On re-establishing the innocence of the lost soul.

Initially the soul is innocent and the relationship of the innocent soul with the world is a relationship of immediacy. Everything appears good and absolute, indeed, is good and absolute to the innocent soul. Confined in time and space, the innocent soul eventually makes contact with the negative in existence and reflecting from this negative the soul loses immediacy and innocence and now, in the reflective relationship with the world of relativity, of positive and negative, of good and evil, the soul is tempted by the negative and becomes guilty. In order to regain lost innocence the soul must discover the presence of absolute good in the world of relativity and reflect once more to discover the redemptive power of this absolute good. Believing in this power the soul can reassert an innocent relationship with the world, free from the illusory power of the negative. Only the paradoxical presence of the absolute within the world of relativity can trigger this double reflection, the necessary precursor to faith. Christ is this presence in the world.