CCBlogs thinking critically, living faithfully

Bob Cornwall's blog

Yesterday, in my theology 101 sessions, we talked about sin -- and salvation, but mostly about sin. Disciples don't dwell on sin, for the most part. I asked my earlier group about their experience -- had they heard much about sin over the years? The answer was no. One reason for this is that Disciples, generally don't affirm the doctrine of original sin. We also reflect, even in unconsciously, an optimism that emerges out of the early 19th century American frontier experience. The world lay before them! They also reflected the Enlightenment thinking of Locke and Reid. So, if you go to a Disciples church you will rarely see or hear a prayer of confession and absolution -- except may be at an Ash Wednesday service, and those are relatively new.

With this in mind, we talked about sin -- and last night we kind of got stuck on the issue of original sin. Now, while I personally do not believe in original sin, I do recognize, with Paul, its universality (Romans 3:23). But, I'm struck by Augustine's own story, his own struggles with sin, as described in the Confessions. While Augustine struggled with sex, it wasn't his only vice.... READ MORE.