"The tree of knowledge of good and evil” of early christian literature

Abstract

The biblical story of Adam and Eve as well as their breaking the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil are one of the most intriguing ones in the history of theology. Throughout the centuries both Christians and heretics have been trying to find the answer for the most fundamental question concerning man and his creation, the sense of existence, vocation, the tendency to do good or evil, cosmology, etc. This chapter aims at describing a study over the tree of knowledge of good and evil on the basis of some particular early Christian writers. The Christian Church was once predominated with the idea that everything created by God was in its nature good. Thus the heavenly tree of knowledge with all its fruit were good in nature. The tree in the Christian Church tradition has become the symbol of order as established by the Creator, while the fact of a human reaching for the fruit stands for his disobedience and sin. This science has significantly influenced the articulation of dogma on God’s nature, creation, original sin, salvation and many more.