359 Augustinian Studies 36:2 (2005) 359–396 St. Augustine’s Doctrine of Original Sin Jesse Couenhoven Villanova University I. Introduction One might expect a doctrine as influential and (in)famous as the doctrine of original sin to have been exposited and analyzed so often that there would be little left for more recent commentators to say—and since it has been an axiom for most historical theologians that the doctrine of original sin cannot be traced back beyond Augustine (Bray 1994; Burnell 1995), one would expect Augustine’s view of original sin to be especially well studied. Oddly, however, there are no definitive treatments of Augustine’s views on this matter. In fact, the last century saw only a handful of anything approaching comprehensive discussions of Augustine on original sin. 1 Perhaps this is because those who engage Christian discourse have assumed they know the basic points of the doctrine, and that there is little to discuss—or perhaps it is because so many modern thinkers have found the doctrine of original sin wrongheaded and even dangerous. But whatever the reason, Augustine’s views concerning original sin are under-discussed. This essay is one attempt to address that situation. I do so by piecing together from a variety of texts the main lines of Augustine’s late views about original sin. A good number of the texts I cite were not writ- ten as part of his debates with the Pelagians, but it is worth noting that I have found especially illuminating Augustine’s lengthy, much maligned, yet also often ignored final book, the Unfinished Work in Answer to Julian. 1. The more important discussions include Alflatt 1974, 1975; Burnaby 1938, 184–192, 203, 208– 210, 219; Burns 1980, 96–109; Kelly 1978, 361–369; Rigby 1987; Rondet 1972; Tennant 1912; TeSelle 1970, 158–165, 258–266, 278–294; Williams 1929, and most recently, Wiley 2002.