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Sins of the Father: A Catholic and Biblical Approach to Generational Curses
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September 18, 2026
What I understood of Sins of the Father is 5+ stars, but unfortunately parts of the text are written at a level above/beyond my understanding. It seemed the reader would need to be an experienced exegetical scripture scholar to appreciate the finer points Dr. Schneider was making. I attempted to follow his line of thought along some of those the first time, but after that, I gave up and skipped to the next section of general text.
I was actually looking for a book which addressed generational sin(s) at a basic or family/personal level. Even so, Dr. Schneider taught me a great deal, clarifying and answering questions which I carried around but did not necessarily know where to go for help. Here are a few examples:
1) He opened with a discussion of the error of modernism first defined by Blessed Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors, no. 3: ‘Human reason, without any reference whatsoever to God, is the sole arbiter of truth and falsehood, and of good and evil; it is law to itself, and suffices, by its natural force, to secure the welfare of men and of nations.’ In other words, this is the heresy which says, I am my own magisterium in determining doctrine, interpreting the Bible and judging right and wrong, so who needs God? His successor, St. Pius X would write the encyclical, Pascendi Dominici Gregis, “Feeding the Lord's Flock” promulgated 8 September 1907 which predicted the utter chaos we are living with today: moral relativism, meaningless words, gender confusion, families in crisis and total social disintegration. p.4
2) ‘There is a ‘double consequence’ of sin: sin affects both the spiritual and temporal realms, with both requiring satisfaction. Accordingly, even when the guilt of a former sin is remitted through sacramental confession (CC 1471) there remains satisfaction to be made as part of the double consequence of every sin.’ p.23
3) ‘Jean Cardinal Danielou gives an overview of patristic thought on the role of guardian angels vis-à-vis sin. Specifically, he cites, as the consensus of the Fathers, that part of the specific duties of guardian angels is to “reprimand and punish the soul that turns aside from the right way.” … the consensus of the Fathers is that the “purifying activity” of the angels is not administered by an angry God. Rather, the purpose of the purification is to remove “the blindness of the flesh that prevents the soul from becoming united with God.”’ p.38
4) Prayer Against Every Evil p.145 – This prayer, for me, was worth the entire cost of the book!
5) Chapter IV presents an ancient debate between St. Augustine and the Pelagian spokesman of Julian of Eclanum. Although most of it was beyond me; I picked up a few points here and there. But the one part which was most enlightening was where Julian refers to two texts in the Old Testaments as contradictory and therefore dismisses the words of God when giving the Law. Here they are:
a) ‘For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation.’ (Ex 20:5)
b) ‘Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crime shall a person be put to death.’ (Dt 24:16)
St. Augustine tells Julian that there are two systems of justice, divine and human. While “human beings also punish sinful actions,” he explains, God punishes sin itself, “from our origin.” For this reason, God commands human beings that they should not also condemn the children for the sins of their parents, though he affirms that God punishes the children for the sins of their parents.’ There is a great deal of helpful discussion on this topic throughout the book. p. 159
6) In Chapter 6, St. Thomas Aquinas identifies five things in the behavior of the Canaanite woman which availed for the liberation of her child from the demon. ‘These are the formula for anyone (parent or child) suffering under demonic possession:
a) Her humility: “Yet the dogs eat.”
b) Her patience: since she patiently endured the seeming reproaches of Our LORD.
c) Her prayer: “Have mercy on me, O LORD.”
d) Her perseverance: she did not cease asking till she obtained what she desired.
e) Her faith: “O woman, great is thy faith.”’
I can vouch for this, well sort of. When my daughters were teenagers, they both turned into different people as many parents of teens can attest. There were days I wondered if a bad spirit didn’t have control over them. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I thought they were possessed, but I often did not know who they were anymore.
Then one day I heard the Gospel of the Canaanite woman as if for the first time. She spoke to me, and I started to ask for her intercession. (Hers ... along with the Blessed Mother, all my patron saints, the Holy Angels and St. Monica, who were already on the line.) This unnamed Gospel woman and her willingness to suffer any kind of rebuke, humiliation, resistance and waiting period for a daughter she loved so much resonated with me. Jesus only compliments her faith, but as St. Thomas points out, she demonstrates quite a few other important qualities necessary for a serious intercessor: patience, faithfulness, humility and perseverance in prayer. And, in the end, it pays off. As it did for me. Both of my daughters made it through those teenage years and became stalwart adults, strong in their Catholic faith as they remain today. Praise and thanks be to God, and thanks to all who prayed for them!
