Full title
Before Human Sin and Evil: Desire and Fear in the Garden of God
Updated By
Research notes
SHS/not checked/28/04/2018|IM/reader checked/08/12/2019
Reference type
Year
2018
Journal / Book Title || Series Title
Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Volume
80
Issue / Series Volume
2
Abbreviated Series Name
CBQ
Pages
215-230
Work type
Label
07/05/2018
Abstract
Traditional Western Christianity has understood Genesis 3 as narrating "the fall" and "original sin." Terms such as sin, evil, disobedience, transgression, rebellion, punishment, fault, and guilt are, however, absent from Genesis 3, while desire and fear are expressly marked in the chapter. Accordingly, this chapter does not represent "the fall" or "original sin" but humanity's primordial condition. The story of humanity in Genesis 3 also does not end there. Rather, verbal connections show that its story continues into Genesis 4 and 6, suggesting a "fallout" issuing in what may be called "primordial sin."