Hamartiology

Definition and Meaning

Hamartiology (Korean joeron, "doctrine of sin") is the branch of systematic theology that examines what sin is, where it came from, how it spreads, and what consequences it brings. The term derives from hamartia, the Greek word for sin in the New Testament, which is commonly explained as meaning "to miss the mark." Protestant theology generally regards sin as a violation of God's will and a state of estrangement from God, and it distinguishes two categories:

• Original sin: the sinful condition and disposition that every person has had from birth since the Fall of the first man, Adam
• Actual sin: the concrete sins that a person personally commits in thought, word, and deed

The consequences of sin commonly cited include separation from God, guilt (liability for sin), the corruption of human nature, and death and judgment.

Biblical and Historical Background

The episode of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 3 is read as the text that describes the origin of sin. Romans 5:12 ("by one man sin entered into the world"), Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23 serve as key passages for hamartiology.

The doctrine of original sin came into sharp focus in the early fifth century through the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius. Pelagius maintained that human beings can choose the good even without grace. Augustine held that since Adam human nature has been corrupted, so that people cannot do good without the grace of God. The Western Church condemned Pelagianism. The Reformers carried forward Augustine's position and emphasized "total depravity," the teaching that the whole of human nature has been tainted by sin. Later, Calvinism and Arminianism diverged over whether fallen human beings have the ability to respond to grace.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Presbyterian: Presbyterians follow the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter Catechism. They teach that Adam's guilt is imputed (reckoned) to all his descendants and that human nature is totally corrupt.
• Methodist and Holiness: These churches follow Wesleyan theology. While affirming original sin, they hold that prevenient grace, the grace God first extends to all people, restores the ability to respond to grace. Holiness churches in particular emphasize that through sanctification one can be cleansed from the inward inclination to sin.
• Baptist: Some Baptists hold that the inclination to sin is inherited but that guilt arises only once a person becomes capable of making moral judgments for himself or herself. This view is linked to the tradition of baptizing those who have professed faith.
• Pentecostal: Pentecostal churches are known for a tendency to view the consequences of sin broadly, extending beyond the spiritual realm to areas of life such as illness and poverty, and to preach that salvation reaches all of these areas.

Across denominations, hamartiology in the Korean church finds expression in a piety of repentance. During audible corporate prayer at revival meetings and early morning prayer meetings, believers commonly confess their sins aloud. Many churches also set aside time for self-examination before Holy Communion.