guilt and sin, rather than as sin in an analogous sense, are confronted with a yet graver difficulty, particularly if they conceive of sin as a matter of a person's soul as such, rather than of the ensouled body, or enfleshed soul, that is the person. Sin, they say, is an issue of the soul, but, if we inherit our bodies from our parents and our souls from God, then original sin, which is inherited with human nature from our parents, must be a matter of the body; or, if it is a matter of the soul, original sin must come from God.
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:I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out… For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18-24)
  
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Judaism rejects the concept of the original sin altogether and stresses free will and men's responsibility of their actions rather than religious obedience or faith. Why, they ask, would God, who is, by dogma, universal unconditional Love, create sentient and sapient beings, then intentionally let them become corrupt—and then punish them from generation to generation with eternal torture for simply just being born in the world and for nothing else—and judge people not on their actions but by their faith or its lack—and then by whim save the beings from nothing else but from his very own wrath.  
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===Augstine's teaching===
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[[Image:Augustine of Hippo.jpg|thumb|150px|left|[[Saint Augustine]]]]
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The idea of original sin came into sharper focus during the [[Pelagius|Pelagian controversy]] of the fifth century, with [[Augustine of Hippo]] taking the lead in promoting the idea that humans, because of original sin, were incapable of improving themselves spiritually without God's intervening [[grace]]. For Pelagius, grace consisted mainly in the gifts [[free will]], [[moral law]], and the [[Gospel]]. He insisted, as the [[Jews]] did, that Adam's sin did not affect human nature, and taught that humans can overcome sin through their own moral efforts by following [[Jesus]]' example.
  
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Christian churches that deny original sin have differing explanations for the ancient Christian practice of conferring on infants what the [[Nicene Creed]] calls the "one baptism for the forgiveness of sins." Several denominations (following [[anabaptist]] traditions) deny offering infant baptism altogether and insist that only persons who have reached the "[[age of accountability]]" should be baptized.
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Augustine countered by affirming the powerful reality of original sin, arguing that the entire human race partakes of Adam's sin, which is passed on generation to generation through the act of [[sexual intercourse]]. Because of the inherited corruption of Adam' sin, human free will is damaged and enslaved to [[concupiscence]], making God's special, intervening grace absolutely necessary for [[salvation]].
  
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==Original sin (Christian doctrine)==
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During the controversy, one pope, [[Innocent I]], decided that Pelagius' teaching was acceptable. However, the group of churchmen of which Augustine was the primary spokesman ultimately prevailed, and Pelgianism was condemned as [[heresy]]. The Augustinian view, while never officially adopted by an [[ecumenical council]], came to predominate in the [[Latin]] ([[Roman Catholic]]) church. In the East, Pelagianism was rejected, but Augustine, who wrote in Latin rather than [[Greek]], was not as influential as he was in the West.
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There are wide-ranging disagreements among Christian groups as to the exact understanding of the doctrine about a state of sinfulness or absence of holiness affecting all human beings, even children, with some Christian groups denying it altogether.
 
  
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=== Original sin in the New Testament ===
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===Catholic doctrine===
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The doctrine of original sin is thought by some to be implied in the Apostle Paul's description of human sinfulness as no less universal than Christ's free gift of righteousness, especially in the verses here italicized:
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The ''[[Catechism]] of the [[Catholic Church]]'' states: <blockquote>By his sin [[Adam]], as the first man, lost the original [[holiness]] and [[justice]] he had received from [[God]], not only for himself but for all human beings. [[Adam and Eve]] transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin." As a result of original sin, [[human nature]] is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "[[concupiscence]]").<ref>The Vatican, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p7.htm ''Catechism of the Catholic Church,'' 416-418.] Retrieved December 26, 2008.</ref></blockquote>
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:''Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned''—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
 
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:—[[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 5:12-14, [[English Standard Version|ESV]]
 
  
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:Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For ''as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous''. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  
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The [[Catholic Church]] further holds that even infant children are guilty of the original sin. Since [[baptism]] is "for the remission of sins," and because infants have traditionally been baptized, the only sin of which they need to be cleansed is original sin.  
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:—Rom. 5:18-21, ESV
 
  
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Those who identify original sin with [[concupiscence]] apply to it also Paul's description of a general experience:
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The Catholic doctrine of the [[Immaculate Conception]] of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]] holds that Mary was conceived free from original sin. Moreover, through Mary, [[Jesus]], too, was conceived both without original sin and even without sexual intercourse, which, according to Augustine, was the means by which the original sin is transmitted from generation to generation.
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:I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
 
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:So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
 
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:—Rom. 7:15-24, ESV
 
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Those who see original sin not as a positive reality but as something merely negative, namely lack of holiness, see the doctrine as implicit also in the teaching of Jesus, as expressed, for example, in the words: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 15:5, [[Today's New International Version|TNIV]]).
 
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Also, within Christian circles we see that John writes about "that ancient serpent" in Revelations 20:2. Which (unlike non-Christian interpretations) ties the serpent in to the garden to be identified as Satan.
 
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===Original sin in Roman Catholicism===
 
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[[Image:B Escorial 18.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Depiction of the ''original sin''. Illuminated parchment, Spain, circa 950-955 C.E.]]
 
