Predestination

Predestination is a Christian religious doctrine that entails that God has chosen whom he intends to save. The doctrine of predestination occurs in various aspects and faiths of Christianity, as well as other in faiths. Islam and Judaism both endorse a version of predestination, although it is not the same as that of Christianity. The doctrine first emerged in the fourth century but also is closely associated with Calvinism, which first appeared in the sixteenth century. The doctrine of predestination has implications for other aspects of religious theology and philosophy, such as free will, the limits of God, and fate. Theologians and philosophers have argued that there is compatibility, as well as incompatibility, between predestination and each of the following four elements: free will, determinism, fate, and fatalism.

Brief History

The doctrine of predestination was first discussed in conjunction with free will. By the end of the fourth century, the doctrine of predestination was granted as a condition of God’s divine foreknowledge of events. The next major revision to the doctrine of predestination was the addition of foreknowledge and permission. These allow for the compatibility of free will and predestination. This perspective was at odds with those of the Calvinists, who taught that no action of man could modify the predestination foreseen by God. The relationship between free will and predestination is still a subject of debate for philosophers and theologians in the twenty-first century.

The first discussion of predestination was in conjunction with free will. This position was clarified by the writings of Augustine of Hippo in 396. Augustine taught that while God gave free will to man, God did not intend for free will to be used equally for good or evil. According to Augustine, free will is given but tends toward the ability to carry out good works. Under this principle, predestination is compatible with free will in that God knows who will choose not to be saved; a person can have free will without nullifying predestination.

The next major change in the doctrine of predestination, or how the doctrine was perceived, comes through the practice of Lutheranism. Lutherans believe that salvation is predestined for those seeking God’s salvation. Lutherans have a significant and distinct view of predestination different from that of Calvinists. According to the Lutherans, a person can be predestined to salvation but not to damnation. Calvinists, however, insist that a person is predestined from birth to either salvation or damnation and that no actions an individual takes can change this course of action.

Overview

Predestination has a relationship with determinism, fatalism, free will, and fate. Determinism is a philosophical theory that entails that all events are caused by a preceding event. In addition, as all events are caused by preceding events, future events can be known, thereby allowing a determinist to know what will occur in the future. Free will is a philosophical and religious concept that entails that individuals have the freedom of will to choose between options in their lives. Free will come into conflict with predestination and determinism. Theologians and philosophers have argued whether there is, or is not, compatibility between predestination and each of the following four elements; free will, determinism, fate, and fatalism.

According to supporters of the compatibility of free will and predestination, predestination implies the existence and necessity of free will. This is shown through the variations of predestination, which are taught by Augustine. Critics of the compatibility of free will and predestination argue that the two concepts are opposed to each other. That is, the doctrine of free will implies that persons have free choice over their actions, whereas the doctrine of predestination implies no choice.

The most troubling concern with predestination in the twenty-first century is the paradox of free will. The paradox argues that free will is incompatible with predestination due to God's omniscience. Various explanations exist that have been posited by theologians and philosophers. Some of the more common theories are that God is outside of time and therefore the human explanation of time and sequence of events does not apply.

Determinism and predestination are often seen as similar, if not the same. Theologians hold that determinism and predestination are compatible. Determinism enables predestination to be fulfilled because the determinism fulfills the permission requirements of predestination. Critics of the compatibility of determinism and predestination claim that the two concepts cannot work together on the grounds that determinism is an aspect of the physical world. Under determinism, future events are predictable because of the preceding events. Predestination does not regard past events when predicting or understanding the future, only God's will.

Fate is also known as destiny. Theologians often hold that fate and predestination are incompatible. According to theologians, predestination is the following of God's plan, whereas fate is a chance occurrence that may or may not achieve God's chosen path of events. However, several philosophers hold fate and predestination to be compatible, if not identical. These individuals hold that the two concepts to be separated only be a semantic difference and that no real relevant distinction exists between the two concepts.

Fatalism is a combination of several factors. The first is that an individual has no ability to influence his or her future, a belief which is strongly in line with fate and predestination. To others, fatalism encompasses the doctrine that events are predictable but that no one individual or entity can know the events with certainty. Those who claim fatalism and predestination are incompatible do so on the grounds of the certainty of an event’s occurring.

Bibliography

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Harris, Sam. Free Will. New York: Free Press, 2012. Print.

Hoover, Jon. "Free Will and Predestination in Islamic Thought: Theoretical Compromises in the Works of Avicenna, al-Ghazālī and Ibn ‘Arabī." Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations 26.4 (2015): 516–18. Print.

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