ORIGINAL SIN OR ORIGINAL BLESSING?
Genesis 1:27, 31a; Psalm 139:1-14
Rev. Paul Wrightman 3/5/23
ACCORDING TO THE FIRST CHAPTER
OF THE BOOK THAT STANDS AT THE BEGINNING
OF BOTH THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES –
THE BOOK OF GENESIS –
GOD DESIRES TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMETHING
OTHER THAN GODSELF, SO GOD CREATES.
GOD DELIGHTS IN EVERYTHING GOD MAKES,
EXCLAIMING AFTER EACH ACT OF CREATION, “THAT’S GOOD!”
BUT GOD DISCOVERS THAT EVEN WITH THE SUN, MOON, STARS,
EARTH, SEAS, VEGETATION, FISH, FOWL, BEASTS, AND BIRDS IN PLACE
THAT SOMETHING IS STILL MISSING.
AT THIS POINT GENESIS, CHAPTER 1, TELLS US:
SO GOD CREATED HUMANKIND IN HIS IMAGE,
IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED THEM;
MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM. (Genesis 1:27)
ONLY AFTER CREATING HUMANKIND IN GOD’S OWN IMAGE
DOES THE TEXT OF GENESIS ANNOUNCE:
GOD SAW EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD MADE,
AND INDEED, IT WAS VERY GOOD. (Genesis 1:31a)
WE FIND A SECOND CREATION ACCOUNT IN GENESIS, CHAPTER 2,
WHICH WE’LL BE LOOKING AT BRIEFLY NEXT WEEK.
THIS SECOND ACCOUNT OF CREATION IS ALSO TOTALLY POSITIVE.
BUT SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENS IN GENESIS, CHAPTER THREE.
IN A MYTHOLOGICAL STORY OBVIOUSLY INTENDED
TO EXPLAIN THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL
IN THE MIDST OF GOD’S GOOD CREATION,
WE ARE TOLD THAT EVE DISOBEYED GOD BY EATING FROM
“THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL,”
THAT ADAM ALSO DISOBEYED AND ATE,
THAT GOD WAS DEEPLY OFFENDED,
AND PUNISHED OUR HUMAN ANCESTORS
BY EXILING THEM FROM THE PRIMORDIAL GARDEN.
WE WILL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE THIRD CHAPTER OF GENESIS
NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE FOCUS ON THE DYNAMICS OF TEMPTATION.
TODAY I WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE BROADER
THEOLOGICAL QUESTION OF WHETHER WE SHOULD
EMPHASIZE ORIGINAL SIN OR ORIGINAL BLESSING.
NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS OF INTERPRETING THE STORY
OF ADAM AND EVE EATING THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT.
WHAT I FIND FASCINATING IS THAT CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM
HAVE SUCH STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO THE SAME STORY.
CHRISTIANITY LABELS THE REBELLION OF ADAM AND EVE
AS THE STORY OF THE FALL,
THE FALL OF HUMANITY FROM GOD’S GOOD GRACES,
AND THE FALL OF HUMANKIND FROM GOOD TO EVIL.
THUS, ORIGINAL BLESSING BECOMES,
DUE TO THE DISOBEDIENCE OF ADAM AND EVE,
OVERSHADOWED BY ORIGINAL SIN.
JUDAISM, ON THE OTHER HAND,
SEES THE STORY OF PRIMITIVE HUMANITY EATING FROM
THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
AS THE STORY OF
“GRANDMOTHER EVE’S” AND “GRANDFATHER ADAM’S”
COMING OF AGE, OR GROWING UP.
DR. RACHEL NAOMI REMEN SHARES THE STORY
OF “GRANDMOTHER EVE” AS TOLD TO HER BY HER GRANDFATHER,
AN ORTHODOX JEWISH RABBI. SHE WRITES:
“WHEN I WAS SMALL, MY GRANDFATHER
USED TO TELL ME STORIES. . .
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY
GRANDMOTHER EVE IS A LITTLE GIRL
AND SHE LIVES MUCH AS I DID THEN, AS A CHILD.
