Epigenetics and Original Sin. Theological-Ethical Reflections on Heredity and Responsibility

Abstract

A theological-ethical approach at the topic of epigenetics may happen in two ways: on the one hand in a cultural-hermeneutical-heuristic way, on the other hand in a constructive way. The here presented contribution unites both perspectives and brings them together in the form of a draft which is obliged to the ethics of responsibility. For this purpose, the first question is which aspects of the topic are referred to in the Christian tradition. Here, the focus is on the one hand on public-medial reception, on the other hand on the structural closeness of some aspects of epigenetics to the Christian doctrine of original sin which is an essential element of theological anthropology. The question about the ethical relevance of this element of the dogma leads to the concept of responsibility. Discussing epigenetics allows for formulating this concept in more detail; at the same time such an approach contributes to demonstrating that the de-moralisation of the public discourse is an essential issue precisely of any theological-ethical position.