Religious, Genetic, and Psychosocial Understandings of ‘The Sins of the Fathers’ and Their Implications for Family Historians
Susan M. Moore
Abstract:The purpose of this paper is to discuss the idea that the misdeeds of ancestors will have negative consequences for their descendants, as encapsulated by biblical quotes about ‘the sins of the fathers’. The prevalence of these ideas in religion and folklore, through the notion of family curses, is discussed, as is an analysis of what constitutes ‘sin’. How the so-called sins of our forebears might reach across future generations is considered in two ways. The first is that detrimental characteristics, behaviou… Show more
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