Augustine of Hippo on Original sin & the human will
Will in bondage; needs sovereign grace to be freed
"By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so passed upon all men; in which all have sinned."
THE POSITION
Sin is transmitted by propagation, not imitation — Augustine argues that if Paul meant bad example in Romans 5:12, he'd have named the devil, the first sinner, not Adam. The will's bondage is pictured as a 'heart of stone' that only God can remove; it isn't inert, it's disabled, and can't heal itself without a prior, unrequested act of grace that changes its disposition.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
17 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Bishop of Hippo. The single most influential theologian in Western Christianity; both Catholic and Reformed traditions claim him. Anti-Pelagian works, the Enchiridion, and On Baptism Against the Donatists.
Cite this page
"Augustine of Hippo on Original sin & the human will", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/augustine/original-sin (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/augustine/original-sin).