According to the doctrine of original sin, all humans are born bad and only God's grace can bring salvation. James Boyce shows how these ideas have shaped the Western view of human nature, and how the belief that we are all innately sinful retains a firm grip on Western consciousness and culture – even in the writings of avowed atheists such as Marx and Freud. Born Bad traces a fascinating journey from Adam and Eve all the way to Adam Smith and Richard Dawkins in this sweeping story of a controversial idea and its remarkable influence.

James Boyce

Front Cover

BORN BAD

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Preface

PART I: ORIGINAL SIN IN CHRISTENDOM

1. The Father of Original Sin

2. The Contest for the Western Soul

3. The Challenge of the Celts

4. Scholars and Sinners

5. The Forgiveness Industry

6. A Peasant’s World

7. All Shall Be Well

8. The Meaning of Marrying a Nun

9. John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion

10. Spreading the Word

11. The Puritan Foundation of Modern Life

12. Reclaiming Augustine

PART II: ORIGINAL SIN IN THE MODERN WORLD

13. A Christian Enlightenment

14. The Perfect Evangelical

15. Celebrating Christian Choice

16. Adam Smith and Market Salvation

17. Imperfect Democracy: The Founding Fathers

18. Original Sin in an Age of Progress

19. Freud and the Science of Self

20. Staying Positive:  Original Sin and Contemporary Christianity

21. The Selfish Gene

22. Where to for Salvation?

23. Beyond Good or Bad: A Final Judgement on Original Sin

Appendix: Where Did Original Sin Come From?

Acknowledgements

Notes

Search terms

According to the doctrine of original sin, all humans are born bad and only God’s grace can bring salvation. James Boyce shows how these ideas have shaped the Western view of human nature, and how the belief that we are all innately sinful retains a firm grip on Western consciousness and culture – even in the writings of avowed atheists such as Marx and Freud.

 Born Bad traces a fascinating journey from Adam and Eve all the way to Adam Smith and Richard Dawkins in this sweeping story of a controversial idea and its remarkable influence.

According to the doctrine of original sin, humans are born bad and only God's grace can bring salvation. In this book, acclaimed historian James Boyce shows how these ideas have shaped the Western view of human nature right up to the present.

Despite its declining popularity among Christians, the belief that we are all innately sinful retains a firm grip on Western consciousness and culture - even in the writings of avowed atheists such as Marx, Freud and Richard Dawkins.According to the doctrine of original sin, humans are born bad and only God's grace can bring salvation. In this captivating book, acclaimed 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 an innovative history of Christianity, Boyce offers new insights into the making of the West. Born Bad traces a fascinating journey from Adam and Eve all the way to Adam Smith and Richard Dawkins in this sweeping story of a controversial idea and its remarkable influence.

James Boyce is the multiple award-winning author of Born Bad, 1835 and Van Diemen's Land. He has a PhD from the University of Tasmania, where he is an honorary research associate of the School of Geography and Environmental Studies.

\["For readers curious about faith and human nature", "Uncovers how original sin shapes modern beliefs", "You will gain insights into your own worldview"\]

Explore the impact of original sin on Western culture in "Born Bad".

Born Bad

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