One of the books I'm reading at the moment is Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden. It's interesting to note that the Purtians had no notion of childhood innocence. "Children's natural selfishness, greed and disobedience were everyday reminders that the human race was corrupt, inheriting sinful natures from their first parents, Adm and Eve." (p20) A friend of ours while we were on camp recently noted how relentlessly they have had to discipline their five-year old, how easily they misbehaved. Marsden notes how self-consciously aware Edwards was as a child and youth, of his own sinfulness. I remember reading Lord of the Flies late in primary school and deeply resonating with the story of how a group of children descend into anarchy. I could see in myself and my peers, the dark potential unleashed in Lord of the Flies. Therefore it is understandable and important the Purtians internalised the doctrine of Original Sin rather than making it about some external group or force.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Jonthan Edwards - Growing up in sin
One of the books I'm reading at the moment is Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden. It's interesting to note that the Purtians had no notion of childhood innocence. "Children's natural selfishness, greed and disobedience were everyday reminders that the human race was corrupt, inheriting sinful natures from their first parents, Adm and Eve." (p20) A friend of ours while we were on camp recently noted how relentlessly they have had to discipline their five-year old, how easily they misbehaved. Marsden notes how self-consciously aware Edwards was as a child and youth, of his own sinfulness. I remember reading Lord of the Flies late in primary school and deeply resonating with the story of how a group of children descend into anarchy. I could see in myself and my peers, the dark potential unleashed in Lord of the Flies. Therefore it is understandable and important the Purtians internalised the doctrine of Original Sin rather than making it about some external group or force.