Theology Today - Vol 53, No. 2 - July 1996 - BOOK REVIEW - Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin

234 - Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin

Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin
By Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1995. 202 pp. $19.99.

In Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. notes how in times past sermons on sin, designed to fill us with dread and spur us to repentance, confession, and the recognition of our need for forgiveness, were commonplace. Not so today. Instead, he claims, due in large measure to a general reluctance on the part of Christian clergy and other Christian educators to address this issue, our awareness of human sin has diminished, has been trivialized to the point where we are inured to its devastating effects. Marching in where others seemingly fear to tread, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be attempts to remedy this situation.

Plantinga begins by defining sin as any act "that displeases God and deserves (blame" and evil as the "vandalism of God's Shalom," the disturbance of the divine plan of creation and redemption, of the way things ought to be. Drawing on his Augustinian-Calvinist tradition for theological insights and on a wide variety of modern cultural media for his examples; he then proceeds to reintroduce us to the reality of human sinfulness in all its myriad disguises and manifestations. He makes us aware, for instance, of the difficulties involved in determining our degree of accountability when considering the murky matter of involuntary sin. In addition, he offers us a sound and sobering treatment of various forms of addiction; racism, sexism, and scapegoating and reminds us of our sinfulness in failing to acknowledge our culpability for the consequences of such evils. Most impressive and especially noteworthy, however, is his extended discussion of the parasitic nature of sin, viewed as a perversion and corruption of the good.

Though his description of sin, as well as its motives, patterns, postures, ironies, and conditions, proves illuminating, Plantinga claims, finally, that we are unable to explain why people commit evil. Relying on a passage from St. Paul, he believes we must concede that the origin of sin belongs ultimately to "the mystery of iniquity."

In response, I would argue that relegating the origin of sin to the realm of mystery weakens the impact of Plantinga's work. Some attempt to provide a distinctively theological explanation for our sinful disposition certainly seems in order lest we fall back on escapist ignorance, or on some form of

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biological or social determinism that omits any reference to our relationship to God. Do not Augustine and many of the Reformers, drawing on Scripture, contend that sin arises from pride, from undue exaltation of our status, from oar attempt to become our own end and our refusal to cling to God as the source of our very being?

I have an additional concern. Plantinga appears secure in locating the domain of sin in the human heart, and he maintains that Augustine does likewise. I think a closer reading of the passage cited (City of God 14.13) to support this view clearly indicates that Augustine locates the residence of sin in the will, not in the heart. In failing to make this distinction, Plantinga leaves us with an inaccurate portrayal of Augustine's thought. Although the heart, unaided by grace, remains defenseless against the influence of the will's proclivity towards sin, to some extent it always longs for God. As Augustine states in his Confessions, "the heart is restless until it rests in Thee."

On a minor note, I question the appropriateness of Plantinga's adoption of Pascal's famous phrase "the heart has its reasons which reason does not know" to refer to the heart's sinful desires. The topic that inspired these lovely words and to which they refer was not the iniquity of the heart but, rather, the knowledge born of love that the heart alone comprehends.

Overall, however, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be does succeed in offering us a refreshing and updated presentation of the traditional Christian understanding of sin and how it affects every aspect of our personhood. It also accomplishes its broader goal of renewing our sense of hope in light of God's gracious and redemptive activity. I believe the reader will find Plantinga's book both engaging and worthwhile.

PATRICIA A. CODRON
Dominican College
San Rafael, CA