Many Church fathers, such as St. Augustine, wrestled with the relationship between sin and sickness.  St. Augustine actually called sin a cancer.  We see that the discussion about this relationship continues yet today.  McMinn gives a summary of how sin and psychopathology have been interpreted by psychology.  Read these over carefully.  McMinn then gives a Christian theology of sin and sickness.

• Read Chapter 5 of your textbook by McMinn

• After reading this section, please discuss the following statement by McMinn:
  • “Here we see that sin and sickness are intertwined and inseparable.  Sin can be a matter of act or thought, as is generally assumed, but sin is also an inner disposition, a part of our character that resembles a chronic sickness” (p. 132).
  • Do you agree with McMinn?  Why or why not?