Guardian opinion: Redefining sin as disharmony rather than shame
In an opinion piece published on 10 August 2026, Bailey draws on Hebrew and Greek etymologies to propose that sin should be understood as a cue for right action, drawing parallels with Buddhist concepts of alignment and Islamic and Jewish traditions of innate innocence
Jackie Bailey, an award-winning author and pastoral care practitioner, has published an opinion piece in The Guardian arguing for a fundamental shift in how the concept of sin is understood. Writing on 10 August 2026, Bailey suggests that moving away from doctrines of inherent unworthiness towards a framework of 'missing the mark' can serve as a constructive cue for ethical action rather than a source of trauma.
Bailey, who is the author of The Outrageous Good Fortune of Living (HarperCollins), describes absorbing the doctrine of original sin as a child, which left her with a sense of being inherently unworthy of God’s love. She contrasts this with the Christian distinction between original sin, described as a foundational broken state of being, and actual sin, which refers to specific wrongful acts such as those listed in the Ten Commandments.
The article highlights that the Hebrew word chata (chēt) and the Greek term hamartia are both translated as 'to miss the mark'. Bailey argues this etymological basis offers a more useful understanding of sin than the notion of being inherently wrong. She draws a parallel to the Buddhist term dukkha, which is commonly translated as suffering but can also mean being off-kilter or out of alignment.
Bailey contrasts the Christian view of original sin with Islamic beliefs in fitrah, or innate purity, and Jewish traditions that teach humans enter the world innocent. She notes that while other religions have ethical codes without the doctrine of original sin, the idea of sin can still cause significant personal shame and trauma if it condemns aspects of a person’s identity, such as gender or sexual orientation.
Proposing a practical utility for this redefinition, Bailey posits that viewing sin as disharmony allows individuals to address personal imbalances, relational disconnects, or societal issues such as systemic racism and wealth inequality through action. She suggests that shame pushes individuals into inaction, whereas a sense of things being out of whack can inspire 'right action' to restore balance.
Bailey concludes that understanding sin as a sense of not-quite-rightness encourages individuals to take responsibility for change rather than assuming there is something fundamentally wrong with themselves or humanity. She describes this approach as a way to fix a wobbly wheel, setting it true to start driving forward.