GOD IS THE FATHER, AND LIKE ALL FATHERS,
HE PROVIDES FOOD AND SHELTER
AND ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO LIFE.
IN RETURN, EVE OBEYS HIM
IN THE SAME WAY I WAS EXPECTED TO OBEY MY OWN DADDY.
LIFE GOES ON IN THE GARDEN, MUCH THE SAME FROM DAY TO DAY.
VERY LITTLE IS ASKED OF EVE.
ALL THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS LIVE THERE TOGETHER WITH EVE,
INCLUDING A TREE OF GREAT BEAUTY
CALLED THE TREE OF GOD’S WISDOM.
GOD HAS OFFERED EVE
SOME VERY CLEAR GUIDELINES ABOUT THIS TREE.
SHE CAN EAT THE FRUITS OF ALL THE OTHER TREES,
BUT THE FRUIT OF THIS TREE IS FORBIDDEN.
IN THE BEGINNING SHE ACCEPTS THIS WITHOUT QUESTION,
EVEN THOUGH THE VERY PURPOSE OF LIFE
MAY BE TO GROW IN WISDOM.
AS TIME GOES BY, EVEN THOUGH THE GARDEN DOES NOT CHANGE,
EVE CHANGES.
SHE BEGINS TO GROW UP, TO BECOME A TEENAGER.
ONE DAY, AS SHE IS PASSING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TREE,
A SNAKE COILED IN ITS BRANCES SPEAKS TO HER.
‘EVE,’ HE SAYS,
‘HERE IS ONE OF THE FRUITS OF THIS TREE.
WHY NOT EAT IT?’
AT THIS POINT MY GRANDFATHER WOULD ALWAYS EXPLAIN
THAT THE SNAKE WAS NOT REALLY A SNAKE
BUT A SYMBOL FOR THE HUMAN YEARNING FOR WISDOM,
THE SEDUCTIVE POWER OF THE UNKNOWN,
AND THE ENDLESS FASCINATION
THAT THE MYSTERIOUS HAS FOR HUMAN BEINGS.
THE SNAKE IS THE FIRST TEACHER,
AND HE ADDRESSES THAT PART OF EVE
WHICH IS NO LONGER A LITTLE GIRL, BUT IS A SEEKER.
EVE THINKS BACK UPON WHAT GOD HAS SAID.
THE FRUIT OF THE TREE IS FORBIDDEN.
BUT EVE IS AN ADOLESCENT.
LIKE MOST PEOPLE HER AGE, SHE NEEDS TO FIND OUT FOR HERSELF.
SHE FEELS THE MAGNETISM OF THE FRUIT.
DRAWN TOWARD IT, SHE REACHES OUT FOR IT, TAKES A BITE OF IT.
THE FOOD WE EAT
BECOMES A PART OF EVERY ONE OF OUR CELLS
AND IS WOVEN INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR BEING.
‘THIS FRUIT IS NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER FOOD,’
SAID MY GRANDFATHER.
WHEN GRANDMOTHER EVE EATS IT,
THE WISDOM OF GOD BECOMES A PART OF HER INNER LIFE,
A HOLY WISDOM SHE CARRIES INSIDE HER
AND NOT SOMETHING SHE SPEAKS TO OUTSIDE OF HERSELF.
SHE NOW CARRIES THE VOICE OF GOD
INSIDE EVERY ONE OF HER CELLS LIKE A LITTLE COMPASS.
AS HER DESCENDANTS, SO DO WE.
EATING THE FRUIT MADE POSSIBLE AN ENORMOUS CHANGE
IN GRANDMOTHER EVE’S LIFESTYLE.
SHE NO LONGER NEEDED TO LIVE IN GOD’S HOUSE
IN THE NURSERY IN ORDER TO BE SAFE.
SHE WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THIS PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT
BECAUSE SHE CARRIED GOD WITH HER.
SHE COULD HEAR HIM IF SHE WAS WILLING TO LISTEN.
WHEN SHE ATE THE FRUIT SHE BECAME AN ADULT,
AND GAINED THE FREEEDOM OF AN ADULT
TO GO OUT INTO A WORLD OF COMPLEXITY,
ADVENTURE, RESPONSIBILITY, AND CHANGE. . .”
