Augustine of Hippo  

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:"For it was not fit that His creature should blush at the work of his Creator; but by a just punishment the disobedience of the members was the retribution to the disobedience of the first man, for which disobedience they blushed when they covered with fig-leaves those shameful parts which previously were not shameful.<br /> :"For it was not fit that His creature should blush at the work of his Creator; but by a just punishment the disobedience of the members was the retribution to the disobedience of the first man, for which disobedience they blushed when they covered with fig-leaves those shameful parts which previously were not shameful.<br />
- Although, if those members by which sin was committed were to be covered after the sin, men ought not indeed to have been clothed in tunics, but to have covered their hand and mouth, because they sinned by taking and eating. What, then, is the meaning, when the prohibited food was taken, and the transgression of the precept had been committed, of the look turned towards those members? What unknown novelty is felt there, and compels itself to be noticed? And this is signified by the opening of the eyes... As, therefore, they were so suddenly ashamed of their nakedness, which they were daily in the habit of looking upon and were not confused, that they could now no longer bear those members naked, but immediately took care to cover them; did not they--he in the open, she in the hidden impulse--perceive those members to be disobedient to the choice of their will, which certainly they ought to have ruled like the rest by their voluntary command? And this they deservedly suffered, because they themselves also were not obedient to their Lord. Therefore they blushed that they in such wise had not manifested service to their Creator, that they should deserve to lose dominion over those members by which children were to be procreated." --''[[Against Two Letters of the Pelagians]]'' 1.31-32+ 
 +Although, if those members by which sin was committed were to be covered after the sin, men ought not indeed to have been clothed in tunics, but to have covered their hand and mouth, because they sinned by taking and eating. What, then, is the meaning, when the prohibited food was taken, and the transgression of the precept had been committed, of the look turned towards those members? What unknown novelty is felt there, and compels itself to be noticed? And this is signified by the opening of the eyes... As, therefore, they were so suddenly ashamed of their nakedness, which they were daily in the habit of looking upon and were not confused, that they could now no longer bear those members naked, but immediately took care to cover them; did not they--he in the open, she in the hidden impulse--perceive those members to be disobedient to the choice of their will, which certainly they ought to have ruled like the rest by their voluntary command? And this they deservedly suffered, because they themselves also were not obedient to their Lord. Therefore they blushed that they in such wise had not manifested service to their Creator, that they should deserve to lose dominion over those members by which children were to be procreated." --''[[Against Two Letters of the Pelagians]]'' 1.31-32
The view that not only human [[soul]] but also senses were influenced by the fall of Adam and Eve was prevalent in Augustine's time among the [[Fathers of the Church]]. The reason of Augusine's distance towards the affairs of the flesh was different than that of [[Plotinus]], a neo-Platonist who taught that only through disdain for fleshly desire could one reach the ultimate state of mankind.. Augustine had served as a "Hearer" for the Manicheans for about nine years, This allowed Augustine, after his conversion, to find narrow path in between of the manichean and pelagian positions. He interpreted original sin as the failure of human mind to respect the world as it was created by God, with its hierarchy of beings and values. The reason of Adam and Eve's sin was self-centredness. The view that not only human [[soul]] but also senses were influenced by the fall of Adam and Eve was prevalent in Augustine's time among the [[Fathers of the Church]]. The reason of Augusine's distance towards the affairs of the flesh was different than that of [[Plotinus]], a neo-Platonist who taught that only through disdain for fleshly desire could one reach the ultimate state of mankind.. Augustine had served as a "Hearer" for the Manicheans for about nine years, This allowed Augustine, after his conversion, to find narrow path in between of the manichean and pelagian positions. He interpreted original sin as the failure of human mind to respect the world as it was created by God, with its hierarchy of beings and values. The reason of Adam and Eve's sin was self-centredness.

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Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine (November 13, 354August 28, 430) was one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war and is best-known for his Confessions.

Original sin

Augustine viewed that a major result of original sin was disobedience of the flesh to the spirit as a punishment of their disobedience to God:

"For it was not fit that His creature should blush at the work of his Creator; but by a just punishment the disobedience of the members was the retribution to the disobedience of the first man, for which disobedience they blushed when they covered with fig-leaves those shameful parts which previously were not shameful.

