Original Blessing

February 1, 2017

Theologian Rienhold Niebuhr stated that original sin is the only empirically verifiable doctrine of Christianity. Shroyer (pastoral theologian in residence, Journey Church, Dallas; The Boundary-Breaking God) insists that original sin is not only not verifiable, but that it has no place in Christian teaching. The author maintains that the biblical message of the blessing of humans being made in the image of God--and God striving to bring that blessing out in the midst of our brokenness--is distorted by a doctrine that views a human nature fundamentally at odds with God. Shroyer maintains original sin has no place in Eastern Orthodoxy, and that no clear statement of it can be found before the fourth century CE. She then examines passages of Scripture typically used to support original sin, showing God as sanctifying a good--albeit flawed--humanity, rather than God overcoming a people inherently bent to evil. VERDICT This analysis is not flawless, as the concept of original sin Shroyer investigates may likely not align with that of the reader's. However, the author provides a worthwhile antidote to one of the more corrosive ideas in Western Christianity, shifting attention to more constructive ones.--JW

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