If original sin is human then original transgression is
divine. Transgression precedes sin. Humans lost their innocence because of sin
but it was transgression of God which made the innocence possible. Sin is
'missing the mark' in contrast to transgression, which is, 'deliberate crossing
of the line.' This deliberation must precede innocence. Sin can be committed in
innocence whereas transgression requires full conscious of the line to be
crossed.
Within the sacred, taboo is juxtaposed to transgression.
Taboo demarcates and regulates the boundaries of the limit. It is in violation
of the taboo does the transgression 'violently'[1]
opens the space of limitless. Only in the sacred realm taboo comes into play by
placing limits. But sacred space and limits depends on the movements of
crossing those limits in other words, as Bataille writes, "The sacred
world depends on limited acts of transgression."[2] These acts of
transgression do not “deny the taboo but transcends it and completes it.”[3]
Thus taboo is in place to limit the limitless (sacred) while it is
transgression which invades the limitless by pushing the limit. In Foucault’s
words, “Transgression carries the limit right to the limit of its being.”[4]
In Christian soteriological history, transgression precedes
taboo. Initial transgression is visible only in the retrospective of the
revelation of the taboo. The taboo that is revealed “You shall not make for
yourself an image in the form of anything” (Ex. 20:4; Deut 5:8) is preceded by “Then
God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;”” Gen
1:26 (NRSV). This taboo which was revealed had already been transgressed by the
divine in the very form of human being. Thus the sin of Eden only resulted in
the limitless (expelling) by closing out the limits of the “Garden”. The sin of
the human resulted only in the moving of the limit towards the limitless where
the divine transgression has now set the limits.
Monumental transgression makes way for wiping of the horizon
of whatever limits set for transgression by transforming it thereby into
righteousness. For instance parent’s transgression when uncovered by a child is
also an uncovering of the consciousness of the limits of transgression thereby
transforming both the parent and the child by wiping away the child's limited
transgression into his own righteousness because of the monumental
transfiguration of the known limits of transgression. Thus righteousness always
depends on the limits of transgression when the horizon is transfigured through
a monumental transgression then all limits are raised towards this monumental
transgression leaving everything transformed behind it as righteousness.
As the final act to the story of salvation, one final leap
of transgression by the divine transforms the limits once and for all. This
final “fall” of the divine is how it “emptied himself, taking the form of
a slave, being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form.” Phil
2:7 (NRSV, italics mine). This transgression of the divine reverses everything
by limiting the limitless. This monumental transgression once and for all
breaks the taboo on the first instance and in the second removes all bounds on
the transgression by wiping away the horizon clean with no demarcation between
the limitless and the limit. Now the limitless is within the limit and the
sacred has removed its taboo to be fully transfigured itself as the totality of
transgression, thus offering the righteousness to every conceivable
transgression. This monumental transgression not only offers total
salvation from all conceivable transgressions it also reopens the being as if
for the “first time” saying, “they do not know what they are doing” (Lk.
23:34), thus restoring even the innocence.