IN ADAM’S FALL A Meditation on the Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Ian A. McFarland A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication IN ADAM’S FALL Challenges in Contemporary Theology Series Editors: Gareth Jones and Lewis Ayres Canterbury Christ Church University College, UK and Emory University, US Challenges in Contemporary Theology is a series aimed at producing clear orientations in, and research on, areas of “ challenge” in contemporary theology. These carefully coordinated books engage traditional theological concerns with mainstreams in modern thought and culture that challenge those concerns. The “ challenges” implied are to be understood in two senses: those presented by society to contemporary theology, and those posed by theology to society. Published These Three Are One: The Practice of Trinitarian Theology David S. Cunningham After Writing: On the Liturgical Consummation of Philosophy Catherine Pickstock Mystical Theology: The Integrity of Spirituality and Theology Mark A. McIntosh Engaging Scripture: A Model for Theological Interpretation Stephen E. Fowl Torture and Eucharist: Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ William T. Cavanaugh Sexuality and the Christian Body: Their Way into the Triune God Eugene F. Rogers, Jr On Christian Theology Rowan Williams The Promised End: Eschatology in Theology and Literature Paul S. Fiddes Powers and Submissions: Spirituality, Philosophy, and Gender Sarah Coakley A Theology of Engagement Ian S. Markham Alien Sex: The Body and Desire in Cinema and Theology Gerard Loughlin Scripture and Metaphysics: Aquinas and the Renewal of Trinitarian Theology Matthew Levering Faith and Freedom: An Interfaith Perspective David Burrell K eeping God’ s Silence Rachel Muers Christ and Culture Graham Ward Theology in the Public Square: Church, Academy and Nation Gavin D ’ Costa Rewritten Theology: Aquinas After His Readers Mark D. Jordan God ’ s Companions: Reimagining Christian Ethics Samuel Wells The Trial of the Witnesses: The Rise and Decline of Postliberal Theology Paul J. DeHart Theology and Families Adrian Thatcher The Shape of Theology David F. Ford The Vietnam War and Theologies of Memory Jonathan Tran In Adam’ s Fall: A Meditation on the Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Ian A. McFarland IN ADAM’S FALL A Meditation on the Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Ian A. McFarland A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication This edition fi rst published 2010 © 2010 Ian A. McFarland Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing program has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientifi c, Technical, and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell. Registered Offi ce John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom Editorial Offi ces 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK For details of our global editorial offi ces, for customer services, and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell. The right of Ian A. McFarland to be identifi ed as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. 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McFarland. p. cm. – (Challenges in contemporary theology) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4051-8365-9 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Sin, Original – History of doctrines. I. Title. BT720.M38 2010 233′.14–dc22 2010010189 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Set in 10.5/12.5 Bembo by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited Printed in Malaysia 01 2010 For my teachers Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xv Part I Setting the Stage: The Problem of Original Sin 1 1 Creation Gone Wrong: Thinking about Sin 3 A Doctrine Grown Strange 3 Biblical Confi gurations of Sin 5 Contemporary Attempts to Reclaim Sin-Talk 11 Original Sin and Actual Sin 18 2 Original Sin as Christian Doctrine: Origins, Permutations, Problems 29 The Emergence of the Doctrine 29 The Augustinian Turn 32 Augustinian Revisions 35 Assessment 45 Part II Reconfi guring the Debate: Sin, Nature, and the Will 59 3 Augustine of Hippo: Willing and the Ambiguity of Desire 61 Augustine’s Views in Outline 62 Concupiscence: Humanity Internally Divided 66 The Fall: Humanity Temporally Divided 71 Assessing Augustine’s Doctrine of the Will 75 viii Contents 4 Maximus the Confessor: Willing Is Not Choosing 88 Maximus’ Christology in Context 90 Dyothelite Christology in Outline 92 Maximus’ Analysis of the Will 94 Maximus’ Interpretation of Christ’s Willing 97 Anthropological Implications 100 Conclusion 104 5 The Status of Christ’s Will: Fallen or Unfallen? 117 The Question in the Tradition 119 Preliminary Assessment 122 The Problem of Christ’s Will 125 Theological Implications 128 Part III Reconstructing the Doctrine: Original Sin in Christian Practice 141 6 Original Sin and Human Nature: Solidarity in Sin 143 Original Sin and the Damaged Will 144 The Problem of the Origin of Original Sin 148 Reconceiving the Ontology of Original Sin 154 7 Original Sin and the Individual: Being a Sinner 170 The Scope of Sin 172 Sin and Agency 176 From Actual Sin to Original Sin 182 8 Original Sin and the Christian Life: Confronting Sin 193 From Original Sin to Actual Sin 195 Original Sin as Unbelief 200 Vocation and the Defeat of Sin 205 Conclusion 212 References 220 Index 230