Original Sin and the Colloquy of Regensburg

Abstract

The agreement on original sin at the Colloquy of Regensburg has not generated as much attention as the agreement on justification. Protestant theologians saw their teaching on the remnants of original sin in the baptized as fundamental to understanding justification by faith alone and the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Roman Catholics condemned the Protestant view of the remnants of original sin as undermining the work of Christ, the sacrament of baptism, and the good works of Christians. The background and aftermath of the agreement about original sin in 1541 make this remarkable achievement more intelligible. While Regensburg's agreement on original sin could meet some of the concerns of Protestant and Catholic theologians, significant disagreements about the character of sin in the baptized from the beginning of the Reformation were not resolved and expressed themselves immediately after the failure of the Colloquy of Regensburg.