Schleiermachers Kritik an der Hamartiologie Augustins: Eine philosophische Erklärung.

Summary: Schleiermacher's theory of original sin is usually understood as a turning away from Augustine. This assertion is untenable. A more detailed examination will demonstrate that Schleiermacher's critique of Augustine was intended to make Augustine's doctrine of original sin logically consistent and to circumvent as much as possible the risk of Manichean dualism. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated that Schleiermacher's doctrine of original sin is highly coherent and internally consistent, since the following ideas permeate Schleiermacher's philosophical and theological writings: the inseparability of transcendental freedom from sensual drives, the inseparability of matter and form, and the inseparability of God and the world. In this way we can better understand the spirit of Schleiermacher's doctrine of original sin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]