This book brings clarification to our understanding of the nature of sin and will be of interest to nonphilosophers as well as philosophers.
Most of the scholarly literature on sin has focused on theological issues, making book-length philosophical treatments of the topic hard to find. Sin, the newest contribution by Gregory Mellema, fills the gap by providing a short and lively summary of what contemporary philosophers are saying about the relationship between the traditional theological category of sin and contemporary philosophical ethics. Mellema brings together contributions by a number of philosophers, including Marilyn Adams, Robert Adams, Rebecca DeYoung, Alvin Plantinga, Michael Rea, Eleonore Stump, and Richard Swinburne, into a coherent discussion that clarifies our understanding of the nature of sin. The topics covered include the doctrine of original sin, accessory sins, mortal (or cardinal) sins, and venial sins. Mellema also examines Islamic codes of ethics, which include a category of acts that are "discouraged," some of which qualify as sins, and the final chapter surveys the teachings of six major world religions concerning sin. The overarching link between the chapters is that sin is fundamentally connected to the subject matter of morality. Analyzing the points of connection is profitable not just to enhance our theoretical understanding of sin but to provide a greater depth of knowledge as to how the moral choices we make can more effectively help us avoid sin and contribute to lives that are satisfying and authentically worthwhile. This concise introduction to sin and moral wrongdoing will have a wide readership and is intended for use in introductory level philosophy, philosophy of religion, or theological ethics courses.
Table of Contents:
Preface
1. Original and Inherited Sin
2. Individual and Collective Sins
3. Accessory Sins
4. Mortal versus Venial Sins
5. Supererogation and Sin
6. The Islamic Category of The Discouraged
7. Moral Ideals, Virtue Ethics, and Sin
8. Sin and Symbolism
9. Sin and The Problem of Evil
10. Sin in Six Major World Religions
About the Author :
Gregory Mellema is professor emeritus of philosophy at Calvin University. Among other books, he is the author of Complicity and Moral Accountability (University of Notre Dame Press, 2016, 2021).
Review :
"Mellema suggests that we understand the Christian idea of original sin as a kind of 'moral taint' – that contemporary human beings 'can be tainted by the evil acts of others to whom they are connected…' even if they themselves are not responsible for those actions." —Times Literary Supplement
"How might Christians introduce that awkward word 'sin' when discussing a world in which the dark side of human nature is everywhere tangible and visible but resistant to analysis framed in traditional biblical and theological categories? This short volume offers a possible pathway by means of a clear and concise summary of the fairly widespread interest in morality and ethics in contemporary philosophy." — Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought and Practice
"Gregory Mellema's Sin is a thoughtful philosophical discussion of sin as it relates to a variety of questions concerning moral responsibility . . . each chapter is well-organized and inviting for further reflection by its readers, and, as a result, it will be a worthwhile read for a good many academics." —Theology
"Philosopher Mellema delivers a wide-ranging and detailed exploration of how philosophy understands and explains sin. . . . Examples from the minor (how littering connects to a 'vicious pattern of behavior') to the severe (how racism and the Holocaust form society-wide sins that create 'collective guilt') help illustrate his points." —Publishers Weekly
"Mellema's Sin is a wonderfully clear and concise summary of what philosophers are saying about the relationships between the traditional theological categories of sin and wickedness and the philosophical categories of immorality and evil. It will be very useful for students of theological ethics and philosophy of religion, as well as for anyone interested in the dark side of human conduct." —Edward Langerak, author of Civil Disagreement
"This accessible and clearly written book applies recent philosophical treatments of sin to a catalog of carefully distinguished facets of the concept of sin. The originality here extends to a deeper understanding of the nature of sin by explicitly connecting the concept to moral issues, including obligation, blame, collective action, supererogation, virtue, and evil." —Edward Wierenga, author of The Philosophy of Religion
