James Boyce (1) (1964–)
Auteur de Van Diemen's Land
Pour les autres auteurs qui s'appellent James Boyce, voyez la page de désambigüisation.
A propos de l'auteur
James Boyce is the multiple award-winning author of 1835 and Van Diemen's Land. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Tasmania, where he is an honorary research associate of the School of Geography and Environmental Studies.
Œuvres de James Boyce
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Date de naissance
- 1964-02-05
- Sexe
- male
- Nationalité
- Australia
Membres
Critiques
Listes
Prix et récompenses
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Auteurs associés
Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 6
- Membres
- 276
- Popularité
- #84,078
- Évaluation
- 3.8
- Critiques
- 5
- ISBN
- 35
- Langues
- 1
Boyce argues that the Original Sin idea is so imbedded in Western culture that no-one can escape its subtle influences, even if they dismiss the myth, making for an unfalsifiable argument, even though he admits that the question of whether the dismissal of religious beliefs can overcome “the ingrained suppositions of the religious tradition.” cannot be definitively answered.
According to Boyce, among the religions that share the Adam-and-Eve myth, Western Christianity is the only one that believes in original sin. I understand the distinction, but does it make a real difference? Boyce cites Western Christian leaders quoting Hebrew scripture that appears to indicate that humanity is born sinful, i.e., in Job (“No-one is pure from uncleaness … not even the infant, whose life is but that of a single day upon the earth”); and an unspecified prophet (Behold I was shapen in iniquities, and in sins hath my mother conceived me.”). (When I googled the latter, it came up as being in Psalm 51.) There are dozens more that could be used. It appears to me that the other religions find humanity to be quite sinful, even if they posit that the sins are the result of poor choices rather than inate depravity. It would be particularly appropriate for Boyce to have examined the beliefs of the Orthodox and other Christianities.
Boyce sees the continuance of the Original Sin theme in any Western thinker who has a pessimistic view of human nature, even if they use no other part of the motif. This includes Freud, who after all was from a Jewish background. He ignores the Western schools of though that believe in innocent babies and noble savages like some forms of Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and gives only glancing attention to Communism, and makes an unconvincing claim that Rousseau's thought is consistent with Original Sin.
[Added 12/31/2023: I had picked up this book again, having forgotten that I had read it. I read the ending again, particularly struck this time by the second last paragraph in which Boyce describes the West as 'a people brought up to believe that their deity had turned his back on his own creation." How did Boyce come up with this idea? I was certainly taught by my Christian religion that God is intimately involved in his creation and always available through prayer. The Jewish scriptures describe a deity very active in their history. It seems to me to be in the foundation of Christianity: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.[John 3:16]" Over the centuries, people have very actively believed that God is directing history to an end, and has a life-plan for every person. I suppose that Boyce might be describing the beliefs of some Western Deists, but I wouldn't have thought that they had much concern for original sin.]
Boyce ends with “Freedom from the bondage of original sin has not come from throwing off the chains of religion, but it might yet come by bringing grace back to earth.” I'm not sure quite what he means, but grace is what the church has been offering for fifteen hundred years. On the other hand, the notoriously godless (even if some of them still have a state church) Scandinavians rate in every recent survey as some of the happiest people on earth. (See Society without God by Phil Zuckerman, for example.)… (plus d'informations)