Free will
ST Augustine and predestination
o Predestination is the theory that all events were the will
of God a form of religious hard determinism
o He believed that before the fall “man lived in the
Pelagian Controversy enjoyment of God and was good by God’s goodness”.
o Augustine worried that it would However, Adam turned his heart away from God allowing
diminish the power of an the devil to successfully tempt him resulting in original
omnipotent God, sin. This tendency of evil is innate in all human beings a
o Pelagius proposed a person defect of all humanity, which Augustine calls
could freely decide whether to concupiscence.
be good or sinful therefore a o All humanity is born massa picati-a lump of sin.
person has a right to claim o Augustine states that humanity is “so hopelessly
salvation from God based on corrupted that we are absolutely incapable of doing
one’s own merit. anything good”. Thus, humanity’s ability to choose freely
o According to Aquinas this is affected by sin
denied God’s omnipotence, so o Augustine argued fallen humans have Librium Arbitrium:
Augustine developed the the power to make choices that are free from
doctrine of original sin and predestination, but concupiscence acts as secondary
predestination in response. human nature that overrides this. Humanity’s “free will
than has been utterly wasted by sin”.
o Augustine argues that only through God’s grace will
, John Calvin
Predestination Calvin’s doctrine of Election
o Calvin taught that God is omnipotent o Calvin believed sin had corrupted both
and omniscient he knows all that will the will and the intellect, regarding
be true in the future. The idea that God humanity as being totally depraved due
decides who receives salvation and to the fall thus humanity was unable to
who does not at creation suggests that respond in faithful obedience to the
humans do not have free will with invitation of God through Jesus
regards to religious and moral o Calvin however did not believe that all
behaviour. humanity was predestined to damnation
o Bible” God has numbered every hair but believed some would receive
on our heads and knows every sparrow salvation from God.
o Calvin based his theory on the belief that
the scripture was the sole infallible rule
The Synord of Dort: of faith “And those he predestined, he
o Calvin states there is limited atonement also called… those he justified, he also
as God made everyone’s predestined glorified.
choice before birth o Calvin stated God separated amongst
o The synord of Dort was an international the elect and the reprobates.
meeting organised by Dutch reform o The elect was those destined for
church to settle a controversy between salvation and the reprobates were those
Calvinism and arminianism. destined for damnation later referred to
o T-total depravity-humans totally as double predestination.
corrupted by sin o Calvin stated no one knows which group
U-unconditional election-God alone they belong to, and the elect are saved
chooses the elect through irresistible grace-can’t resist
L-limited atonement-Christ’s death was God’s calls.
for the elect only o Quranic link- “whoever A___ guides
I-irresistible grace-elect cannot resist
ST Augustine and predestination
o Predestination is the theory that all events were the will
of God a form of religious hard determinism
o He believed that before the fall “man lived in the
Pelagian Controversy enjoyment of God and was good by God’s goodness”.
o Augustine worried that it would However, Adam turned his heart away from God allowing
diminish the power of an the devil to successfully tempt him resulting in original
omnipotent God, sin. This tendency of evil is innate in all human beings a
o Pelagius proposed a person defect of all humanity, which Augustine calls
could freely decide whether to concupiscence.
be good or sinful therefore a o All humanity is born massa picati-a lump of sin.
person has a right to claim o Augustine states that humanity is “so hopelessly
salvation from God based on corrupted that we are absolutely incapable of doing
one’s own merit. anything good”. Thus, humanity’s ability to choose freely
o According to Aquinas this is affected by sin
denied God’s omnipotence, so o Augustine argued fallen humans have Librium Arbitrium:
Augustine developed the the power to make choices that are free from
doctrine of original sin and predestination, but concupiscence acts as secondary
predestination in response. human nature that overrides this. Humanity’s “free will
than has been utterly wasted by sin”.
o Augustine argues that only through God’s grace will
, John Calvin
Predestination Calvin’s doctrine of Election
o Calvin taught that God is omnipotent o Calvin believed sin had corrupted both
and omniscient he knows all that will the will and the intellect, regarding
be true in the future. The idea that God humanity as being totally depraved due
decides who receives salvation and to the fall thus humanity was unable to
who does not at creation suggests that respond in faithful obedience to the
humans do not have free will with invitation of God through Jesus
regards to religious and moral o Calvin however did not believe that all
behaviour. humanity was predestined to damnation
o Bible” God has numbered every hair but believed some would receive
on our heads and knows every sparrow salvation from God.
o Calvin based his theory on the belief that
the scripture was the sole infallible rule
The Synord of Dort: of faith “And those he predestined, he
o Calvin states there is limited atonement also called… those he justified, he also
as God made everyone’s predestined glorified.
choice before birth o Calvin stated God separated amongst
o The synord of Dort was an international the elect and the reprobates.
meeting organised by Dutch reform o The elect was those destined for
church to settle a controversy between salvation and the reprobates were those
Calvinism and arminianism. destined for damnation later referred to
o T-total depravity-humans totally as double predestination.
corrupted by sin o Calvin stated no one knows which group
U-unconditional election-God alone they belong to, and the elect are saved
chooses the elect through irresistible grace-can’t resist
L-limited atonement-Christ’s death was God’s calls.
for the elect only o Quranic link- “whoever A___ guides
I-irresistible grace-elect cannot resist