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The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' says:
 
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<blockquote>
 
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By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not only for himself but for all human beings.<p>
 
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Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin".<p>
 
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As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "concupiscence").<p>
 
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[http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p7.htm ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 416-418]
 
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</blockquote>
 
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''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' explains that in "yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a ''personal sin'', but this sin affected ''the human nature'' that they would then transmit in a ''fallen state'' … original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed"—a state and not an act" (404). This "state of deprivation of the original holiness and justice … transmitted to the descendants of Adam along with human nature" (''Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 76) involves no personal responsibility or personal guilt on their part (cf. ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 405).  Personal responsibility and guilt were Adam's, who because of his sin, was unable to pass on to his descendants a human nature with the holiness with which it would otherwise have been endowed, in this way implicating them in his sin.
 
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Though Adam's sinful act is not the responsibility of his descendants, the state of human nature that has resulted from that sinful act has consequences that plague them: "Human nature, without being entirely corrupted, has been harmed in its natural powers, is subject to ignorance, suffering and the power of death, and has a tendency to sin. This tendency is called concupiscence" (''Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 77), but is distinct from original sin itself.
 
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The Church has always held baptism to be "for the remission of sins," and, as mentioned in ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 403, infants too have traditionally been baptized, though not guilty of any actual personal sin. The sin that through baptism was remitted for them could only be original sin, with which they were connected by the very fact of being human beings. Based largely on this practice, Saint [[Augustine of Hippo]] articulated the teaching in reaction to [[Pelagianism]], which insisted that human beings have of themselves, without the necessary help of God's grace, the ability to lead a morally good life, and thus denied both the importance of baptism and the teaching that God is the giver of all that is good.
 
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The Roman Catholic Church did not accept all of Augustine's ideas, which he developed to counter the claim by Pelagius that the influence of Adam on other human beings was merely that of bad example. For instance, the Church did not adopt the opinion that involvement in Adam's guilt and punishment takes effect through the dependence of human procreation on the sexual passion, in which the spirit's inability to control flesh is evident.  Rather, the Church teaches that original sin comes to the soul simply from the new person taking his nature from one whose nature itself had original sin.  In this way, the Church argues that original sin is not imputing the sin of the father to the son; rather, it is simply the inheritance of a wounded nature from the father, which is an unavoidable part of reproduction.
 
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The Roman Catholic doctrine of the [[Immaculate Conception]] of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]] is that Mary was conceived free from original sin: "the most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."<ref>Pius IX. 1854. [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a3p2.htm#490 Ineffabilis Deus]. Vatican. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref> The exceptional character that Catholic doctrine attributes to the conception of Mary thus depends on the reality of original sin. If, as some hold, original sin did not exist, all human beings, not just Mary, would be conceived without "all stain of original sin."
 
  
 
===Original sin in Eastern Christianity===
 
===Original sin in Eastern Christianity===
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[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodoxy]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholicism]], which together make up Eastern Christianity, acknowledge that the introduction of ancestral sin into the human race affected the subsequent environment for mankind, but never accepted Augustine of Hippo's notions of original sin and hereditary guilt.[http://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/orthodoxy/articles/2004-hughes-sin.php] The act of [[Adam and Eve|Adam]] is not the responsibility of all humanity, but the consequences of that act changed the reality of this present age of the cosmos.
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[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodoxy]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholicism]], which together make up Eastern Christianity, acknowledge that [[Adam and Eve]]'s sin introduced [[ancestral sin]] into the human race and affected the subsequent spiritual environment for mankind. However, these groups did not accept [[Augustine of Hippo]]'s notion of original sin and the hereditary guilt attached to it. Thus, the act of [[Adam]] is not the responsibility of all humanity, even though the consequences of that act changed the spiritual and physical reality of this present age of the cosmos. Nevertheless, Orthodoxy does admit that Adam's descendants were punished with [[death]] and the curses given by God in the [[Garden of Eden]] as a result of the first sin.
  
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Instead of the term "original sin," some prefer to use in [[English language|English]] the term "ancestral sin," a literal translation of the term traditional in [[Greek language|Greek]] ''({{Polytonic|προπατορική ἁμαρτία}})''. But the term traditional in English, "original sin," is also found in Orthodox catechisms such as the following, one written originally in English, the other translated from Russian: "[O]riginal sin is hereditary. It did not remain only Adam and Eve's. As life passes from them to all of their descendants, so does original sin. We all of us participate in original sin because we are all descended from the same forefather, Adam. This creates a problem for many people. They ask, why should we be responsible for the actions of Adam and Eve? Why should we have to pay for the sins of our parents? They say. Unfortunately, this is so, because the consequence of original sin is the distortion of the nature of man. Of course, this is unexplainable and belongs to the realm of mystery, but we can give one example to make it somewhat better understood. Let us say that you have a wild orange tree, from which you make a graft. You will get domesticated oranges, but the root will still be that of the wild orange tree. To have wild oranges again, you must regraft the tree. This is what Christ came for and achieved for fallen man" (''Orthodox Catechism − Basic Teachings of the Orthodox Faith'' by Metropolitan Archbishop Sotirios).[http://www.gocanada.org/Catechism/catorsin.htm] "As from an infected source there naturally flows an infected stream, so from a father infected with sin, and consequently mortal, there naturally proceeds a posterity infected like him with sin, and like him mortal" (''The Longer Catechism of the Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church'' also known as the ''Catechism of Philaret'', question 168).[http://www.pravoslavieto.com/docs/eng/Orthodox_Catechism_of_Philaret.htm]
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The Eastern view may thus be said to be somewhat less pessimistic than the Augustinian doctrine. Saint [[Gregory Palamas]] taught that man's image is "tarnished and disfigured" as a consequence of Adam's disobedience, but stopped short of the "total depravity" of the Augustinian view. Whereas Augustine stressed that [[free will]] cannot influence [[salvation]], which is determined only by God's [[grace]], the Eastern view allows for the possibility of that humans can be [[theosis|divinized]] through a combination of God's grace and human efforts.
  
