Here is the OCR specification with hyperlinks applied to make it easy for you to resource the suggested reading. Scroll down and you will find my comments designed to help you understand the key issues in this part of the specification, and how they relate to other two papers, or other parts of Christian Thought. If you wish to understand fully how the specification hangs together, then try my new book – How to Get an A Grade, where I analyse the specification in microscopic detail….available in the peped shop with our new study guides for each paper. Finally, if you need a tutor, we now have tutors available at a fair hourly rate. Just email me for details, peterbaron@peped.org

1. Insight: Augustine’s Teaching on Human Nature

Beliefs, teachings and ideas about human life, the world and ultimate reality.

1.1 Content

• Human relationships pre- and post-Fall
• Original Sin and its effects on the will and human societies
• God’s grace

1.2 Knowledge

• Augustine’s interpretation of Genesis 3 (the Fall) including:
– the state of perfection before the Fall and Adam and Eve’s relationship as friends
– lust and selfish desires after the Fall
• Augustine’s teaching that Original Sin is passed on through sexual intercourse and is the cause of:
– human selfishness and lack of free will
– lack of stability and corruption in all
human societies
• Augustine’s teaching that only God’s grace, his generous love, can overcome sin and the rebellious will to achieve the greatest good (summum bonum)

1.3 Issues as the basis of exam questions

• whether or not Augustine’s teaching on a historical Fall and Original Sin is wrong
• whether or not Augustine is right that sin means that humans can never be morally good
• whether or not Augustine’s view of human nature is pessimistic or optimistic
• whether or not there is a distinctive human nature

1.4 Suggested scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority

For reference, the ideas of Augustine listed above can be found by following these hyperlinks:
• City of God, Book 14, Chapters 16–26
• Confessions, Book 8

Learners will be given credit for referring to any appropriate scholarly views, academic
approaches and sources of wisdom and authority, however the following examples may prove useful:
• Chapman, G. (1994) Catechism of the Catholic Church paras. 385–409
• McGrath, A. (2010 5th Edition) Christian Theology, Wiley-Blackwell, pages 348–355, 371–372
• Romans 7:15–20

PB Comment: above are the specification requirements for section 1 on Augustine. Notice that you are being examined on key content and key knowledge and nothing else. This section focuses on Augustine’s views expressed in Confessions Book 8 and City of God Book 14 sections 16-26.

Notice the echoes in the Catholic Catechism paras 385-409 and in Protestant teaching on sin. Alister McGrath’s Christian Theology pages 348–355, 371–372  is useful(another part of key content) but you might like to use sources which you’ll find here on the site as extracts. In terms of Scripture to study – have a look at interpretations of Genesis 3 (The Fall) and you might also look at feminist critiques of the standard patriarchal interpretation.  

How much does Augustine’s interpretation of Genesis 3 go beyond the text? How does this relate to Romans 7 – so instrumental in Augustine’s conversion – ‘who will deliver me from this body of death?’ asks St Paul (or body consumed by lust confesses Augustine, echoing many people in a porn-obsessed world)?

The key issues section of the specification gives you important clues as to possible future exam questions – just turn these into a question with ‘discuss’. compare and contrast’ ‘critically assess’ or ‘evaluate’ in it. If you’re wondering how this is all relevant to us today – we have echoes of the body-hating teaching all around us and we seem to have let lust run riot in an unbridled way that Augustine would have sympathised with. PB