Let me review:

Concupiscence is saying “yes” when we should say “no”.

Concupiscence encompasses actuality(potential).  It parallels anxiety(faith^UnChristian) on the plane of “doing”.

Concupiscence is a “state of being(“with Cupid”).  Technically, it substitutes finite ends for transcendent ends.  Practically, it makes finite ends feel as if they were transcendent.

“Addiction” goes with “concupiscence”.  There are two types of addictions.  One corresponds to the body.  St. Augustine’s addiction to sexual pleasure might be an example.  One corresponds to the soul.  Pelagius’ addiction to “spiritual perfection” might be an example.   Both addictions emerge from the lower plane of pride(anxiety(faith^UnChristian)).

Concupiscence has the quality of “being imprisoned by a power that is outside ourselves”, “being a puppet controlled by demonic puppeteers”, and so on.  One of the functions of grace is to help open the jailhouse door or to help cut the strings.  That typically does not happen unless somehow – at some level of conscious or unconscious awareness – the person admits that there is no way out.

Justification^self puts concupiscence into context.

Justification^self entails “lying to ourselves”.

Justification^self has the character of an “independent voice outside ourselves” that “validates what we – at some level – already know” even though we may only be “talking to ourselves”.  This is precisely the character of the serpent in the Genesis Story of Adam and Eve, especially when we interpret the serpent to be a projection of Eve’s unconscious thoughts.

To me, this idea of justification^self “outside ourselves” is a fascinating interpretation of the Genesis text.

This is the topic of the next few blogs.