−
The view of original sin is similar in the Armenian branch of [[Oriental Orthodoxy]]. The website of the Eastern United States diocese of the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]], speaking of Mary, states: "According to the teaching of the Armenian Church, at the time of the Annunciation when the Holy Spirit entered her she was cleansed of all sin (original sin) as she was to be the vessel in which God manifest was to be incarnated."[http://www.armenianchurch.org/worship/mary/]
+
===Original sin in Protestantism===
 +
Although Martin Luther held the view that scripture alone should be the basis of Christian doctrine, the second article in [[Lutheranism]]'s [[Augsburg Confession]], much like the Catholic tradition, accepted the basic Augustinian formula of original sin: <blockquote>Since the fall of [[Adam]] all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in [[sin]]. That is, all men are full of evil lust and inclinations from their mothers’ wombs and are unable by nature to have true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this inborn sickness and hereditary sin is truly sin and condemns to the eternal wrath of God all those who are not born again through [[Baptism]] and the [[Holy Spirit]].<ref>Tappert (1959).</ref></blockquote>
  
−
===Original sin in Lutheranism===
+
Luther and [[John Calvin|Calvin]] agreed that humans inherit Adamic guilt and are in a state of sin from the moment of conception. Man is thus completely depraved, and only God's grace, through [[faith]] in [[Christ]], can save him. Later, the [[Methodists|Methodist Church]], tended to see a greater role for human [[free will]] in the process of salvation and spiritual growth, but nevertheless upheld the idea that: "Original sin standeth not in the [mere] following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness…."<ref>United Methodist Church, [http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1649 The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church—Article V—Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.] Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref>
−
The second article in Lutheranism's [[Augsburg Confession]] presents its doctrine of original sin in summary form:
 
  
−
{{cquote|It is also taught among us that since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin. That is, all men are full of evil lust and inclinations from their mothers’ wombs and are unable by nature to have true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this inborn sickness and hereditary sin is truly sin and condemns to the eternal wrath of God all those who are not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit. Rejected in this connection are the [[Pelagianism|Pelagians]] and others who deny that original sin is sin, for they hold that natural man is made righteous by his own powers, thus disparaging the sufferings and merit of Christ.<ref>Tappert, Theodore G. 1959. ''The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church''. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.</ref>}}
+
The [[Radical Reformation]], including [[Anabaptist]]s and [[Baptists]], adopted a less strict notion of original sin in rejecting the tradition of [[infant baptism]]. By insisting on the principle of [[believer's baptism]], the radical reformers tended to imply that God would not doom young children to [[Hell]]. Thus, humans were not necessarily so depraved as to merit [[damnation]] from birth, a very different view from Augustine's.
  
−
===Original sin in mainstream Protestantism===
+
Several [[Restoration Movement]] churches of the [[Second Great Awakening]] not only rejected infant baptism but overtly denied the notion of original sin, believing that men and women are personally responsible only for the sins that they themselves commit. However, many Restoration churches and their members do believe that Adam's sin resulted in a depraved human nature—that is, in a tendency to sin—even though individuals are not guilty of Adam's sin.
−
The notion of original sin as interpreted by [[Augustine of Hippo]] was affirmed by the Protestant [[Protestant Reformation|Reformers]] [[Martin Luther]] and [[John Calvin]]. Both Luther and Calvin agreed that humans inherit Adamic guilt and are in a state of sin from the moment of conception. This inherently sinful nature (the basis for the [[Calvinism|Calvinistic]] doctrine of "[[total depravity]]") results in a complete alienation from God and the total inability of humans to achieve reconciliation with God based on their own abilities. Not only do individuals inherit a sinful nature due to Adam's fall, but since he was the federal head and representative of the human race, all whom he represented inherit the guilt of his sin by imputation.
 
  
−
The [[Methodist Church]], founded by [[John Wesley]], upholds Article VII in the [[Articles of Religion (Methodist)|Articles of Religion]] in the ''[[Book of Discipline (United Methodist)|Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church]]'': {{cquote|Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.<ref>[http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1649 The United Methodist Church: The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church - Article V—Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation]. United Methodist Church. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref>}}
+
===Other Christian-based traditions===
 +
The [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (also known as the LDS Church and the "Mormons") admits that the actions of [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]] brought about spiritual and physical death. However, the LDS church rejects the concept of original sin, insisting that people will be punished only for their own individual sins and not for any transgression of Adam or Eve. Neither do Mormons believe that children are conceived in sin or come into the world with any kind of fallen nature. Rather, [[Christ]] already atoned for any "original guilt," not only for Christians but for all mankind.
  
