Original Sin A Cultural History

Introduces the world of original sin, which is described as not only a profound idea but a necessary one. Perhaps no Christian doctrine is more controversial; perhaps none is more consequential. Modern scholars assail the idea as baleful and pernicious. But whether or not we believe in original sin, the idea has shaped our most fundamental institutions -- our political structures, how we teach and raise our young, and, perhaps most pervasively of all, how we understand ourselves. Here, Jacobs takes readers on a sweeping tour of the idea of original sin, its origins, its history, and its proponents and opponents. And he leaves us better prepared to answer one of the most important questions of all: Are we really, all of us, bad to the bone?