Development through
Christian thought
, Augustine’s teaching on human nature The fall- Genesis 3
State of perfection before the fall • When the snake tempts Eve to eat the
• According to Genesis they lived in fruit and Adam follows suit and they ar
harmony. punished.
• They had everything they needed. • The shame of nakedness and the puni
• There were no threats to their lives. Eve of lust and subordination defines
• They were in harmony with God: he female relationships post-Fall.
used to walk in the garden with them. • Harmony is lost (humans lose their frie
• They lived in complete obedience to with God and are banished from the ga
God. self-love and generous love separate w
Adam and eve’s friendship will – they pull humans in opposing dir
• They were married as friends. • Augustine is clear that it is the will, no
• They were friends with God and the rest of that has been corrupted.
creation. Lust and desire as a result of the fall
• Their friendship included reproduction. • For Augustine, the effect of the Fal
• They would have had the pleasure of sex, ranging. Friendship can still exist a
but as friendship is a greater good than be important, but it is less straight
lust, the sex would have been without lust. because the will has become cloud
Adam could use his balanced body, will • Augustine used his own promiscu
and reason to make his body want to have to refer to his sexual desires and th
sex when he wanted. control over it is concupiscence.
Christian thought
, Augustine’s teaching on human nature The fall- Genesis 3
State of perfection before the fall • When the snake tempts Eve to eat the
• According to Genesis they lived in fruit and Adam follows suit and they ar
harmony. punished.
• They had everything they needed. • The shame of nakedness and the puni
• There were no threats to their lives. Eve of lust and subordination defines
• They were in harmony with God: he female relationships post-Fall.
used to walk in the garden with them. • Harmony is lost (humans lose their frie
• They lived in complete obedience to with God and are banished from the ga
God. self-love and generous love separate w
Adam and eve’s friendship will – they pull humans in opposing dir
• They were married as friends. • Augustine is clear that it is the will, no
• They were friends with God and the rest of that has been corrupted.
creation. Lust and desire as a result of the fall
• Their friendship included reproduction. • For Augustine, the effect of the Fal
• They would have had the pleasure of sex, ranging. Friendship can still exist a
but as friendship is a greater good than be important, but it is less straight
lust, the sex would have been without lust. because the will has become cloud
Adam could use his balanced body, will • Augustine used his own promiscu
and reason to make his body want to have to refer to his sexual desires and th
sex when he wanted. control over it is concupiscence.
