Original Sin: A Cultural History - Softcover

Jacobs, Distinguished Professor Of The Humanities Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060872578 ISBN 13: 9780060872571

Publisher: HarperOne, 2009

Synopsis

Essayist and biographer Alan Jacobs introduces us to the world of original sin, which he describes as not only a profound idea but a necessary one. As G. K. Chesterton explains, "Only with original sin can we at once pity the beggar and distrust the king."

Do we arrive in this world predisposed to evil? St. Augustine passionately argued that we do; his opponents thought the notion was an insult to a good God. Ever since Augustine, the church has taught the doctrine of original sin, which is the idea that we are not born innocent, but as babes we are corrupt, guilty, and worthy of condemnation. Thus started a debate that has raged for centuries and done much to shape Western civilization.

Perhaps no Christian doctrine is more controversial; perhaps none is more consequential. Blaise Pascal claimed that "but for this mystery, the most incomprehensible of all, we remain incomprehensible to ourselves." Chesterton affirmed it as the only provable Christian doctrine. Modern scholars assail the idea as baleful and pernicious. But whether or not we believe in original sin, the idea has shaped our most fundamental institutions--our political structures, how we teach and raise our young, and, perhaps most pervasively of all, how we understand ourselves. In Original Sin, Alan Jacobs takes readers on a sweeping tour of the idea of original sin, its origins, its history, and its proponents and opponents. And he leaves us better prepared to answer one of the most important questions of all: Are we really, all of us, bad to the bone?

About this title

Review:

"A deep pool of wisdom . . . an expression of what's wrong with all of us. Jacobs' prose often sings . . . Careful when you open this book--it could keep you up at nights."--Christianity Today

Alan Jacobs presents an engagingly written, eminently humane, and insightful account of an all-important subject that is both timeless and timely.--George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards: A Life

"Alan Jacobs' cultural history of the controversies that Saint Augustine's concept gave birth to is fascinating, entertaining, wonderfully researched, and thoroughly even-tempered, giving even the most disagreeable voices their say. Original Sin may well become the definitive book on the subject."--Ron Hansen, Author of Exiles and A Stay Against Confusion

In this brilliant account, Wheaton College literature professor Jacobs traces the idea of original sin from the Bible to the present day. . . . In his hands these abstruse theological disputes are utterly engrossing.--Publishers Weekly, starred review

Replete with examples drawn from a number of different cultural expressions, including literature, film, and philosophy, [Original Sin] is intended to introduce a broad genearl audience to the complexity of explaining how human beings act evilly toward one another.--Library Journal

A brilliantly illuminating, deeply thought-provoking intellectual journey.--Booklist

I do not believe in original sin. I do believe in Alan Jacobs. He is one the smartest and wittiest writers around on matters involving religion, and ORIGINAL SIN is a gem.--Alan Wolfe, Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College

"Jacobs is a superb writer whose work is beginning to get the wider notice it has long deserved."--Books & Culture ("Top Ten Books of the Year")

"One wouldn't expect a book about original sin to be entertaining, but Jacobs makes it so with deft prose and a touch of humor."--Christian Century

"A strangely entertaining cultural survey . . . "--The Wall Street Journal

Synopsis:

Essayist and biographer Alan Jacobs introduces us into the world of original sin, which he describes as not only a profound idea but a necessary one. As G.K. Chesterton explains, 'Only with original sin can we at once pity the beggar and distrust the king'. Ever since Augustine, the church has taught the doctrine of original sin, which is the idea that we are not born innocent, but as babes we are corrupt, guilty, and worthy of condemnation. Thus started a debate that has raged at the heart of Western civilization for centuries. Perhaps no Christian doctrine is more controversial; perhaps none is more consequential.For whether or not we believe in original sin, the idea has shaped our most fundamental institutions - our political structures, how we teach and raise our young, and, perhaps most pervasively of all, how we understand ourselves. In "Original Sin", Alan Jacobs takes readers on a sweeping tour of the idea of original sin, its origins, its history, its proponents and opponents. And he leaves us better prepared to answer one of the most important questions of all: are we really, all of us, bad to the bone?

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0060872578
• ISBN 13: 9780060872571
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304