(Erik Dempsey) St. Paul's Letter to the Romans and the Problem of Original Sin

Описание: This talk offers a close reading of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, focusing on the discussion of the economy of salvation in chapters 5-8. It looks especially at the relationship between the Mosaic Law and the New Covenant, what Paul means by "sin," and how his view of the sinful condition of human beings grounds his understanding of their relationship to God and Jesus Christ.
The Epistle to the Romans is one of the most disputed texts ever written. There are full, line-by-line commentaries about it by at least four authors who often appear on the St.
John's program, St. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and (perhaps surpris-ingly) John Locke, and extended discussions by several others. While the subject of this talk is Romans, it looks to the readings and reflections of other program authors to try to make sense of Paul's thoughts and to explain some key alternatives to it.
Erik Dempsey an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Departments of Government, Classics, and Religious Studies at the University of Texas, and the Assistant Director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas. He is also a long time teacher at the Rome Institute for Liberal Arts.