3.1.1

Human Nature

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Human Relationships Before the Fall

The Fall describes Adam and Eve's transition from friendship and innocence to lust & selfishness. The Fall is described in Genesis 3. Before the Fall, there was harmony in the world.

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Harmony before the Fall

  • St. Augustine's interpretation of Genesis 3 (the Fall) was that there was harmony in the world before the Fall.
  • There was harmony between:
    • God and humankind.
    • Humans and each other.
    • Humans and creation.
    • The body and the will of humans.
  • This harmony was seen in the complete obedience of Adam and Eve and the fulfilment of their God-given duties in the world.
    • For example, naming the animals (Genesis 2:19) and in tilling and keeping the garden (Genesis 2:15).
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Caritas

  • St. Augustine taught that ‘we will what we love’.
  • Before the Fall, the kind of love found in the world was a selfless, outward, generous love.
  • It was known by the Latin word caritas (Greek = agape).
    • We derive the word charity from caritas.
  • This caritas love was seen best in the relationship between Adam and Eve.
  • They were married, but Augustine characterises their relationship as that of friends.
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Concordia

  • Augustine defined the relationship of Adam and Eve with the word Concordia.
  • This is a relationship that was comfortable, easy and understanding.
    • By friends, Augustine did not mean Adam and Eve had a casual, simplistic relationship.
  • The harmony in this friendship extended to the harmony between the body and will.
  • Sexual activity was at the command of the will.
    • In City of God, Augustine wrote that, ‘nakedness was not yet shameful, because . . . those members [did not move] without the will’s consent.’

Human Relationships After the Fall

The Fall describes Adam and Eve's transition from friendship and innocence to lust & selfishness. The Fall is described in Genesis 3. After the Fall, there is lust and selfish desires.

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After the Fall

  • After the Fall there is a loss of harmony in the world.
  • Cupiditas replaces Caritas.
    • Cupiditas is a selfish, inward love of temporary, earthly things.
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Eve & the Fall

  • Cupiditas is first seen in the account of the Fall in the decision of Eve.
  • When the serpent first tempts her, she resists by reminding the serpent of what God had commanded her.
    • The focus remained on God as a demonstration of caritas.
  • But, the serpent pushes her and her focus changes when she sees that the fruit is ‘a delight to the eyes’.
  • This is cupiditas taking over caritas.
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Consequences of the Fall

  • The consequence of the Fall is the breaking of the harmony which God had created.
    • Now, Adam and Eve hide from God instead of walking together in the garden (Genesis 3:8).
    • Now, Adam and Eve try to pass the blame for their actions to others (Genesis 3:12-13).
    • Now, there is enmity between humans and creation (Genesis 3:15, 3:17-18).
  • The friendship of Adam and Eve is damaged. It is now characterised by jealousy and pain.
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Cupiditas

  • The dominance of cupiditas is shown by the emergence of concupiscence or lust.
  • This is not only sexual lust but a lust for the material and the earthly.
  • Concupiscence is no longer under the command of the will.
  • This is opposite to the situation before the Fall.
    • St. Paul wrote ‘For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.’ (Romans 7:18-19)
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St. Augustine

  • In City of God, St. Augustine argues that the shame felt over sex is evidence of how cupiditas has taken us over.
    • He wrote that ‘lust requires for its consummation darkness and secrecy . . . even when he innocently copulates with his wife."

Jump to other topics

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.6Religious Experience

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

2Religion & Ethics

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.9Gender & Society

3.10Gender & Theology

3.11Challenges

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