Understanding human fallibility and weakness

25 Jan 2024 • From Bishop Richard Jackson

In this week's video, Bishop Richard considers two doctrines in the Christian faith considered unpopular: 'original sin', and 'total depravity'.

'As our society has become more secular, a different understanding of human nature has come to the fore.  In part this is a reaction against the terrible judgementalism that Christians have displayed in the past.  Ideas of sin and total depravity have gone out of the window to be replaced by a boundless optimism of human potential.  But if the flip side of majoring on sin is a judgementalism, the flip side of such optimism is inevitable disillusionment...'.

'The doctrines of original sin and total depravity rightly applied foster a humility and openness to others....  If you lose those ideas there is no obvious counter to the use of power to get your own way. The strange paradox is that the loss of ideas of sin in contemporary culture has made us more judgemental and intolerant, not less.'

Visit the diocesan website for transcripts of the Bishop of Hereford's Message.