traducian
/trəˈdjuːsɪən/ /trəˈdjuːʃn/ /trəˈdʒuːsɪən/Theology
noun
A person who believes that the soul of a child, like the body, is propagated by or inherited from the parents, rather than being created directly by God; a believer in or advocate of traducianism. Also: a person who maintains that original sin is transmitted from parent to child; an anti-Pelagian (now rare and chiefly historical ). Opposed to creationist.
- Opponents of St Augustine's doctrine of original sin applied the term (or its Latin antecedent) to its proponents, holding that belief in original sin necessarily implies the belief that the soul of a child is transmitted from the parents..
adjective
Of or relating to traducianism; advocating traducianism.
Origin
Early 17th century; earliest use found in Samuel Collins (1576–1651), college head. From post-classical Latin traducianus person who believes the doctrine of original sin from classical Latin trāduc-, trādux side-branch of a vine trained across the space between trees in a vineyard, in post-classical Latin also channel, intermediary (late 2nd cent. in Tertullian), transmission of the soul, transmission of original sin (from trāducere) + -iānus.