Activity 1 SimilaritiesDifferences

What main message is N.T Wright taking from the Genesis story ? Key Q: What is the cause of the human condition?

Activity 2 Read Genesis Chapter 3 – Summarise the key events

Sin and The Fall “ You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." (Genesis 3: 19) Genesis 3: 1–19 is an account of how sin and death entered the world. Adam and Eve, as the first humans, lost their life in paradise as a result of their disobedience to God’s commands. Readings of this passage led Christian thinkers to believe that the sin of Adam and Eve meant the rest of humanity also lost perfection and innocence. It brought suffering and decay into God’s perfect creation. Others have seen the account as a way of explaining disorder and evil in the world as a result of human failure. The world as we know it, with disease and death, was not the world that God created, or intended. Human failings have brought sin and death into creation.

Original Sin Due to Adam and Eve’s failures in the Garden of Eden, the whole of humanity carries the same stain of sin and suffers and dies. Humanity needs God’s grace in order to be rescued from their situation. Augustine saw that human free will was weakened, though not totally destroyed, by sin. Like a pair of unbalanced scales, evil intentions and choices often would, under the influence of original sin, outweigh good intentions and choices.

The Human Condition The consequences of The Fall (a) Alienation from God If you are alienated from someone, you are like a stranger to him or her. At the fall, humanity was alienated from God. They could only hope for reconciliation brought about by God. Without that move, humanity could not fulfill their purpose to be in relationship with God. (b) Alienation from each other Adam tries to blame Eve for his disobedience. Eve then blames the serpent. Neither wants to take responsibility for their actions. Humans are set against each other and all of creation.

ACTIVITY 3 In pairs, consider the following questions from a Christian perspective. How are Adam and Eve’s sins and failures similar to the rest of humanity’s sins and failures? What do Christians understand by ‘alienation’? To what extent do Christians see the human condition of sin and death as a direct result of the fall?

The Effect of Sin “ You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." (Genesis 3: 19) The source reveals that humanity’s disobedience will lead to death.

In the source from Genesis we have seen that humanity sinned when it disobeyed God and acted from self- interest. The breaking of God’s laws is also a result of humanity’s sin. Sin in the Bible

Power of original sin Humanity through The Fall is prone to sin. Augustine used the pictures of sin as disease, power and guilt to explain what he meant. Sin as disease: Sin is like an illness that is passed through the generations. Only Jesus ‘by whose wounds we are healed’ can save humanity. Sin as power: Sin is a power that keeps humanity in prison. Christ is the liberator that frees humanity from this evil power. Sin as guilt: Sin is like guilt transferred from one generation to another. Christ alone can bring forgiveness and pardon for this guilt.

Whether they believe the historical account of the Genesis story or not, the story of The Fall does serve to provide some Christians with a framework to try and understand human free choice and the connection of all humanity with sin. The root of sin, suffering and death is humanity’s wrong moral choices and disobedience. More recent Christian thinkers have argued that sin should not just be understood in relation to individual human beings and their nature. Social and political structures must also be addressed. Not to help the poor, weak and marginal in society, and not to campaign against discrimination and injustice, is also a sin.

So the human condition is … A state of alienation (being hostile or estranged / separated) – from God from other humans from ourselves from creation / nature

Why are we in this state of alienation ? Christians say: because of SIN

Sin…. An inner tendency to go our own way rather than God’s.

Recap Question According to Christians, how did sin come into the world and what are its effects? (8KU) Ps Human Condition test next Wed  (7 th Sept) Genesis 1-3

Why are we sinful? It’s all to do with Adam and Eve.

But were Adam and Eve real people? Some Christians say Yes, and their act of disobedience was the “Original Sin”

Literal View We are all born with “Original Sin” inherited from Adam and Eve

Historical View The details of the story are symbolic rather than literal. But the Fall was a real event which has caused man’s sinful condition.

Mythical View It’s a story about every man and every woman, describing the moral condition of mankind rather than explaining it.

Key Q: What is the cause of the human condition?

HOMEWORK TASK – You have one week!!! Design a piece of artwork entitled ‘Sin’. A collage of images might work – have a look at paintings by Salvador Dali or Hieronymus Bosch for ideas.

Activity 4 Work your way through the questions on page 43