There’s a great deal more in this book I did not even touch on. But hopefully something mentioned here will encourage someone to read the book so s/he can write a review about all the other fine qualities which are beyond my capabilities.
I was actually looking for a book which addressed generational sin(s) at a basic or family/personal level. Even so, Dr. Schneider taught me a great deal, clarifying and answering questions which I carried around but did not necessarily know where to go for help. Here are a few examples:
1) He opened with a discussion of the error of modernism first defined by Blessed Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors, no. 3: ‘Human reason, without any reference whatsoever to God, is the sole arbiter of truth and falsehood, and of good and evil; it is law to itself, and suffices, by its natural force, to secure the welfare of men and of nations.’ In other words, this is the heresy which says, I am my own magisterium in determining doctrine, interpreting the Bible and judging right and wrong, so who needs God? His successor, St. Pius X would write the encyclical, Pascendi Dominici Gregis, “Feeding the Lord's Flock” promulgated 8 September 1907 which predicted the utter chaos we are living with today: moral relativism, meaningless words, gender confusion, families in crisis and total social disintegration. p.4
2) ‘There is a ‘double consequence’ of sin: sin affects both the spiritual and temporal realms, with both requiring satisfaction. Accordingly, even when the guilt of a former sin is remitted through sacramental confession (CC 1471) there remains satisfaction to be made as part of the double consequence of every sin.’ p.23
3) ‘Jean Cardinal Danielou gives an overview of patristic thought on the role of guardian angels vis-à-vis sin. Specifically, he cites, as the consensus of the Fathers, that part of the specific duties of guardian angels is to “reprimand and punish the soul that turns aside from the right way.” … the consensus of the Fathers is that the “purifying activity” of the angels is not administered by an angry God. Rather, the purpose of the purification is to remove “the blindness of the flesh that prevents the soul from becoming united with God.”’ p.38
4) Prayer Against Every Evil p.145 – This prayer, for me, was worth the entire cost of the book!
5) Chapter IV presents an ancient debate between St. Augustine and the Pelagian spokesman of Julian of Eclanum. Although most of it was beyond me; I picked up a few points here and there. But the one part which was most enlightening was where Julian refers to two texts in the Old Testaments as contradictory and therefore dismisses the words of God when giving the Law. Here they are:
a) ‘For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation.’ (Ex 20:5)
b) ‘Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crime shall a person be put to death.’ (Dt 24:16)
St. Augustine tells Julian that there are two systems of justice, divine and human. While “human beings also punish sinful actions,” he explains, God punishes sin itself, “from our origin.” For this reason, God commands human beings that they should not also condemn the children for the sins of their parents, though he affirms that God punishes the children for the sins of their parents.’ There is a great deal of helpful discussion on this topic throughout the book. p. 159
6) In Chapter 6, St. Thomas Aquinas identifies five things in the behavior of the Canaanite woman which availed for the liberation of her child from the demon. ‘These are the formula for anyone (parent or child) suffering under demonic possession:
a) Her humility: “Yet the dogs eat.”
b) Her patience: since she patiently endured the seeming reproaches of Our LORD.
c) Her prayer: “Have mercy on me, O LORD.”
d) Her perseverance: she did not cease asking till she obtained what she desired.
e) Her faith: “O woman, great is thy faith.”’
I can vouch for this, well sort of. When my daughters were teenagers, they both turned into different people as many parents of teens can attest. There were days I wondered if a bad spirit didn’t have control over them. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I thought they were possessed, but I often did not know who they were anymore.
Then one day I heard the Gospel of the Canaanite woman as if for the first time. She spoke to me, and I started to ask for her intercession. (Hers ... along with the Blessed Mother, all my patron saints, the Holy Angels and St. Monica, who were already on the line.) This unnamed Gospel woman and her willingness to suffer any kind of rebuke, humiliation, resistance and waiting period for a daughter she loved so much resonated with me. Jesus only compliments her faith, but as St. Thomas points out, she demonstrates quite a few other important qualities necessary for a serious intercessor: patience, faithfulness, humility and perseverance in prayer. And, in the end, it pays off. As it did for me. Both of my daughters made it through those teenage years and became stalwart adults, strong in their Catholic faith as they remain today. Praise and thanks be to God, and thanks to all who prayed for them!
There’s a great deal more in this book I did not even touch on. But hopefully something mentioned here will encourage someone to read the book so s/he can write a review about all the other fine qualities which are beyond my capabilities.
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