B.L. Shelley, �Pelagius, Pelagianism� in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
[Pelagianism] rejects the idea that man’s will has any intrinsic bias in favor of wrongdoing as a result of the fall. Since each soul is created immediately by God, as Pelagius believed, then it cannot come into the world soiled by original sin transmitted from Adam. Before a person begins exercising his will, �there is in him only what God has created.�
9 replies on “A Palpable Hit In Favour of Traducianism”
I’m not sure if that little tyke’s picture supports traducianism, but as cute as she is, she looks like she is working up some good old fashioned rebellion.
At least she doesn’t look like she’ll grow up to be a Pelagian.
By the way, Gordon Clark was a traducian. I just found that out.
Good for Gordon Clark! So was W.G.T. Shedd (and, I think, the Westminster Assembly –not to mention Augustine).
I think the picture supports traducianism because that baby was obviously conceived in sin.
I’d have to agree. She does sort of look like my idea of what David looked like as an infant.
Well, if not David at least Goliath (or his sister).
Funny, they all look alike to me.
I wrote a villanelle about traducianism once. It’s in the Mac somewhere; if I can find it, I’ll send it to you.
Mulling Traducianism in a Villanelle
Traducianism is a strange theory
With a strong adherent in Gordon Clark;
It all leaves my mind quite bleary.
Is this how Adam’s sin through time came down to keep us dreary?
Here it seems God leaves us in the dark.
Traducianism is a strange theory.
From two a blended body, yes; but of a blended soul I’m leery:
The evidence is rather stark.
It all leaves my mind quite bleary.
The notion of soul propagation is rather eerie;
For Hodge it held no spark.
Traducianism is a strange theory.
I try to read more but I become teary.
How would souls diversify from the survivors of the ark?
It all leaves my mind quite bleary.
For angels dwelling on pinheads the thought is no doubt cheery;
It’s a scheme for philosophers to make their mark.
Truducianism is a strange theory;
It all leaves my mind quite bleary.
–lsb 7/15/2004
That’s a nice villanelle, Lauren. Of course, to my mind creationism is the strange theory. Maybe you could try a poem along those lines?
Actually, I wrote that villanelle in July 2004, and my inspiration for the genre seems somewhat to have evaporated. I’m not sure I even agree with whatever I’m saying in this villanelle anymore. I don’t think either Clark or Hodge is really right. I don’t know how souls come into being, and it is not revealed, so it’s the stuff of vain imagining.
The tipping point for me circles around union. Is my union with Adam real? Is there a foundation for the legal union? And I think that this can be answered by looking at union with Christ. Is there a foundation for the legal union? “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”
So while Scripture doesn’t say, “This is how souls are formed” I think that ultimately traducianism does a better job of cohering with and defending doctrines that are clearly revealed.