“Our nature, by the corruption of the first sin being so deeply curved in on itself (incurvatus in se) that it not only bends the best gifts of God towards itself and enjoys them, as is plain in the works-righteous and hypocrites, or rather even uses God himself in order to attain these gifts, but it also fails to realize that it so wickedly, curvedly, and viciously seeks all things, even God, for its own sake.” —Martin Luther, Lectures on Romans
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6 responses to “Incurvatus In Se according to The New Yorker”
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So, Schneider, was Jonathan Edwards right after all? Should we Christians be willing to be damned for the Glory of G-d? You may be a Lutheran, and Edwards was a Puritan, but is that the essence of Protestantism? If not, what else did the great Reformed have to say about the subject? And why should we post-modern, post-religious, post-whatever, sophisticates give a tinker’s damn anyway? Seems to me like if we cannot love God for love’s sake alone, we are pretty well screwed, are we not?
Mike – really interesting point, but I think I’m missing how it relates to Luther’s incurvatus in se. Would you mind expounding? Thanks.
Will
Just a little fact check: Edwards did not actually hold the view you ascribe to him–that we should be willing to be damned for the Glory of G-d. That (creepy) position was actually advanced by the “New Divinity “(sometimes referred to as “Hopkinsianism” or “Hopkintonianism” after Samuel Hopkins) in the generation after Edwards. It emerged from a conception of “Disinterested benevolence” that would be inconceivable to Edwards.
Brilliant post.
Or as I like to say, human nature is egoistic. To be human is to err, and we err most importantly in our egoism. And Luther is so right – because our innate fault is egoism, being too concerned with our own identities and desires and abilities, we are also essentially self-deceived. That’s important. We’re not just ignorant like a Buddhist or Gnostic would say, but actively lead astray by our own natures. It’s no wonder we’re an eminently destructive species!
And law-giving, well that’s just fanning the flames!
But to be reached by a love that sacrifices itself for us: that can start a new creation.
The Christian message than is like Lao Tzu’s:
“My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them, you’ll fail.”
It’s only by faith… not by sight… apart from deeds.