Nuanced
Hereditary evil inclination; not Augustine's guilt; overcome by regeneration
Swedenborgianism teaches that humanity inherits an inclination toward self-love and evil from Adam—not the Augustinian doctrine of imputed guilt and total depravity. This hereditary inclination is real but not determinative; it is the ground of human temptation, not the cause of damnation.
Each person is responsible for their own choices and can, through God's grace and their own effort, overcome hereditary tendencies toward evil. The doctrine of hereditary evil explains the universal human struggle with sin without denying human freedom or making God the author of evil. Spiritual regeneration through cooperation with divine grace is the remedy.
Key Distinctions
- Doctrine type:
- hereditary evil inclination toward self-love accumulated through generations; not Augustinian guilt
- Free will effect:
- free will preserved; regeneration overcomes hereditary tendency through Divine Providence
- Infant guilt:
- infants do not bear guilt; hereditary evil overcome through regeneration
Scripture References
Sources
- Emanuel Swedenborg, True Christianity