(Ruth Naomi Remen, M.D., Kitchen Table Wisdom, pp.273-275.)
THE FACT THAT THIS POSITIVE INTERPRETATION OF “THE FALL”
COMES AS SUCH A SURPRISE TO SO MANY OF US
SHOWS HOW FAR CHRISTIANITY HAS STRAYED
FROM ITS OWN ROOTS.
FOR YOU SEE, THIS POSITIVE INTERPRETAION OF THE FALL
AS A “SCHOOL” FOR GROWTH WAS A VITAL PART
OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE EARLY CHURCH.
IRENAEUS OF LYON, LIVING IN THE 100’S, FOR EXAMPLE,
CONSIDERED “THE FALL” TO BE A CONTINUATION OF,
NOT A CONTRADICTION TO, THE NOTION OF ORIGINAL BLESSING.
MUCH LIKE THE TEACHING OF DR. REMEN’S GRANDFATHER,
IRENAEUS SAW THE FALL AS PART AND PARCEL
OF HUMANKIND’S COMING OF AGE,
A NECESSARY STAGE OF A PERSON’S GROWING INTO
THE IMAGE OF GOD THAT GOD CREATED HUMANKIND TO BE.
IRENAEUS TAUGHT THAT
“GOD BECAME MAN SO THAT MAN COULD BECOME LIKE GOD,”
AND “CHRIST BECAME WHAT WE ARE,
SO THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO BE WHAT HE HIMSELF IS.”
MANY OTHER THEOLOGIANS IN THE EARLY CHURCH,
SUCH AS CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, LIVING IN THE 200’S,
AND GREGORY OF NYSSA, LIVING IN THE 300’S,
FOLLOWED THIS TEACHING OF IRENAEUS
AND DEVELOPED IT FURTHER.
IN THESE THEOLOGIANS OF THE EARLY CHURCH,
WE SEE NONE OF THE EMPHASIS ON ORIGINAL SIN
THAT WE FIND BEGINNING WITH THE THOUGHT OF AUGUSTINE
IN THE LATE 300’S AND EARLY 400’S.
(PARENTHETICALLY, I NEED TO SAY HERE THAT NEITHER JUDAISM
NOR EARLY CHRISTIANITY DENIES THE REALITY
OF EVIL IN GENERAL NOR SIN IN PARTICULAR.
THEY JUST DON’T LET THE PRESENCE OF EVIL AND BROKENNESS
TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER THE EVEN BIGGER AND DEEPER REALITY
OF THE ESSENTIAL GOODNESS OF GOD’S CREATION.)
WITH IRENAEUS, CLEMENT, AND GRGORY,
WE ARE STILL SOLIDLY IN THE TERRITORY OF ORIGINAL BLESSING.
WITH AUGUSTINE, WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE TERRITORY
OF ORIGINAL SIN.
AND IRONICALLY -- AND TRAGICALLY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY -- AUGUSTINE DERIVES
HIS NOTION OF ORIGINAL SIN – THAT ALL THE REST
OF HUMANITY SOMEHOW “INHERITS” THE SIN OF ITS
FIRST PARENTS, ADAM AND EVE –
FROM A MISTRANSLATION OF SCRIPTURE.
IN THE LATIN VULGATE, THE TRANSLATION WHICH
AUGUSTINE FOLLOWED, ROMANS 5:12, REFERRING TO ADAM,
STATES “IN WHOM ALL HAVE SINNED.”
THE CORRECT TRANSLATION SHOULD READ:
“IN AS MUCH AS ALL HAVE SINNED,”
MAING EACH OF US, NOT ADAM, RESPONSIBLE
FOR OUR OWN WRONG ACTIONS.
PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WE FIND A MUCH DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING
OF WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO
AS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY ENTERED THE DARK AGES.
BEGINNING WITH AUGUSTINE,
JESUS COMES TO BE UNDERSTOOD PRIMARILY IN TERMS
OF THE PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR HUMANKIND’S ORIGINAL SIN.