−
Because of this [[conundrum]], Protestants believe that God the Father sent [[Jesus]] into the world. The personhood, life, ministry, suffering, and death of Jesus, as God [[incarnation|incarnate]] in human flesh, is meant to be the [[atonement]] for original sin as well as actual sins; this atonement is according to some rendered fully effective by the [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|Resurrection of Jesus]].
+
The [[Unification Church]] of the Reverend [[Sun Myung Moon]] teaches that original sin is a reality. Reverend Moon's [[Divine Principle]] holds that original sin resulted from a premature sexual union between [[Adam and Eve]], symbolized by their eating of the forbidden fruit. Unificationists believe that original sin is forgiven through the church's marriage blessing ceremony, resulting in children born free from the original sin.  
  
−
===Original sin in Restoration Movement===
+
The [[Unity Church]] holds that original sin is a [[false doctrine]], emphasizing instead those scriptures which uphold the fundamental goodness of humankind. For example, in [[Genesis]] 1, God created everything in God's image and called it "good," and Jesus says humans are the "light of the world" capable of perfection (Matthew 5).
−
Most Stone-Campbell [[Restoration Movement]] Churches, such as the Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, and other Congregational Churches of the same origin, reject the notion of original sin, believing only in the sins for which men and women are personally responsible. Adam and Eve did bring sin into the world by introducing disobedience. This spread to further generations in much the same way other ideas spread, thus ensuring an environment that will produce sin in any individual above "The Age of Accountability."
 
  
−
In the Old Testament, in the [[Book of Ezekiel]], God's people are rebuked for suggesting that the children would die/suffer for their father's sins:
+
Some churches have no definite teaching regarding the question of original sin, resulting in most members not holding the doctrine. Among them are the [[Unitarian]]s and the [[Quakers]].
  
−
:The word of the Lord came to me: "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: <nowiki>'</nowiki>''The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge''<nowiki>'</nowiki>? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
+
==Original sin in the other Abrahamic religions==
−
:—Ezek. 18:1-4, TNIV
 
  
−
The Lord then gives examples of a good father with a bad son, of a good son with a bad father, etc. and states:
+
===Judaism===
−
+
Historically, [[Judaism]] has taught that the first sin did not alter human nature. Rather, the tendency to evil, known as the ''[[yetzer harah]]'' was present in [[Adam]] and [[Eve]] from the beginning, otherwise they could not have disobeyed God in the first place. God gives human beings laws and [[mitzvot|commandments]] to help them overcome the tendency to evil. Each person is thus entirely responsible for his or her own [[sin]] rather than having inherited the original sin from our ancestors.
−
:"Yet you ask, <nowiki>'</nowiki>''Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?''<nowiki>'</nowiki> Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
 
−
:—Ezek. 18:19-20, TNIV
 
  
−
God concludes: "house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to your own ways … Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezek. 18:30-31, TNIV).
+
The idea that God is "a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5), while implying a concept of [[inherited sin]], did not constitute a doctrine of original sin. Moreover, it was balanced by [[deuteronomy|Deuterononic legal tradition]] (Deut. 24:16) and the teaching of [[Ezekiel]] that "The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son" (Ezek. 18:20). Although some of the [[Psalms]] and other Jewish writings were interpreted by Christian writers as implying the doctrine of original sin, [[rabbinical tradition]] rejected this notion, affirming that the ''yetzer harah'' was part of the original human nature and that God had given humans adequate guidance to overcome the tendency to evil.
  
−
Many Restoration movement churches and individuals, however, do believe that Adam's sin made us depraved (that is, with a tendency towards sin) without making us guilty of Adam's sin. Man is predisposed towards sin, but though every person sins, they are not intrinsically ''forced'' to sin.
+
===Islam===
 +
[[Islam]] teaches that all humans are innocent by birth and they become sinful only when they consciously commit a sin. It regards the doctrine of original sin not as the teaching of [[Jesus]], who was a [[prophet]] and the [[Messiah]], but of misguided Christians who misunderstood Jesus' intent and falsely made him into the divine [[Son of God]] who died to atone for universal sins of humankind.
  
−
===Original sin for Seventh-day Adventists===
+
==See also==
−
One authoritative Adventist position is outlined by reference to publicly available theological positions available on the [[General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church]]’s official website on theological doctrine, the [[Biblical Research Institute]].[http://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/]
+
*[[Adam and Eve]]
 +
*[[Divine grace]]
 +
*[[Human Fall]]
 +
*[[Total depravity]]
 +
*[[Yetzer harah]]
  
−
===Original sin according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints===
+
==Notes==
−
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (also known as the LDS Church, and the "Mormons") teaches a doctrine, known as the Fall of Adam, that the actions of [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]] brought about spiritual and physical death. Latter-day Saints believe that separation from God (spiritual death) was an intended part of the plan of God, but that Adam and Eve needed to exercise their own [[free will]] and were thus given to "choose for themselves." The main objective of the plan was that mankind should be tested (see ''[[Book of Abraham]]''). Because separation from God was necessary, Latter-day Saints see the transgression of Adam and Eve as a great and necessary choice to gain knowledge and experience, rather than a "mistake." After committing their transgression, Adam and Eve were cast out of God's presence and were capable of suffering physical pain and death. Their choice to enter that fallen state willingly meant that God's "Plan of Happiness" could proceed as intended, and was in line with His will, because of the foreordination of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer from death and the Atoning One.
+
<references/>
−
 
