It is a treat for the reader that a
subject as bold, intricate and dense as original sin has been examined by the eloquent James Boyce. In his hands what may seem a terrifying
subject is thoroughly examined and put through its historical, theological and
psychological paces.
Born Bad; original sin
and the making of the Western World traces the progress of
the notion of original sin through Western Christianity, beginning with St
Augustine, the man considered to be the father of Western Christianity through
to the present day.
St Augustine began to include the
teaching of original sin and The Fall of man in his rhetoric following an
unfortunate mistranslation of the bible; “(h)aving limited Greek, Augustine
adopted the mistranslation of Paul used in the fourth-century Latin Bible known
as the Vulgate, which state that “all men had sinned in Adam." It is
remarkable to consider exactly how persuasive a notion that is not even in the
bible has become central to the Western Christian psyche. The book charts this
path chronologically, tracing how original sin has become a central tenet in
Western Christianity.
As he recounts the history of this
doctrine, Boyce introduces us to some of the fascinating characters who
expounded or, as heretics, questioned it.
In tracing the lineage
of this doctrine with obvious energy and interest, Boyce has given us many
profiles of historical moments, contemporaneous thought and the people involved
in progressing this doctrine – or otherwise. The book plays host to a wide
range of characters, for whom Boyce has
an authorial respect for thinkers, heretical and otherwise, who have preceded
him.
Boyce’s obvious
affection for and interest in Luther and the Reformation is on show in the
chapter ‘The Meaning of Marrying a Nun.’ This chapter explains the greater effects
of the Reformation and the thought and rationale behind it and the reader is introduced to Luther as a
person and to some of the aspects of day to day life in Luther’s house.
Another of the historical characters
Boyce offers us is Julian of Norwich, the first woman to have written a book in
the English language. This beautifully titled book, Revelations of Divine Love
was the product of meditations on her visions for twenty years and she
fell on the heretical side of The Fall, with a belief in God’s love and the
intrinsic purity of humans.
James Boyce is a two-time winner of
the Tasmanian Literary Prize for two earlier works Van Diemen’s Land; a history and 1835;
the founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia. These
books have also been recognised with other national prizes and critical
accolades from around the world. His preceding books, while taking in colonial
Australia are researched and related in the same fascinating and readable
style. The attention to detail propels the case that he puts forward subtly, if
at all, leaving the reader well equipped to draw their own conclusions.
First published in TasWeekend in The Mercury September 13, 2014
Born Bad
by James Boyce
Black Inc
9781863956765
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