What does Genesis 1-2 describe?
God created a perfect world, humans as pinnacle of creation, in image and likeness
Adam and Eve= friendship
What did God tell Adam and Eve to do/not do?
Eat the forbidden fruit and take care of his creation- stewardship
Describe Adam and Eve’s relationship
friendship, married as friends and enjoyed a. friendship with god and all creation
could reproduce and sex wasn’t driven by lust by by friendship
Describe Genesis 3- The Fall
Serpent convinced Eve to eat the fruit
Gives some to Adam
Realised they were naked
Hide from God and he realises what they have done
Punishes women= painful childbirth
Punishes men= he has to work hard to produce crops
They are banished from the Garden
What does The Fall represent for humanity to Augustine?
Turning point for humanity
Harmony between body, will and reason disappeared into imbalance
Human nature is corrupted
Augustine’s teaching on a historical Fall is wrong
-Doesn’t make sense that they were tempted because if everything was perfect they shouldn’t be able to think about disobeying God
-Textual analysis of Genesis 1-3 suggests different authors- less likely to be true
-Evolution- humans evolved rather than created ready- made
-Can’t find Garden of Eden with angel guarding it
Augustine’s teaching on a historical Fall is not wrong
-Useful to Christians- explains things e.g. dominance of men, significance of lust, broken relationship with God
-The story of The Fall is so far reaching that it needs to be taken seriously. Can have use to Christian thought even if not taken seriously
-Maintains God character- he didn’t create a world of evil. Humans chose this through free will
What is Original sin?
to refer to the first sin of Adam and Eve that is passed on to humans through reproduction
What is concupiscence?
humanity’s inclination to sin and to be influenced by lust, desires and selfishness
What did Augustine believe about concupiscence in relation to human will?
It rules human will and takes over so choices are warped and we tend to choose selfish desires over unselfish ones
What do Protestants believe that the Fall did?
It has entirely corrupted human nature and can’t be dealt with by humans alone
concupiscence is the sin
What do Catholics believe that the Fall did?
it weakened human nature and people must struggle against concupiscence
concupiscence causes sin
Romans quote by Paul about concupiscence
‘it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living me”
Augustine’s teaching on original sin is wrong
-Even if the Fall was true it’s unfair fir humans today to be affected by actions of two people so long ago
-Seminal presence is unbiological, unjust and illogical
-Evolution- humans have come from many ancestors so original sin can’t have come out of sin of Adam and Eve
Augustine’s teaching on original sin is not wrong
-Concupiscence links well to our experience of temptation and explains why all humans affected by it so strongly
-Physical desires being so in control of us is shared by some psychologists- strengthens Augustine’s view
-OS explains why God allows humans to commit atrocities in world and still remains a god of love -shows centrality of free will
What is predestination? How did Augustine come to this conclusion
God chooses specific people to bring them to salvation
How- even while living a pure life you will still be affected by concupiscence, so humans are not completely free
What does predestination do for the power of humans?
Leaves humans powerless- all they can do is push through and hope they are part of God’s chosen people
God’s willingness to choose some people is expressed in his grace
How can harmony be restored between god and humans?
Through god’s grace
shown through death of Jesus on cross that made up for sins of Adam and Eve
Why do humans continue to turn away from god despite his grace?
it is a result of original sin despite his outpouring grace through the Holy Spirit
god’s generosity continues in his willingness to allow some to go to heaven
what is the summum bonum in Augustine’s view? and how can you achieve it?
The highest good
Available for those who have faith in god and whom god has chosen
A state of absolute, eternal happiness that can only be achieved by being in god’s presence
NOT the same as heaven- the state a person is in when in heaven
sin means that humans can never be morally good- arguments
- free will is gift from god, as humans continue to use it badly, they are never able to be morally good
- summum bonum is perfection. humans will always fall short- they will lack some goodness
- this isn’t because of god’s lack of love- the fault lies with humanity
- god’s love entails justice and god’s grace saves people even if undeserving , just because god love his people doesn’t make them morally good
sin doesn’t prevent humans from being morally good- arguments
- god’s grace has a real impact on people- humans can with god’s help be morally good
- catholic view of concupiscence- only an inclination rather than innate morals corruption- humans can choose moral goodness
- god is all loving- wouldn’t condemn to place of moral badness
- Catholic Church distinguishes- immorality not from everyday sins but from serious sins
Augustins’ 3 types of peace
- the peace only found in the city of god- perfect peace
- the inner peace that those who live in the city of god can enjoy during life
- the temporal peace that all aim to bring about in societies
Augustine’s view on human societies
The fall created a lack of stability
Banishment from garden of eden led to a new form of leadership
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Augustine- human nature30
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death and the afterlife49
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Knowledge of God's existence44
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the person of Jesus Christ33
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Christian moral principles31
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Christian moral action27
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Religious pluralism and society29
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gender and society25
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gender and theology48
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the challenge of secularism37
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liberation theology and marx46
