Election

• Election/ Predestination:

  • it is seen as controversial
  • God's omniscience = God knows who will go to heaven -> some suggesting he chooses them himself
  • Augustine - firstly went against the common belief of Pelagianism at the time. People are born with original sin, only go to heaven through God's grace. God's foreknowledge, but his opinion changed to believing that God actually chooses who goes to heaven or hell
• Limited election:

  • limited number of those saved
  • developed by Swiss Theologian John Calvin during the reformation -> called predestination
  • God chooses certain people to be saved and go to Heaven
  • chosen the destiny of each human
  • influential on Protestantism
  • Controlling the picture of God
• Unlimited Election:

  • single predestination -> Martin Luther
  • God did elect a group to save but the rest of humanity is not necessarily lost
  • Christ died for everyone
  • Barth ->Jesus Christ bough salvation for the whole world
  • Hick -> a universalist argued that everyone will reach God no matter their religion