 
−
Mormons do not believe that the transgression in Eden was of a sexual nature—nor could it have been, they hold, as God commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and replenish the Earth, implying that sexual relations between our progenitors were sanctioned, and that they were ''de facto'' married by God in Eden. Likewise, they do not blame Eve for being the first to partake of the fruit, but rather celebrate her wisdom in recognizing that her descendants would have to be born, live, and make righteous choices on Earth, learn to repent through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and pass through death, in order eventually to be fully redeemed and return to live with God again. The idea is that it is better to pass through the sorrow of this life, in order to know the Good from the Evil, rather than to exist in a perpetual state of innocence and stagnant ignorance. ({{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=2 Nephi|chapter=2|verse=11}})
 
−
 
 
−
Mormons do not believe in the concept of original sin as it is used in modern Christendom, but that everyone will be punished for their own individual sins and not for any transgression of Adam or Eve.<ref>[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/a_of_f/1 Articles of Faith, article #2] Latter Day Saints. Retrieved October 28, 2007.</ref> Neither do Mormons believe that children are conceived in sin or come into the world with any kind of "impurity" whatsoever. Rather, Jesus Christ atoned for any "original guilt" and the sins of parents cannot be answered upon the heads of their children. Furthermore, Mormons hold that little children are incapable of even committing sin and as such have no need of baptism until age eight when they can fully discern right from wrong, and are thus capable of sin and can be held accountable. Little children who die before reaching the age of accountability (even though they are unbaptized) are automatic heirs of salvation and are saved in the Celestial Kingdom of God.
 
−
 
 
−
===The original sin in the Unification Church===
 
−
[[Unification Church]] members believe that there were an actual [[Adam and Eve]] although the names were not necessarily the same. The story of the fall, as written in the [[Bible]], is interpreted by Unificationists as an actual historical event rather than a [[parable]]. However, some elements in the story of the fall in [[Genesis]], the Tree of Life, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the forbidden fruit, and the snake, are believed to be, by Unificationists, symbolic [[metaphor]]s for ideal man, ideal woman, sexual intercourse, and [[Satan]] respectively. The essence of the fall is that Eve was convinced by an angelic being (Satan) to center her love on Satan instead of God ([[Yahweh]]). Eve then convinced Adam to center his love also on Satan. This was consummated through sexual intercourse between Adam and Eve apart from the will of God. Unificationists generally believe there was a “spiritual (sexual) fall,” between Eve and the angel, and a “physical (sexual) fall” between Eve and Adam. Some Unificationists also regard Cain killing Abel as a third fall, however this is a minority viewpoint. Unificationists have the literal belief, based on their strict moral code of "absolute love" and sexual purity and the need for indemnity, that since the "fall of humanity" all of human history has been a constant [[manichaean]] struggle between the forces of "God" and "Satan" to correct this original mistake.
 
−
 
 
−
Unification theology views the Biblical tale of the fall partially in symbolic terms. The serpent here, as in some other interpretations, represents [[Lucifer]]. Eve's acceptance of the fruit symbolizes an act of adultery, by which evil enters into Eve; Adam's acceptance of the fruit likewise is an act of intercourse, which spreads the evil from Eve to Adam. Having not waited until they had reached a more perfect form, they became tainted with sin.
 
−
 
 
−
The Unification Church sees the four aftereffects of the fall as:
 
−
# a failure to see from God's viewpoint and love as God loves
 
−
# a failure to receive God's love
 
−
# a reversal of dominion
 
−
# a multiplication of evil.
 
−
 
 
−
The chapter of the [[Divine Principle]] explaining the fall and original sin. [http://www.unification.net/dp96/dp96-1-2.html#Chap2].
 
−
 
 
−
Unificationists believe that original sin is forgiven through the [[Blessing Ceremony]].
 
−
 
 
−
===Original sin in the Unity Church===
 
−
The [[Unity Church]] believes original sin to be [[false doctrine]], and a [[blasphemy|blasphemous]] one.  If a manufacturer consistently puts out a product with the same flaw, it is the fault of the company, not its products, and so it would be if God were creating beings with the same flaw.
 
−
 
 
−
The [[Unity Church]] say the Bible is cited as [[internal consistency and the Bible|self-contradictory]] in this matter.  In [[Genesis]] 1, God created everything in God's image and called it "good," then Genesis 2 comes along like a [[retcon]] by a different author.  Then [[Psalm]] 8 calls humans "a little lower than God" and Psalm 82 calls humans "gods, children of the most high," which Jesus quotes in [[Gospel of John|John]] 10:34.  Jesus also says we are the "light of the world" and capable of perfection in [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 5, and capable of greater things than he is in John 14:12.  This is not consistent with the concept of original sin.
 
−
 
 
−
==The original sin in religions other than Christianity==
 
−
===The original sin in Gnosticism ===
 
−
Many Gnostic sects (particularly the [[Ophites]]) saw the figure of the serpent as a divine benefactor and liberator of humanity, rather than as [[Satan]], [[Lucifer]], or any other ill-intentioned figure. They held that the world was created by the [[Demiurge]], an imperfect creator who wished to rule it as a tyrant. However, the spirit of [[Christ]] interfered by possessing the serpent and telling Eve to eat the fruit from the [[tree of knowledge of good and evil]]. Eating from this tree allowed Adam and Eve to have free will and thus defy, if need be, their Demiurge creator. Therefore, according to many Gnostics, what [[Christians]] call [[the Fall of Man]] was really the freeing of humanity's minds and souls.
 
