Original sin

===Greek Fathers before Augustine===
Justin Martyr, a 2nd-century [[Christian apologist]] and philosopher, was the first Christian author to discuss the story of Adam's fall after Paul. In Justin's writings, there is no conception of original sin and the fault of sin lies at the hands of the individual who committed it. In his [[Dialogue with Trypho]], Justin wrote "The Christ has suffered to be crucified for the race of men who, since Adam, were fallen to the power of death and were in the error of the serpent, each man committing evil by his own fault" (chapter 86) and "Men{{nbsp}}[...] were created like God, free from pain and death, provided they obeyed His precepts and were deemed worthy by Him to be called His sons, and yet, like Adam and Eve, brought death upon themselves" (chapter 124).{{sfn|Toews|2013|pp=48–61}} [[Irenaeus]] was an early father appealed to by [[Augustine]] on the doctrine of original sin,{{sfn|Cross|1966|p=994}} although he did not believe that Adam's sin was as severe as later tradition would hold and he was not wholly clear about its consequences.{{sfn|Wiley|2002|pp=40-42}} One recurring theme in Irenaeus is his view that Adam, in his transgression, is essentially a child who merely partook of the tree ahead of his time.{{sfn|Bouteneff|2008|p=79}}

[[Clement of Alexandria]] in the late 2nd century did propose that sin was inherited from Adam, but did not say how.{{sfn|Wiley|2002|pp=38–39}} [[Origen of Alexandria]] had a notion similar to, but not the same as original sin. To Origen, Genesis was largely a story of allegory. On the other hand, he also believed in the pre-existence of the soul, and theorized that individuals are inherently predisposed to committing sin on account of the transgressions committed in their pre-worldly existence.

Origen is the first to quote Romans 5:12–21, rejecting the existence of a sinful state inherited from Adam. To Origen, Adam's sin sets an example that all humanity partakes in, but is not inherently born into. Responding to and rejecting Origen's theories, [[Methodius of Olympus]] rejected the pre-existence of the soul and the allegorical interpretation of Genesis, and in the process, was the first to describe the events of Adam's life as the "Fall".{{sfn|Toews|2013|pp=48–61}}

Greek Fathers would come to emphasize the cosmic dimension of the Fall, namely that since Adam, human beings are born into a fallen world, but held fast to belief that man, though fallen, is free.{{sfn|Cross|1966|p=994}} They thus did not teach that human beings are deprived of free will and involved in [[total depravity]], which is one understanding of original sin among the leaders of the [[Reformation]].{{sfn|Wallace|Rusk|2011|pp=255, 258}}{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=71}} During this period the doctrines of human depravity and the inherently sinful nature of human flesh were taught by [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]], and orthodox Christian writers took great pains to counter them.{{sfn|Lohse|1966|p=104}}{{sfn|Wallace|Rusk|2011|p=258}} Christian apologists insisted that [[Last judgment|God's future judgment of humanity]] implied humanity must have the ability to live righteously.{{sfn|McGiffert|1932|p=101}}{{sfn|Wallace|Rusk|2011|pp=258–259}}