Original Sin: A Cultural History - Couverture souple

Jacobs, Alan

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0060872578 ISBN 13 : 9780060872571

Editeur : HarperOne, 2009

Synopsis

Original Sin Essayist and biographer Alan Jacobs introduces us to the world of original sin, which he describes as not only a profound idea but a necessary one. As G. K. Chesterton explains, "Only with original sin can we at once pity the beggar and distrust the king."Do we arrive in this world predisposed to evil? St. Augustine passionately argued that we do; his opponents thought the notion was an insult to a good God. Ever since Augustine, the church has taught the doctrine of original sin, which is the idea that we are not born innocent, but as babes we are corrupt, guilty, and worthy of condemnation. Thus started a debate that has raged for centuries and done much t...

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

“[A]n engaging and lucid work by a sophisticated Evangelical from the American South. . . . For all its American bias, Alan Jacobs’s highly readably ORIGINAL SIN might fill one of the gaps in the post-Christian memory banks.” (Times Literary Supplement (London))

“One wouldn’t expect a book about original sin to be entertaining, but Jacobs makes it so with deft prose and a touch of humor.” (Christian Century)

“Jacobs is a superb writer whose work is beginning to get the wider notice it has long deserved.” (Books & Culture ("Top Ten Books of the Year"))

Alan Jacobs presents an engagingly written, eminently humane, and insightful account of an all-important subject that is both timeless and timely. (George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards: A Life)

“Alan Jacobs’ cultural history of the controversies that Saint Augustine’s concept gave birth to is fascinating, entertaining, wonderfully researched, and thoroughly even-tempered, giving even the most disagreeable voices their say. Original Sin may well become the definitive book on the subject.” (Ron Hansen , Author of Exiles and A Stay Against Confusion)

I do not believe in original sin. I do believe in Alan Jacobs. He is one the smartest and wittiest writers around on matters involving religion, and ORIGINAL SIN is a gem. (Alan Wolfe, Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College)

In this brilliant account, Wheaton College literature professor Jacobs traces the idea of original sin from the Bible to the present day. . . . In his hands these abstruse theological disputes are utterly engrossing. (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“With extraordinary erudition and just enough lightness of touch to leaven the lump, Alan Jacobs traces the tangled ways that we have tried to think about human cussedness. (Frederick Buechner, author of Secrets in the Dark)

Replete with examples drawn from a number of different cultural expressions, including literature, film, and philosophy, [Original Sin] is intended to introduce a broad genearl audience to the complexity of explaining how human beings act evilly toward one another. (Library Journal)

A brilliantly illuminating, deeply thought-provoking intellectual journey. (Booklist)

Biographie de l'auteur :

Alan Jacobs is professor of English at Wheaton College in Illinois. He is the author of several books, including most recently The Narnian, a biography of C. S. Lewis. His literary and cultural criticism has appeared in a wide range of periodicals, including the Boston Globe, The American Scholar, First Things, Books & Culture, and The Oxford American.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: HarperOne
• Date d'édition: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0060872578
• ISBN 13: 9780060872571
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 304