−
 
 
−
=== The original sin in Islam===
 
−
Unlike Christianity, which teaches that all the children of Adam are sinful for Adam’s sin, Islam teaches that all humans are innocent by birth and they become sinful only when they consciously commit a sin. Islam regards the concept of “original sin” and the need for atonement by God Himself - via dying on the Cross - as a pure invention of those who came after Jesus Christ, declaring themselves as Christians.
 
−
 
 
−
Another important point to bear in mind about the Islamic concept of sin is that one man’s sin cannot be transferred to another; nor can the reward due to a person be transferred either. Every individual is responsible only for his or her actions, for God is never unjust. This is made clear in the following in Surah 17, verse 25:
 
−
 
 
−
*{Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We punish until We had sent a messenger [to give warning].}*
 
−
 
 
−
===Excerpts from Qur'an===
 
−
 
 
−
Is it certain that it was Adam and not Eve who was tempted? Irrespective of this, both are forgiven together, the concept being that Man and Woman were created equally, by God, of the same material and therefore have equal rights to redemption.
 
−
 
 
−
This episode is mentioned in the Qur'an in several places. Amongst them are:
 
−
 
 
−
* But the Satan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time. {{quran-usc|2|36}}
 
−
* But the Shaitan made an evil suggestion to them that he might make manifest to them what had been hidden from them of their evil inclinations, and he said: Your Lord has not forbidden you this tree except that you may not both become two angels or that you may (not) become of the immortals. And he swore to them both: Most surely I am a sincere adviser to you. Then he caused them to fall by deceit; so when they tasted of the tree, their evil inclinations became manifest to them, and they both began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden; and their Lord called out to them: Did I not forbid you both from that tree and say to you that the Shaitan is your open enemy? They said: Our Lord! We have been unjust to ourselves, and if Thou forgive us not, and have (not) mercy on us, we shall certainly be of the losers. {{quran-usc-range|7|20|23}}
 
−
 
 
−
Adam and Eve are forgiven by God after they repent:
 
−
 
 
−
* Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. {{quran-usc|2|37}}
 
−
 
 
−
Therefore, the idea that the sin propagates to their offspring is categorically refused by Muslims, citing [[ayah|verse]]s such as:
 
−
 
 
−
* Say: What! shall I seek a Lord other than Allah? And He is the Lord of all things; and no soul earns (evil) but against itself, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another; then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you of that in which you differed. {{quran-usc|6|164}}
 
−
* Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability; for it is (the benefit of) what it has earned and upon it (the evil of) what it has wrought: Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us, Our Lord do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people. {{quran-usc|2|286}}
 
−
 
 
−
That is to say, all children are born without sin in the state of purity.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
<references/>
+
* Arimoku, Dennis Etumonu. ''The Polemics of St. Augustine against Pelagius''. Romae: Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana, Facultas Theologiae, 1983. {{OCLC|27273687}}
−
 
+
* Boureux, Christophe, and Christoph Theobald. ''Original Sin: A Code of Fallibility''. London: SCM Press, 2004. ISBN 9780334030775.
−
==See also==
+
* Ferguson, Everett. ''Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Salvation in the Early Church''. Studies in early Christianity, v. 10. New York: Garland, 1993. {{OCLC|27035684}}
−
*[[Actual sin]]
+
* Finney, Paul. ''Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Salvation in the Early Church.'' New York: Routledge, 1993. ISBN 9780815310709.
−
*[[Divine grace]]
+
* Jacobs, Alan. ''Original Sin: A Cultural History''. New York: HarperOne, 2008. ISBN 9780060783402.
−
*[[Fall of man]]
+
* Rigby, Paul, and Augustine. ''Original Sin in Augustine's Confessions''. Ottawa]: University of Ottawa Press, 1987. ISBN 9780776601243.
−
*[[Hamartiology]]
+
* Rondet, Henri. ''Original Sin: the Patristic and Theological Background''. Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 1972. ISBN 9780818902499.
−
*[[Incurvatus in se]]
+
* Tappert, Theodore G. ''The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church''. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1959. ISBN 9780800608255.
−
*[[Justification (theology)|Justification]]
 
−
*[[Pandora's box]]
 
−
*[[Prevenient grace]]
 
−
*[[The Antichrist (book)]]
 
−
*[[Total depravity]]
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11312a.htm Article "Original Sin" in Catholic Encyclopedia]
+
All links retrieved November 17, 2022.
−
* [http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgdefense/2_originalsin.html ''The Book of Concord'' <tt>(www.bookofconcord.org)</tt>:] ''The Defense of the Augsburg Confession'', Article II: Of Original Sin; from an early Protestant perspective, part of the [[Augsburg Confession]].
+
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11312a.htm "Original Sin" in the Catholic Encyclopedia].
−
* [http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/serm-044.stm The United Methodist Church: Original Sin (Sermon 44) by [[John Wesley]]:] A perspective from one of the founders of Methodism.
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* [http://orthodoxwiki.org/Original_Sin Orthodox view of Original Sin]  
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* [http://orthodoxwiki.org/Original_Sin Original Sin on Orthodox wiki] which claims that the Catholic Church teaches that everyone bears the ''guilt'' of Adam's sin
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*[http://www.unification.net/dp96/dp96-1-2.html#Sec1_5 Unificationism's Divine Principle on "The Root of Sin"]
  
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[[Category:Adam and Eve]]
 
  
 
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Latest revision as of 02:15, 18 November 2022

The Fall of Man by Henrik Goltzius, 1616

Original sin is a Christian doctrine describing the first human act of disobedience, as well as the ongoing fallen state of humanity bound in enduring, irremediable alienation from God. Christian tradition regards original sin as the general lack of holiness into which human beings are born, distinct from any actual sins that a person may commit later.

