Forsaking the fall : an inquiry into the possibility of a nonlapsarian Christianity

Abstract

In this thesis, I argue that the orthodox Christian faith does not require commitment to the doctrines of the Fall and Original Sin. To yield this conclusion, I first outline what precisely is meant by Original Sin; this is accomplished through a lengthy exposition of the three dominant species of the doctrine (Chapter 1). Next, I turn to an investigation of the two standard proof texts for Original Sin—Gen. 2–3 and Rom. 5:12–21—where I contend that various exegetical and hermeneutical considerations make it plausible to suppose Original Sin is not grounded authoritatively in scripture (chapters 2 and 3). Having addressed the putative scriptural foundations for Original Sin, I turn in Part II to a somewhat more constructive task, the main aim of which is to demonstrate that the abandonment of Original Sin leaves no significant gaps in an overall Christian theology. Chapter 4 examines the biblical doctrine of sin; in conjunction with the following two chapters I argue that the essence of sin here uncovered is supremely amenable to a nonlapsarian theology. In Chapter 5 I argue that there are no serious difficulties for such a project in terms of theodicy—at least, that is, no difficulties which would not be equally problematic for the Fall doctrine. In Chapter 6, I suggest that traditional Christian teaching on atonement and salvation can be squared rather straightforwardly with a nonlapsarian theology. Finally, in Chapter 7 I propose a strongly realist account of orthodoxy which is both compatible with nonlapsarianism and very similar in content to the evangelical proclamation of the early church. I thus conclude that a broadly orthodox Christian theology is compatible with a rejection of the Fall and Original Sin.