Theological Determinism

• View of hard determinism
• Rooted in the Christian idea that God is omniscient
• Led to Augustine and Calvin's Doctrine of Predestination
• God's omniscience means some are 'eternally ordained to glory' whilst others are 'ordained to eternal torment'
• Points of weakness (2)

  • Aquinas' view of a timeless God: omniscience means he sees the result of our future choices but does not cause them (permits human free choices)
  • A temporal God: exist in time so theological determinism is false (cannot know the future)