Episode Summary

In this deep-dive episode, we explore one of the most influential — and controversial — doctrines in the history of Christianity: Original Sin.

For many of us, Original Sin was presented as a foundational truth. We were told it explained everything wrong with humanity: our impulses, our desires, our bodies, our failures. But where did this idea actually come from? How did early Christian communities understand human nature? And how did one interpretation, shaped by the life and worldview of Augustine, grow into a theological framework that still impacts psychology, sexuality, gender, and modern Christian identity?

This episode unpacks the text, the history, the cultural influences, and the lasting consequences of the doctrine — and invites listeners to reconsider what it means to be human, good, flawed, and beloved.

In This Episode, We Explore:

📜 1. What Is Original Sin?

The doctrine as many of us inherited it
Why it came to dominate Western Christianity
How it differs from concepts of sin in early Jewish and early Christian thought

👤 2. Augustine’s Influence

Augustine’s life, trauma, and worldview — and how each shaped his theology
How his readings of Paul became the backbone of Original Sin
Where he diverges from earlier Christian writers and the Greek Fathers

📖 3. The Biblical Passages Used to Support Original Sin

Romans 5 and its contested interpretations
Genesis 3 as story versus doctrine
How translation choices influenced meaning
Why Jewish interpretations of the same texts are radically different

🔍 4. The Theology Behind the Theology

How ideas about sex, bodies, and desire shaped the doctrine
Shame vs. guilt — and how Western Christianity confused the two
The psychological cost of believing we are “born broken”

⛪ 5. What Early Christians Actually Believed

A look at diversity in early Christian thought
Eastern Christian views on sin, growth, and human potential
How the doctrine evolved over centuries, not overnight

💔 6. The Modern Impact

How Original Sin shaped purity culture
How it influenced sermons, parenting, and “Christian counseling”
Its role in reinforcing fundamentalism’s fear-based frameworks
Why many of us internalized shame as spirituality

🌱 7. Reclaiming a Healthier View of Humanity

Alternatives rooted in scripture and tradition
Why many theologians argue the doctrine is not essential
What happens when we start from belovedness rather than brokenness

Why This Episode Matters

So many deconstruction journeys begin with questions like:

“Am I really this messed up, or did I just inherit a harmful framework?”
“Is the human story fundamentally about failure?”
“Why does the church talk about sin more than love?”

Understanding where the doctrine of Original Sin came from — and how historically recent and culturally shaped it actually is — can be freeing. It opens the door to new ways of understanding ourselves, our bodies, our past, and our future.

It also challenges the narrative that progressive or post-evangelical Christians are the ones “not taking the Bible seriously.” In reality, reassessing the doctrine through context, language, and scholarship is exactly what taking scripture seriously looks like.

Resources Mentioned / Recommended Reading

The Birth of Satan – Pagels & B. McGinn
The Sin of Certainty – Peter Enns
The Evolution of Adam – Peter Enns
The Story of Original Sin – John E. Toews
Sin: A History – Gary A. Anderson
Writings of Augustine, especially Confessions and On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins

Connect & Share Your Thoughts

Have a topic you’d love to hear explored in 2026?

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Amanda Gilmore: Literature and Senior Thesis