Born bad : original sin and the making of the Western world

Boyce, James 1964- (editor.).

Summary: According to the doctrine of original sin, humans are born bad and only God's grace can bring salvation. In this book, historian James Boyce shows how these ideas have shaped the Western view of human nature right up to the present. The legacy of original sin takes many forms, including the distinctive discontent of Western people -- the feelings of guilt and inadequacy associated not with doing wrong, but with being wrong. As well as a history of Christianity, Boyce offers insights into the making of the West. Born Bad traces a journey from Adam and Eve all the way to Adam Smith and Richard Dawkins.

Item details

ISBN: 9781619024984
ISBN: 1619024985
Physical Description: print
250 pages ; 24 cm
Publisher: Berkeley, CA : Counterpoint, [2015]
Copyright: ©2015

Contents / Notes

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-250).

Formatted Contents Note:

The father of original sin -- The contest for the Western soul -- The challenge of the Celts -- Scholars and sinners -- The forgiveness industry -- A peasant's world -- All shall be well -- The meaning of marrying a nun -- John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion -- Spreading the word -- The Puritan foundation of modern life -- Reclaiming Augustine -- A Christian enlightenment -- The perfect evangelical -- Celebrating Christian choice -- Adam Smith and market salvation -- Imperfect democracy: The Founding Fathers -- Original sin in an age of progress -- Freud and the science of self -- Staying positive: Original sin and contemporary Christianity -- The selfish gene -- Where to for salvation? -- Beyond good or bad: A final judgement on original sin -- Appendix: Where did original sin come from?