Thoughts on Man and Sin by Piet Schoonenberg (1964) 1.2K1

Text (pages 10-12) [comments in square brackets]

[Now I will put the picture in the last blog into words and think about some of the implications.

The Law (thinkdivine) puts virtue into context.  Virtue situates consciencefree.  Virtue also situates (trains) dispositions.

Transgressions situate consciencelacking.  Transgressions also situate natural & philosophical dispositions; or maybe, material and immaterial desires.

This curiously implies that consciencelacking is opportunistic in selecting transgressions that appeal to one’s dispositions.  By “opportunistic”, I mean “a process like natural selection”.  Natural selection is opportunistic.  Both adaptations and exaptations are opportunistic.

In short, consciencelacking is looking for ways to tell one’s dispositions “what they want to hear”.  The dispositions are poised to act.  Both consciencelacking and one’s dispositions are situated by the transgression.

In addition, the exclusive yet interpellating character of consciencelacking and consciencefree may be foundational in the way that consciencelacking packages itself as it potentiates transgression.  Consciencelacking senses the Law in consciencefree’s ordination (like orientation, but including both material and immaterial dimensions).

My guess (which is consistent with Paul’s Letter to the Romans) is that consciencelacking goes against the Law by revolting against consciencefree, the forbidding yet interpellating other, so that the person is less disposed to “the freedom to seek and align oneself with the truth (which is God’s Law)” and more disposed to “the advantages to me of acting out this transgression”.]