The Fall of "Adam": A Brief Intermezzo

Here, dear reader, continues the conversation of Mr. A and Ms. B from "Genesis Creation as Myth and a Scientific Worldview".

Mr. A: So it may be that in some way the creation narrative of Adam and Eve is a myth. Still, this leaves me with many questions. For instance, are Adam and Eve real people?

Ms. B: The word "Adam" means "man", the word "Eve" means "life" or "living". While these are treated as proper names in the story, they also have a function to refer generally to the whole human race. Thus, to treat the story as possibly mythical is to see its primary function as residing not in what it tells us about two historical persons named Adam and Eve who lived long ago, but rather in what it tells us about all human beings.

Mr. A: And what is it that it tells?

Ms. B: That all have sinned. There is no one righteous. All are alienated from God. This is the universal human condition and dilemma.

Mr. A: Let me get this straight. You think the fall narrative could teach a doctrine of original sin even if there was no historical Adam and Eve?

Ms. B: I am simply asking you to consider that the text is not as concerned with the original pair of humans so much as it is concerned with you and me.

Mr. A: Hmmm. So the text is not as concerned with telling us how the human race fell as it is with establishing that it is fallen.

Ms. B: Bingo.

Mr. A: This still leaves me with a bunch of questions. For instance, fundamental to the text is a move from innocence to guilt. When is that supposed to happen? The first time a two year old says "no"? Is that when they fall?

Ms. B: Ahhh, now we're getting to a really interesting question....