Post by Steve Noel on Jan 17, 2006 19:31:51 GMT -5
Since this topic kinda got started in the "sinless perfection" & "Wesley Rejected" categories I thought I would separate it so that the topics don't get confused. Here is a brief summary of some of the more prominent views.
1. Agnosticism
Some hold that there is insufficient bibleical evidence to form a detailed theory of original sin. Any statement beyond a connection between Adam and the human race in the matter of sinfulness is deemed philosophical speculation. (The Councils of Trent, Vatical II)
2. Pelagianism
Pelagianism strongly emphasizes personal responsibility in opposition to moral laxness. Pelagius (A.D. ca. 361 - ca. 420) taught that God's justice would not permit the transfer of Adam's sin to others, so all people are born sinless and with a totally free will. Sin is spread only through bad example. Hence, sinless lives are possible and are found within and outside the Bible. (Finney (?))
3. Semipelagianism
Semipelagianism holds that although humanity is weakened with Adam's nature, sufficient free will remains for people to initiate faith in God, to which He then responds. The weakened nature is transmitted naturally from Adam. It teaches that even though human nature is so weakened by the Fall that it is inevitable that people sin, yet they have enough inherent goodness to initiate actual faith. (Finney (?), some later Arminians)
4. Natural or Genetic Transmission
This theory holds that transmission of the corrupt nature is based on the law of inheritance. It assumes that spiritual traits are transmitted in the same manner as natural ones. Typically such theories speak of the transmission of corruption but not guilt.
5. Mediate Imputation
Mediate imputation understands God as charging or imputing guilt to Adam's descendants through an indirect, or mediate, means. Adam's sin made him guilty and, as judgment, God corrupted Adam's nature. Because none of his posterity was part of his act, none are guilty. However, they receive his nature as a natural consequence of their descent from him (not as a judgment). Yet, before committing any actual or personal sin (which their corrupted nature necessitates), God judges them guilty for possessing that corrupted nature..
6. Realism
Realism and Federalism (see below) are the two dominant theories. Realism holds that the "soul stuff" of all people was really and personally in Adam, actually participating in his sin. Each person is guilty because, in reality, each sinned. Everyone's nature is then corrupted by God as a judgment on that sin. There is no transmission, or conveyance, of sin, but complete racial participation in the first sin. (Augustine (?))
7. Federalism
The federal theory of transmission holds that corruption and guilt come upon all humanity because Adam was the head of the race in a representative, governmental, of federal sense when he sinned. Everyone is subject to the covenant between Adam and God (the Adamic covenant). Analogy is made to a nation that declares war. Its citizens suffer whether or not they agree with or participate in the decision. Adam's descendants are not personally guilty until they actually commit sin, but they are in a guilty state and liable to hell by the imputation of Adam's sin to them under the covenant. Because of this state, God punishes them with corruption. (Many of the Reformed (Hodge), Arminius, Wesley was cautiously federalist)
1. Agnosticism
Some hold that there is insufficient bibleical evidence to form a detailed theory of original sin. Any statement beyond a connection between Adam and the human race in the matter of sinfulness is deemed philosophical speculation. (The Councils of Trent, Vatical II)
2. Pelagianism
Pelagianism strongly emphasizes personal responsibility in opposition to moral laxness. Pelagius (A.D. ca. 361 - ca. 420) taught that God's justice would not permit the transfer of Adam's sin to others, so all people are born sinless and with a totally free will. Sin is spread only through bad example. Hence, sinless lives are possible and are found within and outside the Bible. (Finney (?))
3. Semipelagianism
Semipelagianism holds that although humanity is weakened with Adam's nature, sufficient free will remains for people to initiate faith in God, to which He then responds. The weakened nature is transmitted naturally from Adam. It teaches that even though human nature is so weakened by the Fall that it is inevitable that people sin, yet they have enough inherent goodness to initiate actual faith. (Finney (?), some later Arminians)
4. Natural or Genetic Transmission
This theory holds that transmission of the corrupt nature is based on the law of inheritance. It assumes that spiritual traits are transmitted in the same manner as natural ones. Typically such theories speak of the transmission of corruption but not guilt.
5. Mediate Imputation
Mediate imputation understands God as charging or imputing guilt to Adam's descendants through an indirect, or mediate, means. Adam's sin made him guilty and, as judgment, God corrupted Adam's nature. Because none of his posterity was part of his act, none are guilty. However, they receive his nature as a natural consequence of their descent from him (not as a judgment). Yet, before committing any actual or personal sin (which their corrupted nature necessitates), God judges them guilty for possessing that corrupted nature..
6. Realism
Realism and Federalism (see below) are the two dominant theories. Realism holds that the "soul stuff" of all people was really and personally in Adam, actually participating in his sin. Each person is guilty because, in reality, each sinned. Everyone's nature is then corrupted by God as a judgment on that sin. There is no transmission, or conveyance, of sin, but complete racial participation in the first sin. (Augustine (?))
7. Federalism
The federal theory of transmission holds that corruption and guilt come upon all humanity because Adam was the head of the race in a representative, governmental, of federal sense when he sinned. Everyone is subject to the covenant between Adam and God (the Adamic covenant). Analogy is made to a nation that declares war. Its citizens suffer whether or not they agree with or participate in the decision. Adam's descendants are not personally guilty until they actually commit sin, but they are in a guilty state and liable to hell by the imputation of Adam's sin to them under the covenant. Because of this state, God punishes them with corruption. (Many of the Reformed (Hodge), Arminius, Wesley was cautiously federalist)