Theology & Dogma
Ancestral Sin (vs. Original Sin)
Orthodoxy teaches 'ancestral sin' (propatorikon hamartema) rather than Western 'original sin.' Humanity inherits the consequences of Adam's sin, which are mortality, corruption and the bent toward sinning, but NOT inherited guilt. Each person bears responsibility only for their own sins.
Sources
- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans NPNF
- Romans 5:12 (Greek: 'eph ho pantes hemarton', 'because all sinned') the Greek New Testament
- Fr. John Romanides, The Ancestral Sin