HERE WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING
OF ATONEMENT AS AT-ONE-MENT WITH GOD
THROUGH BECOMING MORE AND MORE LIKE JESUS,
FOLLOWING IRENAEUS, BEING TURNED INTO
THE SICK DOCTRINE THAT GOD THE FATHER REQUIRES
THE BLOODLY SACRIFICE OF HIS SON TO LET US OFF THE HOOK.
UP UNTIL AUGUSTINE,
JESUS WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE PERFECT MODEL
FOR HUMANITY TO GROW INTO.
THE THEOLOGIANS OF THE EARLY CHURCH UNTIL AUGUSTINE
EMPHASIZED THE INCARNATION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
WITH AUGUSTINE THE CONTENT OF THEOLOGY
MOVED TO AN EMPHASIS ON THE ATONEMENT,
OR SACRIFICIAL DEATH, OF JESUS.
CORRESPONDINGLY, WE SEE A SHIFT IN CHRISTIAN ART
FROM JOYFUL SCENES OF THE MESSIANIC BANQUET,
WITH JESUS AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE,
AND PASTORAL IMAGES OF AN EXULTANT JESUS
CARRYING THE LOST SHEEP ON HIS SHOULDERS,
TO WHAT WAS TO BECOME
THE FIFTEEN-HUNDRED YEAR REIGN
OF IMAGES OF JESUS’ BLOODY CRUCIFIXION.
WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING IN CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY,
AT LEAST CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
WHICH IS NOT FUNDAMENTALIST,
IS A QUESTIONING OF THIS FIFTEEEN-HUNDRED YEAR REIGN
OF ATONEMENT THEOLOGY –
A THEOLOGY WHICH PUTS ITS EMPHASIS ON ORIGINAL SIN --
AND JESUS HAVING TO PAY THE PRICE
FOR ADAM AND EVE’S BIG MISTAKE --
AND A RETURN TO THE INCARNATIONAL THEOLOGY
OF THE EARLY CHURCH.
FOR AUGUSTINE, THE SO-CALLED “FALL” WAS SO OVERWHELMING
THAT IT OBSCURED CREATION AS A WHOLE
UNDER A SHROUD OF EVIL.
MAY THINKERS SEE A DIRECT LINK
BETWEEN THE EVIL WHICH WAS NOW SEEN
TO BE AN INHERENT PART OF CREATION
AND THE EVENTUAL WHOLESALE PILLAGING OF CREATION
BY HUMAN BEINGS NOW IRREVOCABLY CORRUPTED
BY “ORIGINAL SIN.”
MANY CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGIANS
ARE ALSO RETURNING TO THE EARLY CHURCH’S
EMBRACE OF THE BASIC GOODNESS OF CREATION.
AS JAMES CARROLL STATES IN HIS NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNING
CONSTANTINE’S SWORD,
. . .”THE CREATION IS NOTHING LESS THAN GOD’S SELF-EXPRESSION.”
CARROLL THEN GOES ON TO QUOTE KARL RAHNER:
“GOD DOES NOT MERELY CREATE SOMETHING
OTHER THAN HIMSELF –
HE ALSO GIVES HIMSELF TO THIS OTHER.
THE WORLD RECEIVES GOD,
THE INFINITE AND INEFFABLE MYSTERY,
TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT HE HIMSELF
BECOMES ITS INNERMOST LIFE.”
IN SPEAKING THIS WAY, RAHNER IS ECHOING
SOME OF THE GREAT MYSTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION.
MYSTICS LIKE MEISTER ECKHART, WHEN HE SAYS
“WHY ARE THERE SO MANY STARS AND SOULS,
WITH NO END IN SIGHT FOR THEM?
BECAUSE NOTHING CAN INTERRUPT GOD
WHEN HE IS HAVING FUN, CREATING!”
MYSTICS LIKE FRANCIS OF ASSISI, WHEN HE STATES
“DOES EVERY CREATURE HAVE A SOUL?
SURELY THEY DO:
FOR ANYTHING GOD HAS TOUCHED
WILL HAVE LIFE FOREVER,
AND ALL CREATURES HE HAS HELD.”
