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Concupiscence
Human inclination to sin / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Concupiscence (from Late Latin concupīscentia, from the Latin verb concupīscere, from con-, "with", here an intensifier, + cupere, "to desire" + -scere, a verb-forming suffix denoting beginning of a process or state) is an ardent longing, typically one that is sensual.[1] In Christianity, particularly in Catholic and Lutheran theology, concupiscence is the tendency of humans to sin.[2][3]
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There are nine occurrences of concupiscence in the Douay-Rheims Bible[4] and three occurrences in the King James Bible.[5] It is also one of the English translations of the Koine Greek epithumia (ἐπιθυμία),[6] which occurs 39 times in the New Testament.[7]
Involuntary sexual arousal is explored in the Confessions of Augustine, wherein he used the term "concupiscence" to refer to sinful lust.[8]