predestination

In Christian theology, the doctrine asserting that God has determined all events beforehand, including the ultimate salvation or damnation of the individual human soul. Today Christianity in general accepts that humanity has free will, though some forms, such as Calvinism, believe that salvation can only be attained by the gift of God. The concept of predestination is also found in Islam.

The theory of predestination caused the early-5th-century controversy between Augustine of Hippo, who claimed the absolute determination of choice by God, and Pelagius, who upheld the doctrine of free will. Martin Luther and John Calvin adopted the Augustinian view at the Reformation, although in differing degrees, but Jacobus Arminius adopted the Pelagian standpoint.