Original Sin and the Fall: Five Views

ORIGINAL SIN AND THE FALL: Five Views by J. B. Stump and Chad Meister, eds. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2020. 200 pages. Paperback; $24.00. ISBN: 9780830852871. *The doctrine of original sin has been controversial since its earliest articulation by Augustine of Hippo in the fourth century, and it remains a provocative source of debate for Christian theologians in our time. Controversy surrounding the doctrine has only intensified as a scientific and evolutionary framework has come to characterize modern thinking. Original Sin and the Fall: Five Views provides a forum in which representatives from different Christian traditions are able not only to articulate their own perspectives on original sin and the Fall, but also to respond to the views presented by others in the volume. *Hans Madueme articulates one approach to the doctrine of original sin and the Fall from within the Reformed tradition, an "Augustinian-Reformed" perspective. While he states in the beginning of the essay that he developed his approach "with an eye to recent scientific challenges," he does not engage in a sustained way with information from scientific discourses (p. 12). Instead, he points out some of the shortcomings he perceives in theological accounts of original sin that attempt a synthesis with evolutionary accounts of the world, and he argues that theology should not be too quick to conform to deliverances from the sciences since "scientific consensus is a moving target" (p. 33). Madueme asserts the priority of biblical exegesis and theological evidence, which he views as affirming a historical, cosmic Fall, imputing moral corruption and guilt. Madueme is compelling in this essay in his identification of the many potential pitfalls inherent to the task of reconciling a theological approach to original sin with the current scientific consensus. However, the essay leaves one desiring more work from Madueme to reconcile his rejection of contemporary science with his belief in the unity of scientific and theological truths, since, as he affirms, all truth comes from God. *Continuing in the Reformed vein, Oliver Crisp presents a "moderate" approach to original sin and the Fall that he describes in terms of "dogmatic minimalism" (p. 37). This means that Crisp affirms "as 'thin' an account [of original sin] as is doctrinally possible" (p. 37) while still being consonant with his broader theological commitments. For Crisp, being afflicted by original sin means that every human (e