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.

Christian view

The Catholic teaching on concupiscence developed in the context of the so-called Pelagian controversy of the late fourth century CE. Pelagius held that Christ had set a moral and spiritual example which other Christians could follow through ethical discipline to perfect their characters, in accordance with Jesus' command, "be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

Augustine of Hippo countered this optimistic view with the doctrine of original sin, in which he taught that, through their sin Adam and Eve had passed on an innate tendency to sin—concupiscence— which could never be overcome be overcome by human effort, but required God's intervening grace for salvation. In opposition to Pelagius' perfectionist ideal, he appealed to such scriptures as Saint Paul's tortured question:

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? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:23-25)

The Catholic Church eventually declared Pelagianism to be heresy and adopted the Augustinian view. The Eastern Orthodox Church likewise rejected Pelagius, but went slightly less far than the Catholics, holding that while humans indeed inherited a sinful nature from Adam and Eve, they are nevertheless capable of theosis (become divinized) through a combination of God's grace and prayerful effort.

Catholic Teaching on Concupiscence

In contrast to the Jewish teaching that the yetzer harah was endowed by God to Adam and Eve (who had to overcome it by obeying God's commandments),the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that Adam and Eve were originally constituted in a state of holiness free from concupiscence (CCC 337). By sinning, however, Adam lost this original state, not only for himself but for all human beings (CCC 416). However, human nature has not been totally corrupted; rather, it has only been weakened and wounded, subject to ignorance, suffering, death, and an irrestible inclination to sin (CCC 405, 418). This inclination toward sin and evil is called "concupiscence" (CCC 405, 418). Baptism (preceded by repentance) erases original sin and turns a person back toward God. The inclination toward sin and evil persists, however, and the original sin is passed on to one's children through the sexual act. Sex, while not evil in itself, is to be avoided except for purposes of procreation. Even after baptism, the struggle against concupiscence continues (CCC 2520) until Christ comes again to redeem mankind completely.

References

ISBN 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

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