The biblical “primal history” of Genesis 1–11—from the Fall to the Tower of Babel—portrays a pattern of human evil that resonates strongly with the modern world. Yet the doctrine of original sin has become problematic for many today, shaped by a modern outlook that sharply separates nature and freedom. In this final work, Raymund Schwager offers an interdisciplinary exploration that seeks to bridge this divide.
Drawing from evolutionary theory, contemporary philosophy, theology, and developments in genetics, Schwager argues that the doctrine of original sin and modern scientific insights need not contradict one another. The Christian understanding of sin, often dismissed as mythological, may in fact preserve a deeper unity of human experience that modernity has artificially separated. By examining the organism as a form of “living memory,” he reflects on suffering and evil within natural history, human history, and the biblical history of revelation.
The book situates these reflections within the drama of salvation, presenting Christian revelation as the interpretive key for understanding the human condition. Blending scientific awareness with theological depth, Schwager tackles fundamental questions about human self-understanding, freedom, suffering, and redemption.
This long-awaited English translation represents the final contribution of Raymund Schwager, a leading exponent of the thought of René Girard, whose groundbreaking work Must There Be Scapegoats? has already influenced theologians and scholars worldwide.
About the Author
Raymund Schwager (1935–2004) was Professor of Theology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and one of the foremost interpreters and developers of René Girard’s thought. His influential works on violence, redemption, and biblical theology include Must There Be Scapegoats? Violence and Redemption in the Bible. This book was his final work, completed shortly before his death.
