The Pope is calling for people to think more about original sin. So how do you connect that ancient doctrine about human nature to contemporary frameworks--to make it real--a mysterious truth about everyone, not merely card-carrying bad people?If I were teaching about original sin to contemporary college students, I'd start by having the students read about the Milgram experiments.

Cathleen Kaveny is the Darald and Juliet Libby Professor in the Theology Department and Law School at Boston College.

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