Used with the definite article ("the original sin"), the term refers to the first sin, committed when Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent's temptation, commonly known as "the Fall." This first sin is traditionally understood to be the cause of "original sin." While Christians derive the idea of original sin in part from the Old Testament, the doctrine is rejected in Jewish theology.

The New Testament basis for the concept of original sin is found particularly in the writings of Saint Paul, who held that Christ came as a "new Adam" to redeem humankind from sin. However, it was not firmly established in Christian tradition until the Pelagian controversy of the fifth century. The Western Christian tradition concerning original sin, both Catholic and Protestant, is largely based on writings by Augustine of Hippo. Eastern Orthodox tradition does not go as far as Augustine did in terms of the damage that the first sin did to human nature.

Augustine's formulation of original sin was accepted by Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin and thus passed into most mainline Protestant churches. However, the doctrine has been reinterpreted or denied by various modern Christian and contemporary denominations.

Islam accepts the fact that the first human couple disobeyed God in paradise, but, like Judaism, denies the doctrine of original sin. Adam is seen as the first prophet, having repented of his sin in paradise and thereafter living a sinless life of submission to Allah.

Account in Genesis

Michelangelo's painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall)

The account in Genesis 2-3 implies that Adam and Eve initially lived in a state of intimate communion with God. The narrative reads that God "made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:9). God forbade Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning him that he would die if he did (Gen. 2:16-17). The serpent persuaded Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit and she also "gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Gen. 3:6).

After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness (Gen. 3:7). God bestowed a curse on each of the participants: the serpent must eat dust and there will be enmity between its offspring and those of the woman (Gen. 3:14-15). The woman will experience pain in giving birth and will be dominated by her husband (Gen. 3:16). The man, rather than living in a paradise of abundant fruit trees, must struggle for his sustenance (Gen. 3:17-19). In addition, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, so that they may not eat of the tree of life and live forever (Gen. 3:22-24).

Original sin in Christianity

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Pauline doctrine

In Christian tradition, the doctrine of original sin is often traced to the Apostle Paul's description of human sinfulness, especially in the Epistle to the Romans, as a universal condition inherited from Adam.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 2:23-24).
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19).
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out… For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18-24)

Augstine's teaching

Saint Augustine

The idea of original sin came into sharper focus during the Pelagian controversy of the fifth century, with Augustine of Hippo taking the lead in promoting the idea that humans, because of original sin, were incapable of improving themselves spiritually without God's intervening grace. For Pelagius, grace consisted mainly in the gifts free will, moral law, and the Gospel. He insisted, as the Jews did, that Adam's sin did not affect human nature, and taught that humans can overcome sin through their own moral efforts by following Jesus' example.

Augustine countered by affirming the powerful reality of original sin, arguing that the entire human race partakes of Adam's sin, which is passed on generation to generation through the act of sexual intercourse. Because of the inherited corruption of Adam' sin, human free will is damaged and enslaved to concupiscence, making God's special, intervening grace absolutely necessary for salvation.

During the controversy, one pope, Innocent I, decided that Pelagius' teaching was acceptable. However, the group of churchmen of which Augustine was the primary spokesman ultimately prevailed, and Pelgianism was condemned as heresy. The Augustinian view, while never officially adopted by an ecumenical council, came to predominate in the Latin (Roman Catholic) church. In the East, Pelagianism was rejected, but Augustine, who wrote in Latin rather than Greek, was not as influential as he was in the West.

Catholic doctrine

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not only for himself but for all human beings. Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin." As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "concupiscence").[1]

The Catholic Church further holds that even infant children are guilty of the original sin. Since baptism is "for the remission of sins," and because infants have traditionally been baptized, the only sin of which they need to be cleansed is original sin.

The Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary holds that Mary was conceived free from original sin. Moreover, through Mary, Jesus, too, was conceived both without original sin and even without sexual intercourse, which, according to Augustine, was the means by which the original sin is transmitted from generation to generation.

Original sin in Eastern Christianity

Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, which together make up Eastern Christianity, acknowledge that Adam and Eve's sin introduced ancestral sin into the human race and affected the subsequent spiritual environment for mankind. However, these groups did not accept Augustine of Hippo's notion of original sin and the hereditary guilt attached to it. Thus, the act of Adam is not the responsibility of all humanity, even though the consequences of that act changed the spiritual and physical reality of this present age of the cosmos. Nevertheless, Orthodoxy does admit that Adam's descendants were punished with death and the curses given by God in the Garden of Eden as a result of the first sin.

