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Ordinary Time

Key Doctrines

Predestination

God's eternal purpose concerning the salvation of his people — that he foreordains; how it relates to human freedom is the long debate.

Not To Be Confused With

Predestination (God's eternal purpose) overlaps with election (his choosing of a people) and is debated as unconditional (based on God's will) vs. conditional (based on foreseen faith). It is not the same as fatalism, which denies real human choice and means.

Biblical language (Rom 8:29–30; Eph 1:4–5) that every tradition must reckon with. Calvinism reads election as unconditional; Arminianism as conditioned on foreseen faith; Catholics and Orthodox hold their own accounts of grace and freedom. All affirm both God's sovereignty and human responsibility — the dispute is how they fit.

Related Terms

Related Word Studies

Predestination — Definition | Theologos Media