20 world religions and faith practices 194

The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume Predestination The father of Presbyterianism, John Calvin (1509–64), is most famous for his doctrine of predestination Calvin defines predestination in this way: “› ’”‡†‡•–‹ƒ–‹‘ ™‡ ‡ƒ –Š‡ ‡–‡”ƒŽ †‡…”‡‡ ‘ˆ ‘†ǡ „› ™Š‹…Š Š‡ †‡–‡”‹‡† ™‹–Š Š‹•‡Žˆ ™Šƒ–‡˜‡” Š‡ ™‹•Š‡† –‘ Šƒ’’‡ ™‹–Š ”‡‰ƒ”† –‘ ‡˜‡”›ƒǤŽŽƒ”‡‘–…”‡ƒ–‡†‘‡“—ƒŽ–‡”•ǡ„—–•‘‡ƒ”‡ ’”‡‘”†ƒ‹‡† –‘ ‡–‡”ƒŽ Ž‹ˆ‡ǡ ‘–Š‡”• –‘ ‡–‡”ƒŽ †ƒƒ–‹‘Ǣ ƒ†ǡ ƒ……‘”†‹‰Ž›ǡ ƒ• ‡ƒ…Š Šƒ• „‡‡ …”‡ƒ–‡† ˆ‘” ‘‡ ‘” ‘–Š‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡•‡ ‡†•ǡ ™‡ •ƒ› –Šƒ– Š‡ Šƒ• „‡‡’”‡†‡•–‹‡†–‘Ž‹ˆ‡‘”–‘†‡ƒ–ŠǤ‡•ƒ›ǡ –Š‡ǡ–Šƒ–…”‹’–—”‡…Ž‡ƒ”Ž›’”‘˜‡•–Š‹•—…Šǡ–Šƒ– ‘†„›Š‹•‡–‡”ƒŽƒ† ‹—–ƒ„Ž‡ …‘—•‡Ž †‡–‡”‹‡† ‘…‡ ˆ‘” ƒŽŽ –Š‘•‡ ™Š‘ ‹– ™ƒ• Š‹• ’Ž‡ƒ•—”‡ ‘‡ †ƒ› –‘ ƒ†‹– –‘ •ƒŽ˜ƒ–‹‘ǡ ƒ† –Š‘•‡™Š‘ǡ ‘ –Š‡ ‘–Š‡” Šƒ†ǡ ‹– ™ƒ• Š‹• ’Ž‡ƒ•—”‡ –‘ †‘‘ –‘ †‡•–”—…–‹‘Ǥ ‡ ƒ‹–ƒ‹ –Šƒ– –Š‹•…‘—•‡Žǡƒ•”‡‰ƒ”†•–Š‡‡Ž‡…–ǡ‹•ˆ‘—†‡†‘Š‹•ˆ”‡‡‡”…›ǡ™‹–Š‘—– ƒ› ”‡•’‡…– –‘ Š—ƒ ™‘”–Šǡ ™Š‹Ž‡ –Š‘•‡ ™Š‘ Š‡ †‘‘• –‘ †‡•–”—…–‹‘ƒ”‡‡š…Ž—†‡†ˆ”‘ƒ……‡••–‘Ž‹ˆ‡„›ƒŒ—•–ƒ†„Žƒ‡Ž‡••ǡ„—– ƒ––Š‡•ƒ‡–‹‡‹…‘’”‡Š‡•‹„Ž‡Œ—†‰‡t.”8 Other theologians have seen in predestination only a positive calling to eternal life Still others have seen it as God’s foreknowledge of who would choose faith This word, similar to election, often raises questions for people of other denominations The starkness of affirming that God has pre-selected some for heaven and others for hell has moved people to try to put the puzzle together in several ways Over the centuries many long theological essays have been written, presenting different efforts to make it all fit together smoothly, and criticizing the failures of other attempts Below is just one of those attempts to explain the Presbyterian view on predestination, but there is no way to know if this is what Calvin actually had in mind: “Some believe that every event may be caused by previous events If so, it is an illusion to suppose that your decisions actually change anything If you a good deed…that is what
›‘— ™‡”‡ ˆƒ–‡† –‘ †‘Ǥ ˆ ›‘— †‘ •‘‡–Š‹‰ ‡˜‹Žǡ –Šƒ– ‹• Œ—•– –Š‡ ‘—–™‘”‹‰ ‘ˆ ›‘—” ’”‡†‡–‡”‹‡† ˆƒ–‡Ǥ Š‹• ‹• †‹ˆˆ‡”‡– ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ”‡•„›–‡”‹ƒ †‘…–”‹‡ ‘ˆ ’”‡†‡•–‹ƒ–‹‘ǡ ™Š‹…Š •ƒ›• ‘† …Š‘•‡ –‘”‡†‡‡ —•ǡ Ž‘‰ „‡ˆ‘”‡ ™‡ …‘—Ž† ‡˜‡ —†‡”•–ƒ† ™Šƒ– –Šƒ– ‹‰Š–‡ƒǤ " ~ 193 ~