In Christian theology, traducianism is a doctrine about the origin of the soul, in one of the biblical uses of word to mean the immaterial aspect of man (Genesis 35:18, Matthew 10:28). Traducianism means that this immaterial aspect is transmitted through natural generation along with the body, the material aspect of man. I.e. an individual's soul is derived from the souls of the individual's parents. This implies that only the souls of Adam and Eve were created directly by God, in contrast with creationism, which holds that all souls were so created.

Biblical support

Supporters of traducianism present arguments from the Bible such as the following"

• Semitic Totality Concept: the Bible teaches that the body (the material aspect of man) and soul are a unity. Therefore then the body and soul of the individual must begin simultaneously.
• Begetting includes the image and likeness of God (Genesis 5:3), but since God is spirit, this must mean the immaterial aspect of man.
• God’s creation is finished (Genesis 2:2), thus no new souls are created directly, but are instead transmitted by natural generation just as the body is.
• God created all things "very good" (Gen. 1:31), yet the Bible teaches that after the fall, all are sinful at birth (Job 14:1–4, 15:14, Psalm 58:3, John 3:6) and indeed from conception (Psalm 51:5). Since God would not have created something sinful, it follows that souls are not created directly but are generated.
• Gen. 46:26 teaches that souls are already present in the loins.

Supporters

Traducianism was supported by Tertullian, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Gregory of Nyssa, many in the early Western church (but Roman Catholicism is creationist), the Lutheran Church, and some Reformed theologians such as Augustus H. Strong and William G.T. Shedd (although most Reformed theologians support creationism).