Issue
Predestination and the Freedom of God
Vol. 7, No. 6 • Nov/Dec 1998
The doctrine of predestination has fallen on hard times. Not that it was ever very popular. Given today’s theological climate, most Christians probably think that predestination-to the extent that they think about it at all-is an abstract, philosophical notion invented by a few cranks in the past. (1) In reality, though, most of the famous […]
All Articles (11)
“God’s Purpose According to Election”
The doctrine of predestination has fallen on hard times. Not that it was ever very popular. Given today’s theological climate, most Christians probably think that predestination-to the extent that they think about it at all-is an abstract, philosophical notion invented by a few cranks in the past. (1) In reality, though, most of the famous […]
Openness Model of God
MR: Dr. Pinnock, you were once a Calvinist theologian. Today, you are at the vanguard of a movement among evangelical scholars away from Augustinian or Reformational theology. Do you believe your odyssey is illustrative of our moment? And if so, why? CP: People move in different directions over a lifetime. Some move to Calvinism, others […]
Preaching Christ How All of Scripture Points to Him
You put down the fork as your phone rings: “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Target! You and your wife have just been awarded an all-expense-paid cruise on the Caribbean!” Or was it ten million dollars that was reserved for you according to the junk mail yesterday? Do you read the fine print on those million dollar […]
Did Calvin’s Successors Distort His Doctrine of Predestination?
The division of history into various periods serves as a helpful pedagogical tool. I walked out of my courses in ancient, medieval, Reformation, and modern history with a sense of accomplishment in having somewhat mastered important events, individuals, and trends of thought that make each period distinct from one another. Such divisions offer convenient and […]
“Neither Reason Nor Free-Will Points to Him”
In the years immediately following Martin Luther’s emerging fame after posting the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, many European observers wondered how the Renaissance and Reformation movements might relate to one another in the future. After all, both were interested in a type of reform in the Church. Furthermore, each movement was led by a brilliant […]
Neglected Sources of the Reformed Doctrine of Predestination
Although its reception has been varied, the doctrine of predestin-ation-and particularly double predestination-has nevertheless had a sig-nificant impact throughout church history. Augustine, Fulgentius of Ruspe, Isodore of Seville, Got-tschalk of Orbais, Thomas Aquinas, the sixteenth-century Reformers, and, more recently, Karl Barth all devoted careful atten-tion to this question, even if the church did not always […]
