Was Original Sin Always a Thing?

The Mediterranean is home to three of the world’s largest religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These religions share a common ancestry in the Abrahamic tradition, and therefore share some similarities. However, Christianity began to blossom in the Mediterranean. Once Rome decriminalized the religion under Constantine in the fourth century, Christian thought began to fluctuate with intense periods of interpretation and heretical accusations.

The concept of Original Sin – the belief that humans are born already sinful and deserving of punishment – is one of the many doctrines that was argued, debated, and eventually decided on during the first 100 years of the legalization of Christianity. Geography and language played a large part in the acceptance and rejection of different teachings on a larger scale. The split in the Mediterranean can still be seen in our present day – the difference between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief and practice is much different than that of Roman Catholic and most Protestant denominations, even if they would hesitate to agree.

So – has Original Sin always been a thing?

Original Sin is NOT in Islam

The concept of Original Sin has deep Judeo-Christian roots. It is important to note that Islam, the other major religion of the Mediterranean, does not hold to the belief of inherited sin. While we see a multiplicity of voices in Judaism and Christianity, Islamic theology has rejected this notion. The Quran teaches that each individual has free will and is tempted by Satan. It is the responsibility of each person to resist evil and not sin. “Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And we would never punish a people until We have sent a messenger ˹to warn them.”

The pedigree of Islam includes the story of Adam and Eve without the hangups of the Original Sin debate. Even though their story of Paradise is similar to Judaism and Christianity. The account in the Quran is slightly different, but the major themes are the same. Adam and Eve are in paradise, they are instructed not to interact with a specific tree, eventually do so, and are cast out of paradise (Al-Baqarah 33-39). Adam and Eve pray for forgiveness, “‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will certainly be losers.’” Allah hears their prayers and accepts their plea (Al-Baqarah 37). While Judeo-Christian and Muslim texts note the fall of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Paradise, Islam includes their forgiveness at that moment. This may be why Islam doesn’t have a debate about original sin. The problem was resolved at the time the sin was committed!

Original Sin is SOMETIMES in Judaism

Unlike Islam, Judaism has a history of debate surrounding the origin of sin. We see the beginning of thought of inherited sin during the Second Temple period. This is generally accepted to be from 516 BCE until 70 CE. While this is a general timeline, historian John E. Toews extends the end date of Second Temple Judaism into the 3rd century CE. I believe this is due to the extent of Second Temple writing that continued beyond the collapse of the temple. For example, The Apocalypse of Abraham is a text that has many similarities to the Rabbinic writings of the Second Temple, yet is dated after the destruction of the temple since it refers to the demise of Jerusalem.

While there has been debate, the majority of Jewish thought has refuted the idea of original sin. They see the story of Adam and Eve as an archetypal mythology rather than an account of evil in the world. This majority position in Judaism in the Second Temple period can be seen throughout the interpretation of the Jewish Scriptures as well as the extracanonical writings during this time. Sirach, written between 200-175 BCE, repurposes the Adam and Eve story found in Genesis 1-3:

“The Lord fashioned human beings from the earth, to consign them back to it. He gave them so many days and so much time, he gave them authority over everything on earth… He filled them with knowledge and intelligence, and showed them what was good and what evil. He put his own light in their hearts to show them the magnificence of his works, so that they would praise his holy name as they told of his magnificent works. He set knowledge before them, he endowed them with the law of life. He established an eternal covenant with them, and revealed his judgments to them. Their eyes saw the majesty of his glory, and their ears heard the glory of his voice. He said to them, ‘Beware of all wrong-doing’; he gave each a commandment concerning his neighbour.” (Sirach 17:1–14.)

Now What?

Original Sin is the cornerstone of much of today’s Christianity. However, its Judaic roots are overwhelmingly not. This is important because a lot of Christian theology comes from this foundation. Original sin can lead to a violent God killing Their son, for the inferiority and demonization of women, and the literal interpretation of the first three chapters of Genesis. If we don’t have to hold this concept, why would we?

Brad is a graduate student at Northwind Theological Seminary studying theology and the changing religious landscape in America. He works as a co-investigator at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Pharmacy providing education and support for rural New Englanders impacted by the opioid epidemic. Brad spends nights and weekends playing in regional bands as a bassist, guitarist, and vocalist. When not at a computer, he loves to spend time with his wife and chasing his toddler around the house. You can go to his website to get updates on his writing and other events.