Original Blessing: Putting Sin in Its Rightful Place

Of the world's major religions, only Christianity has a doctrine of original sin. Ideas are powerful-they shape who we are and who we become. The fact that many Christians believe that something in human nature is and always will be contrary to God is not just a problem but a tragedy. Danielle Shroyer takes readers through an overview of the historical development of the doctrine of original sin, pointing out important binders and miscalculations, and she provides alternative ways to approach often-used Bible passages. Throughout, she brings the primary claims of original sin to their untenable (and unbiblical) conclusions. In Original Blessing, Shroyer shows not only how we got this doctrine wrong but how we can put sin back in its rightful place: in a broader context of redemption and the blessing of humanity's creation in the image of God. The story of the origin of humankind is not about original sin, it turns out, but original blessing.