Concupiscence
Concupiscence usually refers to sexual desire or lust, derived from the Latin word concupiscentia meaning "a desire for worldly things." In its widest sense, concupiscence is any yearning of the soul; in its strict and specific sense, it means a desire of the lower appetite contrary to reason. The term has become especially important through discussions on the Christian concept of original sin, especially as developed by Augustine of Hippo.
For Protestants, concupiscence often refers to what they understand as the orientation, inclination or innate tendency of human beings to do evil.
There are nine occurrences of the word in the Douay-Rheims Bible: Wisdom 4:12, Romans 7:7, Romans 7:8, Colossians 3:5, Epistle of James 1:14, James 1:15, 2 Peter 1:4, and 1 John 2:17.
There are three occurrences of the word in the King James Bible: Romans 7:8, Colossians 3:5 and I Thessalonians 4:5.
Jewish background
In Judaism, a parallel concept to concupiscence is the yetzer hara (Hebrew: יצר הרע for "evil inclination"), refering to the tendency to do evil by violating the will of God. Unlike in Christian theology, however, yetzer hara is not a demonic force nor the product of original sin, but a natural tendency to misuse things the physical body needs to survive. Thus, the need for food becomes gluttony, the natural urge to procreate leads to unethical sexual activity, etc. In Judaism, this tendency toward evil is a natural result of God's creation, and God gives his commandments in order to guide and help mankind to master the yetzer hara.
Catholic Teaching on Concupiscence
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that Adam and Eve were constituted in an original "state of holiness and justice" (CCC 375, 376 398), free from concupiscence (CCC 337). By sinning, however, Adam lost this original "state," not only for himself but for all human beings (CCC 416). As a result of this original sin, according to Catholics, human nature has not been totally corrupted (as Luther and Calvin taught); rather, human nature has only been weakened and wounded, subject to ignorance, suffering, the domination of death, and the inclination to sin and evil (CCC 405, 418). This inclination toward sin and evil is called "concupiscence" (CCC 405, 418). Baptism, Catholics believe, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God. The inclination toward sin and evil persists, however, and he must continue to struggle against concupiscence(CCC 2520).
Concupiscence and Sensuality
Thomas Aquinas described two divisions of "sensuality": the concupiscible (pursuit/avoidance instincts) and the irascible (competition/aggression/defense instincts). With the former are associated the emotions of joy and sadness, love and hate, desire and repugnance; with the latter, daring and fear, hope and despair, anger.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Robert Merrihew Adams, "Original Sin: A Study in the Interaction of Philosophy and Theology," p. 80ff in Francis J. Ambrosio (ed.), The Question of Christian Philosophy Today, Fordham University Press (New York: 1999), Perspectives in Continental Philosophy no. 9.
- Joseph A. Komonchak, Mary Collins, and Dermot A. Lane, eds., The New Dictionary of Theology (Wilmington, Delaware : Michael Glazier, Inc., 1987), p. 220.
See also
- Incurvatus in se
- Prevenient Grace
- Seven deadly sins
- Sin
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
