The traditional theologies of sin and grace, Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Calvinism, all make one assumption about the nature of sin that I believe is incorrect. They assume that sin is primarily an action carried out by an individual and for which that individual is alone responsible. I argue that individual sin is the exception and that collective sin is the norm. My arguments are based on considerations dealing with the nature of individual and collective action, moral luck, and responsibility. This theology of collective sin also yields up a communitarian notion of grace in which each participant of the community of God is equal and interdependent with the others, including God. Moreover, this theology of sin and grace roundly condemns modern manifestations of political liberalism and prescribes a society that is radically egalitarian.

R. Dennis Potter, Bill Hansen