AS THE AUTHOR OF “CANTICLE OF THE SUN,”
WE KNOW THAT FOR FRANCIS THE REALITY OF “ALL CREATURES”
INCLUDES SUN, WIND, WATER, AND EARTH,
IN OTHER WORDS, ALL OF GOD’S CREATION.
I’D LIKE TO CONCLUDE WITH A POWERFUL DESCRIPTION
OF THE GOODNESS AND INTERCONNECTEDNESS
OF ALL CREATION, INCLUDING OURSELVES.
THIS DESCRIPTION IS ATTRIBUTED TO “ANONYMOUS,” WHO WRITES:
“SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE IS NOT TAUGHT IT IS FOUND,
UNCOVERED, DISCOVERED, RECOVERED.
THESE SORTS OF EXPERIENCES ARE COMMON.
THEY HAPPEN TO ALL OF US,
SOPHISTICATED AND UNSOPHISTICATED,
EDUCATED OR UNEDUCATED,
OFTEN WHEN LEAST EXPECTED.
MANY PEOPLE DISCOUNT THEM OR DEVALUE THEM
OR SIMPLY BARELY NOTICE THEM.
YET THEY CAN CHANGE OUR LIVES.
A NEIGHBOR, A DOWN-TO-EARTH AND PRACTICAL PERSON,
SHARED SUCH AN EXPERIENCE WITH ME
AND ASKED ME WHAT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT MEAN.
SHE HAD BEEN CLEANING HER HOUSE,
MOPPING AND WAXING A FLOOR
AND THINKING OF NOTHING IN PARTICULAR,
WHEN SUDDENLY IT WAS AS IF HER LIFE
WERE PASSING RAPIDLY IN FRONT OF HER.
AND SHE BECAME AWARE OF SOMETHING
SHE HAD NOT RECOGNIZED BEFORE,
THAT THERE WAS A COHERENCE AND DIRECTION
THAT RAN THROUGH IT LIKE A THREAD.
THE CHOICES AND EVENTS OF HER PAST,
WHICH AT THE TIME HAD SEEMED QUITE RANDOM,
FIT TOGETHER SEAMLESSLY IN AN ENTIRELY
NEW AND PURPOSEFUL WAY.
THOUGH SHE HAD NEVER EXPEREINCED THIS DIRECTION BEFORE,
IT WAS FAMILIAR TO HER.
IT WAS AS IF SHE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING SOMETHING
UNSEEN FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE HAD NOT KNOWN.
‘WHAT DO YOU THINK?’ SHE ASKED ME.
‘I THINK IT’S A VERY IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE,’ I REPLIED.
‘WELL,’ SHE SAID, ‘THAT’S NOT ALL.’
AS SHE STOOD IN HER KITCHEN,
HOLDING HER MOP AND FILLED WITH THIS NEW AWARENESS,
SHE BECAME DEEPLY CERTAIN
THAT WHAT WAS TRUE OF HER PERSONALLY
WAS ALSO TRUE OF LIFE IN GENERAL.
EVERYTHING WAS UNFOLDING ACCORDING TO A DIRECTION.
IT UNDERLAY ALL EXISTENCE, BINDING IT ALL TOGETHER.
FOR A HEARTBEAT,
IT SEEMED TO HER THAT SHE COULD EXPERIENCE THIS DIRECTLY.
‘A STEADY UNSEEN FORCE, LIKE A WIND,’ SHE TOLD ME.
IT WAS THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH ALL ELSE RESTED,
THE VERY NATURE OF LIFE ITSELF.
SUDDENLY SHE KNEW THAT, DESPITE EXTERNAL APPEARANCES,
LIFE COULD BE TRUSTED,
AND SHE BEGAN TO WEEP WITH JOY.’
(End Quote)
OR, AS ST. FRANCIS PUTS IT:
“I HAVE COME TO LEARN: GOD ADORES HIS CREATION.”
AND AS GENESIS, CHAPTER ONE, PUTS IT:
“GOD SAW EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD MADE,
AND INDEED, IT WAS VERY GOOD.”
AMEN.