Question 7: What is sin?
It’s been awhile since I first posted the “What is sin” question – but I still want to finish off this blog series. I think my main beef with sin is that so often it is thought to mean only personal, individual “bad things” that people do. Sin is so much more than that. A few years ago, I wrote an exegesis paper on Isaiah 1.14-23 entitled “A Theology of Sin: Arguing For a More Social/Communal Understanding of Sin in America” (this was when I was in my “Long Paper Titles Will Get the Best Grade”-phase). You can find the paper here, if you are interested. In that paper, through my exegetical work, I argued that personal piety meant nothing to God as long as there existed rampant social sin. When we think of sin, it is important to realize that sin includes much more than just bad things individuals do. It includes the social, systemic sins. It includes the structures that are in place in the world that cause oppression, injustice and so much more. I think this is what some of you were getting to in your comments.
This is not to negate the fact that there is often a personal or individual aspect to sin. Gustavo Gutierrez, liberation theologian, wrote the following:
“…sin is not considered as an individual, private, or merely interior reality…sin is regarded as a social, historical fact., the absence of brotherhood and love in relationships among men…When it is considered in this way, the collective dimensions of sin are rediscovered.”
Any good theology of sin will include both the individual and the corporate idea of sin; to focus solely on the individual is to avoid obvious social evils and forces of tyranny and oppression and to focus solely on the social aspect is to lose any type of human culpability and responsibility for the evil that is taking place, often times in social institutions because of individuals. Many times this occurs because of humanity’s desire to stop looking outside of themselves: “Man is tempted to make himself existentially the center of himself and his world.” ((Tillich, Systematic Theology II)) Tillich does a good job of recognizing the similarities and links between both the individual and the social and more universal aspects of sin: “Sin is a universal fact before it becomes an individual act, or more precisely, sin as an individual act actualizes the universal fact of estrangement.” ((Tillich, Systematic Theology II))
So, what is sin? Sin is individual and social, personal and communal. Sin is that which gets in the way of the work of God’s Kingdom on Earth – whether it be individual and personal issues or social and communal ones.
Amen.
Really refreshing to read this, Adam. Now, I just wanna hear it from a few more pulpits.
I definitely agree with you about sin being more than individual. We have to be aware of systemic social problems as well. But there are a couple of points where I disagree with you.
First, comparing America to Israel is always a sticky issue. If this were a discussion of Christendom, I’d be on board. There’s too much social sin within the church, and we all need to deal with that. But America isn’t God’s chosen nation, and it’s not realistic to expect a secular society to act on Christian morals.
Second, personal piety does mean something to God when there is rampant social sin. The easiest example I can think of is Lot.
But overall good point…sin is bigger that one man’s dirty deeds.
Hi Adam,
Good post! I appreciate your asserting the reality of societal sin without negating personal sin. I would do the same in the other direction… without negating the reality and problem of societal sin, how do we begin to repent of societal sin? How do we make a change at the community level? Change must begin with me. And so, even addressing the idolatry and sin of all Israel, Joshua will repent publicly and say “As for me and my house.” Jesus, addressing the sins of legalism and ethnic bigotry, will speak of one good Samaritan and call out individuals to change.
The two are as connected as evangelism and social justice… transformation and redemption of culture begins (as God’s work) in one life at a time, which involves personal repentance, redemption, and transformation. That means personally dealing with issues of holiness, righteousness, humility, and repentance. That means dealing with personal sin… that produces godly “leaven” for society.
Just some thoughts that your excellent post stirred up…
And thanks for adding me on LinkedIn. :)
In God’s grace,
Robert Austell
blog: http://robertaustell.blogspot.com
church; http://www.gspc.net
This is a good post. I agree with you, that notions of sin are too often reduced to the terms of individual piety and fail to penetrate the social, or public world. Sadly, it’s a result of the false enlightenment dichotomy of public/private that the church has found her place in. This is a meaningful discussion for me at this point while working through David Fitch’s book, the Great Giveaway. In it he devotes a whole chapter to the issues of Leadership, and the theme of moral failure and why it happens, comes out. His resolve is that people/pastors are forced to work out their sin issues in private….an example of a theology of sin that is lacking.
A broader, systemic understanding is definitely in order.
I’ve been reading your blog for about three months now, and you have made some really good points over the three month period. I live in Tulsa, and I go to a UCC church based on liberation theology and a UM church based on open theology. So to here the things you say gives me a whole lot of back bone on what I here at my churches. I plan on becoming a minister in the UCC church and hope to use some of things you say. Or maybe even start a United Emergent Church of Christ program, who knows.
It is so freshing to read a blog that is not caught up in the “either or” conundrum One side screams “it’s the individual” and the other side screams “it’s societal!” While those of us in the middle can clearly see it is BOTH…Thank you for articulating that. I’ll be coming back again. Feel free to pop over to my blog and contribute your insight…Peace
still a tad reductionistic. If you want to have a robust, total definition of sin it must include an element of offense against God, not just getting in the way of his work on earth. This is what David was so convicted of with his adultery, not that he had only wronged people but God himself.
I think, the term sin may have many meanings. But how can it be made intellegible to secularly socialised people, if at all? Maybe, in a very elementary sense, sin just means that our (bad) doings always will have (bad) consequences for ourselfes too?
Good Conversation. Adam I like what you said, but I also think that Tom added something important. Sin cannot only be what gets in the way of God’s work because sin is not just a barrier but it is active and works against the Kingdom of God.
Trying to understand and even more importantly overcoming sin is not easy, and when you are lifted out of your cultural context it is even more confusing (I am living in India). I am constantly bombarted by questions of what is good, what is bad, and what is neutral both corporately and indivudally (and really even that distiction is not real since we are each a part of corporate) here in India. For instance as a Christian or rather as an American Christian I do not/can not litter. But in India Christians litter just as much as Hindus, Musliums, and Skeiks. I have never thought about individually littering as sinning, but it is most definately adding to the corporate sin of poor care for God’s creation, so there you have it.
My only conclusion is that we NEED the Holy Spirit to teach us what sin is, because otherwise our context may blind us from seeing any sin in our community and in our own lives. So help us God.
Great conversation!
The sin is mostly refferd to as a noun, not a verb, in the New Testament. There is only one sin independant judgement! Think about it.
Good post Adam. I agree with you and a I really disagree with the typical view of sin that mistakenly assumes that what makes something a sin is that the bible (or “God”) declares it a sin. That is the completely wrong mentality. An action isn’t “sinful” because it offends God or because the Bible labels it as sin. What makes something a sin is that it creates harm and stands in the way of the Kingdom becoming a reality on Earth. The bible happens to point out many such things, but they are wrong with or without a biblical mandate because of their results on our lives not because a big meanie in the sky said they are wrong.
I like this post.
I agree that sin is both individual and communal. However, the cause is the same. It is man acting out of selfish desire. When man acts selfishly, there is no communal or social agenda. There is only self. Our self is individual with no way to act out in other than selfish motivation. It is stuck in selfish motivation, caught in it’s own will. Separate from any other will because it is perfectly free in its will (free will). Hence the only way out of the trap is to act out of the will of another. Love on the other hand implies community. Only God knows how to love without self interest. God acted out of love to brings us into true comunity. He proved it by sending Jesus. The way out from acting selfishly is to follow the will of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Christ succeeded in being sin free because He followed the will of another, the will of the Father who is perfect love. God always thinks communally, He is Love and that is the only way He thinks. If I follow Him by His Spirit, then I expect to hear and learn from Him how to act and love communally.
two things:
1) really agree here. nicely put.
2) thanks for quoting gutierrez. im a huge fan. what do you think about liberation theology adam?