The theological legacy of the Reformation has produced “strange bedfellows.” In the context of nineteenth-century theology, perhaps German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher and his American counterpart Charles Hodge serve as proper examples of this “strange” kinship to the Reformation tradition. Schleiermacher’s allegiance to the “Reformed” legacy is particularly noteworthy given his commitment to reconstructing key Christian doctrines. Schleiermacher saw himself as an evangelical theologian committed to a Reformation heritage devoted to correcting doctrinal abuses and theological errors. The Protestant Reformation for Schleiermacher is not simply restoring the doctrinal affirmations of the apostolic period. The Reformation, rather, is an on-going development whereby the confessions and doctrinal formulae of one generation may have a different meaning for the next generation.
Hodge, in stark contrast to Schleiermacher’s constructive approach to the theological task, was committed to affirming the doctrines of Reformed Confessionalism. The Princeton Seminary theologian viewed the doctrinal assertions made by John Calvin, the great lights of English Puritanism, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and other influential Reformers as reliable guides for understanding the Bible. Although Hodge gave the Bible ultimate authority for all theological reflection, he felt that Reformed Confessionalism was the strongest expression of the Christian faith. Hodge was comfortable with the “faith once delivered to the saints,” and he saw the Reformers and Puritans as preservers of this faith.
Despite Schleiermacher and Hodge coming to opposite conclusions concerning the proper approach to the theological task, both rely on their Reformed heritage to give a fundamental shape their dogmatic propositions. This happens when each addresses the doctrine of sin in their respective comprehensive works. In The Christian Faith, Schleiermacher devotes more than 100.00 pages to hamartiology while Hodge’s section concerning the same doctrine in the second volume of his three-volume Systematic Theology is of comparable length.
The focus of this study is to examine the respective views of Schleiermacher and Hodge on the origin and nature of sin, particularly where Reformed doctrine plays an important role in their theological formulations. There will be points of agreement between the two concerning the fundamental character of sin. It is important, however, to show significant points of disagreement, particularly as it demonstrates Schleiermacher’s ultimate reformulation of the traditional doctrine.
It is important to distinguish which two perspectives best captures the essence of the universal human experience of sin. Although Schleiermacher’s doctrine is an innovative attempt to understand human imperfection in an age of Enlightenment optimism, his reconstructed doctrine ultimately diminishes the horrendous affront sin poses to God’s holy character. Furthermore, Schleiermacher’s formulation appears to be an indictment on God’s holy nature in assigning divine authorship to sin. Hodge’s classic Reformed view, although unimaginative, protects God’s moral integrity and offers an objective medium for understanding the impact of the Fall.