Man and Sin by Piet Schoonenberg (1964) 1.6F4

Summary of text [comment] page 42

[Third, the arrangement of moral evilmetaphysical3(2) and moral evilphysical2(1) illuminates the nested form of intersubjective3(objective2(subjective1)).

The objectivity of sin2 is rarely articulated except through the perspectives of intersubjectivity3 (the determination of subject1 as a person3 simultaneously with the determination of the status of subject(3)) or subjectivity1 (the potential inherent in subject1).

Say what?

Take a look at the normal context for moral evil.  Two subjects are determined: Subject1, the perpetrator and wolf, is contextualized as a person3.  Subject3, the victim and the sheep, is regarded as “the one whose limitations are tested3“.

Whenever we judge the action, we talk about the actuality of sinful action through the normal context.  We say: What an injustice.

Out of this formulation, the intersubjective relationality of sin becomes an avenue for articulating moral evil.

Similarly, we talk about the possibilities that underlie the actuality of moral evil.  One subject1, the perpetrator, is regarded.  The intersubjective relation to the victim does not appear, just like the town on a fault line does not appear in an analysis concerning earthquakes.  The objectivity of sin2, the actual act, is articulated by discussion about the perpetrator.  We ask: Why would ‘he’ commit such a crime?

In sum, we rarely talk about the sinful act as actuality itself.  We talk about its intersubjective context and subjective motivations.

We articulate the objectivity of sin2 by talking about moral evilmetaphysical3(2) and moral evilphysical2(1).  This gives us a clue about how humans deal with actuality.]