Definition
Hamartology (from Greek hamartia = sin + -logy) is the theological discipline that studies the nature, origin, scope, and consequences of sin. It encompasses questions about original sin, the nature of the flesh, the Fall, and the relationship between human guilt and God’s judgment. Hamartology stands in direct relation to soteriology: the diagnosis of sin determines the nature of salvation.
Usage in the Corpus
Overview
The five authors have strongly divergent hamartologies. Bullinger emphasizes total depravity: the human nature (the flesh) is not capable of improvement — only death and rebirth can radically change it. Nee/Lee distinguishes the flesh (old Adamic nature, connected to the soul) from the human spirit (which can be renewed by the Spirit). Jones connects hamartology to his restorationism: Adam’s sin is the ground of universal condemnation, but precisely therefore Christ’s righteousness is the ground of universal justification (Rom. 5:18). Warnock emphasizes that the full reality of sin is only truly overcome in the Feast of Tabernacles phase.