Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Apocryphote of the Day: 6-17-08

"Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will not be as you were before you sinned."

Liber Graduum or The Book of Steps 341.21-24 (fourth century, Syrian handbook to spiritual life)

3 comments:

Judy Redman said...

Interesting - clearly this community did not believe in Original Sin. :-)

April DeConick said...

That's right Judy. This text is written before Augustine who is the author of the Original Sin doctrine. Eastern Christians didn't and don't buy into this doctrine. They think that Adam sinned, but that his sin did not damn us all. We each have to make the choice that he faced. We each have failed and this has stopped our growth into God's image. To restart, one has to be baptized in the church and live a righteous life which includes taking the sacraments. We have to become children in the garden again!

Nicolo Nicodemo said...

In relation to the origins of original sin is has been catalogued that the Carthars in the south of France also disagreed with this notion of original sin. Therefore, why not making a book about the Cathars and their church after all we still have something in common with their thinking in terms of not accepting original sin.