Although, if those members by which sin was committed were to be covered after the sin, men ought not indeed to have been clothed in tunics, but to have covered their hand and mouth, because they sinned by taking and eating. What, then, is the meaning, when the prohibited food was taken, and the transgression of the precept had been committed, of the look turned towards those members? What unknown novelty is felt there, and compels itself to be noticed? And this is signified by the opening of the eyes... As, therefore, they were so suddenly ashamed of their nakedness, which they were daily in the habit of looking upon and were not confused, that they could now no longer bear those members naked, but immediately took care to cover them; did not they--he in the open, she in the hidden impulse--perceive those members to be disobedient to the choice of their will, which certainly they ought to have ruled like the rest by their voluntary command? And this they deservedly suffered, because they themselves also were not obedient to their Lord. Therefore they blushed that they in such wise had not manifested service to their Creator, that they should deserve to lose dominion over those members by which children were to be procreated." --Against Two Letters of the Pelagians 1.31-32

The view that not only human soul but also senses were influenced by the fall of Adam and Eve was prevalent in Augustine's time among the Fathers of the Church. The reason of Augusine's distance towards the affairs of the flesh was different than that of Plotinus, a neo-Platonist who taught that only through disdain for fleshly desire could one reach the ultimate state of mankind.. Augustine had served as a "Hearer" for the Manicheans for about nine years, This allowed Augustine, after his conversion, to find narrow path in between of the manichean and pelagian positions. He interpreted original sin as the failure of human mind to respect the world as it was created by God, with its hierarchy of beings and values. The reason of Adam and Eve's sin was self-centredness.

In his pre-Pelagian writings, Augustine taught that Original Sin was transmitted by concupiscenceTemplate:Citation needed, which he regarded as the passion of both, soul and body, making humanity a massa damnata (mass of perdition, condemned crowd) and much enfeebling, though not destroying, the freedom of the will. Some authors perceive Augustine's doctrine as directed against human sexuality, but in view of his writings it is apparently a misunderstanding. Augustine teaches that human sexuality has been wounded, together with the whole of human nature, and requires redemption of Christ, which will be accomplished only in the resurrection of the body.

Some attribute his insistence on continence and devotion to God as coming from his need to reject his highly sensual natureTemplate:Who. Augustine's understanding of sin and grace was developed in the struggle against Pelagius and Pelagianism, who had been inspired by Rufinus of Syria, a disciple of Theodore of Mopsuestia. Original sin of Adam and Eve was – according to Augustine – either an act of foolishness (insipientia) followed by pride and disobedience to God or the opposite: pride came first. Adam and Eve would not have fallen into pride and lack of wisdom, if satan hadn't sown into their senses „the root of evil” (radix mali). The sin of Adam is inherited by all human beings. We are wounded in our nature by concupiscence, which affects human intelligence and will, as well as our affections and desires, including sexual desire. In terms of Metaphysics, concupiscence is not a being but bad quality, the privation of good or a wound.

Augustine's formulation of the doctrine of original sin was confirmed at numerous councils, i.e. Carthage (418), Ephesus (431), Orange (529), Trent (1546) and by popes, i.e. Pope Innocent I (401-417) and Pope Zosimus (417-418). Anselm of Canterbury established in his Cur Deus Homo the definition that was followed by the great Schoolmen, namely that Original Sin is the "privation of the righteousness which every man ought to possess", thus properely interpreting concupiscence as something more than mere sexual lust, with which some Augustine's disciples had defined it., as later did Luther and Calvin, a doctrine condemned in 1567 by Pope Pius V. Lutheran and Calvinist teachings have never been regarded as accurate interpretation of the Augustinian doctrine of the consequences of the fall on human nature. They falsely insist, that according to Augustine, human beings are utterly depraved in nature. We are spoiled by the original sin to the extent that the very presence of concupiscence, fomes peccati (incendiary of sin), is already a personal sin. Augustine's doctrine about the liberum arbitrium or free will and its inability to respond to the will of God without divine grace is mistakenely interpreted in terms of Predestination: grace is irresistible, results in conversion, and leads to perseverance. Calvinist's view of Augustine's teachings rests on the assertion that God has foreordained, from eternity, those who will be saved. The number of the elect is fixed. God has chosen the elect certainly and gratuitously, without any previous merit (ante merita) on their part.

The Catholic Church considers Augustine's teaching to be consistent with free will. He often said that any can be saved if they wish. While God knows who will be saved and who will not, with no possibility that one destined to be lost will be saved, this knowledge represents God's perfect knowledge of how humans will freely choose their destinies.

See also




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