Thomas Aquinas on the Effects of Original Sin: A Philosophical Analysis (original) (raw)
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this study contains a brief research on the views of the great theologians from history: Pelagius, Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin, Jacob Arminius. included here are also arguments taken and based from the inspired writings, the Bible. a supplementary from Ellen G. White is also included.
Contemporary Christians, and non-Christians alike, have an issue with the doctrine of original sin, and as Duffy points out in his essay Our Hearts of Darkness: Original Sin Revisited, " there is reason to feel uneasy with the term " original sin " " .1 To recapture the doctrine of Original Sin is to better understand both its origins and its current standing. Anyone living today, in a world filled wit catastrophe and tragedy, may find the doctrine of original sin to be both obvious and essential. Fr. Tom Rausch S.J. PhD believes there is today an overly optimistic view of humanity, and that an understanding of original sin has seemingly fallen away. This is a problematic, for original sin is perhaps the 'why' of Christianity. Original sin was formulated as a sort of Christology, and soteriology, and as an understanding of original sin has deteriorated, there has also been a lack of motive on the part those who grew up with a faith to care about their faith. Without a proper understanding of original sin Christianity, and religion as a whole, has been reduced to wish sending and help seeking. Life is confortable, especially for those living in the developed world, where technology has advanced to the point where wondering or questioning unrestrictedly is no longer necessary, one merely has to 'Google' something, or ask Siri for the answer. Understanding sinfulness, and by sinfulness is meant having missed the mark, is essential to future evangelization, for without a recapturing, or reinterpreting, perhaps even just a rewording, of this doctrine, Christ and the cross are merely one more life philosophy competing in a very pluralistic society. The intent of this paper is to thoroughly explore the history of the doctrine of original sin, to pay attention to the social movements which have fueled new interpretations and understandings of original sin, to summarize several contemporary understandings of original sin, and to finally attempt to say something regarding the nature of language and its connection, perhaps, to the genesis of sin in mankind.
The Problem of Propagation: Original Sin as Inherited Discourse.
Studies in Philosophy & Education
As Modernist doctrines emphasizing the unity and agency of the educated self are increasingly set up as the straw men of contemporary educational discourses, premodern and Medieval theories of selfhood tend to disappear from the horizon of educational thought altogether. In this essay, in order to subvert this overcoming of our intellectual past, I examine Thomas Aquinas’ reading of the doctrine of original sin. Relying on Graham McAleer’s claim that Aquinas’ metaphysical theory sanctifies the body, I argue that Aquinas’ understanding of original sin relies on a discursive, pedagogical model to account for human finitude.
Human Nature, Original Sin and Divine Redemption
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Genesis chapter 3 is a very important part of the Bible for Christians, for it describes the ‘fall’ of man and on this chapter the universal doctrine of ‘original sin’ is based. This doctrine is important because it underlies and explains the universal need for divine redemption by the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. According to this doctrine everyone is born with ‘original sin’ and therefore everyone needs to be redeemed by the sacrificial and atoning death of Christ. But what exactly is ‘original sin’ and in what does redemption, or liberation, from ‘original sin’ consist? Taking the account in Genesis 3 as a starting point, the purpose of this essay is to try to give an answer to these questions, in terms we can understand today. This edition contains, in an Appendix, my correspondence with a Catholic Theologian on the doctrinal issues raised by this paper.
Lost Moral Innocence the Fall of the Doctrine of Original Sin (Revised)
Academia.edu, 2022
My aim in this paper is to challenge the orthodox Christian doctrines of “the Fall” and “original sin”. My thesis is that both doctrines are based on faulty premises and a fundamental misinterpretation of Scripture. I argue that both doctrines obfuscate rather than clarify the real nature of the human dilemma as outlined by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. This paper is divided into three parts. In the first part I briefly examine both doctrines. In the second part, I show that both doctrines are based on faulty premises and a misinterpretation of scripture. The third part of this paper describes the implications that flow from a re-interpretation of the relevant scriptures. In this part, I focus on Paul’s explicit teaching in his letter to the Romans on the nature of the human dilemma. I demonstrate that a consistent interpretation of the relevant scriptures reveal important truths about human nature, the human dilemma and God’s plan of salvation for mankind.
Original Sin and Pure Nature: What's the Difference,and What Difference Does it Make
Josephinum Journal of Theology, 2018
This article aims to show that for Thomas Aquinas the condition of humanity in the state of original sin, and the condition of man in the state of pure nature are one and the same. I show that Thomas holds the natural principles from which humanity is composed to be incapable of producing a state of Integral Nature. Deprived of the sanctifying grace that produces the state of Original Justice, and left in a condition of "pure nature," operating by the principles that it possesses through its nature alone, humanity necessarily suffers the disorders of the state of Original Sin.
Human Evolution and a Cultural Understanding of Original Sin
In this article we explore the interface between new theories of human evolution and a cultural understanding of original sin. According to recent theories developed in evolutionary biology, the human being is essentially a "cultured" being with the ability to live in different environments. This is a crucial difference between humans and other species, including other primates. Humans are thus necessarily dependent on socialization by their community. As a result, both the creative insights and shortcomings of human individuals are instilled in their descendants. This article explores whether, and if so how, this can contribute to our understanding of the propagation of sin through the human population. In doing so it becomes clear that while new scientific views concerning the development of the human species do raise problems for Christian theology, they also allow for new creative explorations that may deepen our understanding of classic doctrines.