The Eastern view may thus be said to be somewhat less pessimistic than the Augustinian doctrine. Saint Gregory Palamas taught that man's image is "tarnished and disfigured" as a consequence of Adam's disobedience, but stopped short of the "total depravity" of the Augustinian view. Whereas Augustine stressed that free will cannot influence salvation, which is determined only by God's grace, the Eastern view allows for the possibility of that humans can be divinized through a combination of God's grace and human efforts.

Original sin in Protestantism

Although Martin Luther held the view that scripture alone should be the basis of Christian doctrine, the second article in Lutheranism's Augsburg Confession, much like the Catholic tradition, accepted the basic Augustinian formula of original sin:

Since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin. That is, all men are full of evil lust and inclinations from their mothers’ wombs and are unable by nature to have true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this inborn sickness and hereditary sin is truly sin and condemns to the eternal wrath of God all those who are not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit.[2]

Luther and Calvin agreed that humans inherit Adamic guilt and are in a state of sin from the moment of conception. Man is thus completely depraved, and only God's grace, through faith in Christ, can save him. Later, the Methodist Church, tended to see a greater role for human free will in the process of salvation and spiritual growth, but nevertheless upheld the idea that: "Original sin standeth not in the [mere] following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness…."[3]

The Radical Reformation, including Anabaptists and Baptists, adopted a less strict notion of original sin in rejecting the tradition of infant baptism. By insisting on the principle of believer's baptism, the radical reformers tended to imply that God would not doom young children to Hell. Thus, humans were not necessarily so depraved as to merit damnation from birth, a very different view from Augustine's.

Several Restoration Movement churches of the Second Great Awakening not only rejected infant baptism but overtly denied the notion of original sin, believing that men and women are personally responsible only for the sins that they themselves commit. However, many Restoration churches and their members do believe that Adam's sin resulted in a depraved human nature—that is, in a tendency to sin—even though individuals are not guilty of Adam's sin.

Other Christian-based traditions

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church and the "Mormons") admits that the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden brought about spiritual and physical death. However, the LDS church rejects the concept of original sin, insisting that people will be punished only for their own individual sins and not for any transgression of Adam or Eve. Neither do Mormons believe that children are conceived in sin or come into the world with any kind of fallen nature. Rather, Christ already atoned for any "original guilt," not only for Christians but for all mankind.

The Unification Church of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon teaches that original sin is a reality. Reverend Moon's Divine Principle holds that original sin resulted from a premature sexual union between Adam and Eve, symbolized by their eating of the forbidden fruit. Unificationists believe that original sin is forgiven through the church's marriage blessing ceremony, resulting in children born free from the original sin.

The Unity Church holds that original sin is a false doctrine, emphasizing instead those scriptures which uphold the fundamental goodness of humankind. For example, in Genesis 1, God created everything in God's image and called it "good," and Jesus says humans are the "light of the world" capable of perfection (Matthew 5).

Some churches have no definite teaching regarding the question of original sin, resulting in most members not holding the doctrine. Among them are the Unitarians and the Quakers.

Original sin in the other Abrahamic religions

Judaism

Historically, Judaism has taught that the first sin did not alter human nature. Rather, the tendency to evil, known as the yetzer harah was present in Adam and Eve from the beginning, otherwise they could not have disobeyed God in the first place. God gives human beings laws and commandments to help them overcome the tendency to evil. Each person is thus entirely responsible for his or her own sin rather than having inherited the original sin from our ancestors.

The idea that God is "a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5), while implying a concept of inherited sin, did not constitute a doctrine of original sin. Moreover, it was balanced by Deuterononic legal tradition (Deut. 24:16) and the teaching of Ezekiel that "The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son" (Ezek. 18:20). Although some of the Psalms and other Jewish writings were interpreted by Christian writers as implying the doctrine of original sin, rabbinical tradition rejected this notion, affirming that the yetzer harah was part of the original human nature and that God had given humans adequate guidance to overcome the tendency to evil.

Islam

Islam teaches that all humans are innocent by birth and they become sinful only when they consciously commit a sin. It regards the doctrine of original sin not as the teaching of Jesus, who was a prophet and the Messiah, but of misguided Christians who misunderstood Jesus' intent and falsely made him into the divine Son of God who died to atone for universal sins of humankind.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Vatican, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 416-418. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
  2. ↑ Tappert (1959).
  3. ↑ United Methodist Church, The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church—Article V—Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. Retrieved October 28, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Arimoku, Dennis Etumonu. The Polemics of St. Augustine against Pelagius. Romae: Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana, Facultas Theologiae, 1983. OCLC 27273687
  • Boureux, Christophe, and Christoph Theobald. Original Sin: A Code of Fallibility. London: SCM Press, 2004. ISBN 9780334030775.
  • Ferguson, Everett. Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Salvation in the Early Church. Studies in early Christianity, v. 10. New York: Garland, 1993. OCLC 27035684
  • Finney, Paul. Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Salvation in the Early Church. New York: Routledge, 1993. ISBN 9780815310709.
  • Jacobs, Alan. Original Sin: A Cultural History. New York: HarperOne, 2008. ISBN 9780060783402.
  • Rigby, Paul, and Augustine. Original Sin in Augustine's Confessions. Ottawa]: University of Ottawa Press, 1987. ISBN 9780776601243.
  • Rondet, Henri. Original Sin: the Patristic and Theological Background. Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 1972. ISBN 9780818902499.
  • Tappert, Theodore G. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1959. ISBN 9780800608255.

External links

All links retrieved November 17, 2022.

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