The doctrine of original sin is bound up with the conviction that the past inheres in the present, for the human race and for individuals. And for this the denial of original sin is the necessary premise for all revolutionary politics and also explains why revolutionary politics invariably ends up in Terror.
Revolutionaries believe man can be regenerated by the removal of oppressive institutional and ideological structures, but this makes sense only on the premise that human beings are inherently good, and that the inner goodness of man can be unleashed by emancipating them from purported tyrannies.
Revolutionaries believe that they can regenerate society by clearing away prior error, superstition, and injustice, by eliminating the past. They find that the past persists in people, so they finally have to give up their dream or eliminate the people.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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