Imputation etc.

I am in an Eastern Orthodox context and feel obliged to understand that tradition better. I assume that other members of this blog have been busy, so I am going to write about topics that I am wrestling with. In addition to my context, however, I also feel like I am going through all areas of the Evangelical theology that I have been given, and deciding what I see as Biblical and want to own. There are four topics that I would like to list, and that I want to discuss in future posts:

1. The imputation of Adam's guilt.
2. The Imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers.
3. The substitutionary nature of the atonement.
4. Creation and evolution.

The first of these topics will be the subject of this post. I don't have much to say, other than I don't see much in the way of Biblical evidence for it, and I wonder if it could be discarded without much loss. Romans 5:12 says that death and sin came to the world from Adam, but is not very specific as to the manner. Augustine interpreted the Greek phrase "eph' ho" as the Latin 'in quo'. That is, that all had sinned in Adam, and thus were guilty of Adam's sin. Augustine from this idea of Adam's sin was able to find a theological use for infant baptism. Such baptism removes the guilt of Adam's sin. However, feeling no strong or necessary attachment to infant baptism, I see no reason to attach the release from Adam's sin to it.

Now, the Scripture seems clear that every person inherits Adam's sinful disposition or nature or inclination or tendency (whatever term we are most comfortable with). We inherit Adam's sinful nature, but not the guilt for his sin. I didn't commit his sin. Only he is responsible for his sin. I am responsible for my sin.