Thoughts on Original Sin by Tatha Wiley (2002) 3H

The lack of thirdness in Augustine’s definition of concupiscence brings me to that category.

Augustine replaced “the need for an ascent of the soul” with “Original Sin”.  Original Sin has the same structure as a descent and ascent of the soul.  Yet the axis of movement is different.  Instead of moving back to the heavens, or the Celestial East, the Christian is to move towards Jesus the Messiah.  Baptism was the first Sacrament opening the vault of the body, pouring in Sanctifying Grace.  What happens after has the same self-denying characteristics of an ascent of the soul.

Augustine’s move set the stage for a new, Christian, way of looking at the “soul”.  The soul was not preexisting.  It did not descend into corrupt matter.  Instead, it was made, like pottery, by God.