Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the "paradox of free will", whereby God's omniscience seems incompatible with human free will. In this usage, predestination can be regarded as a form of religious determinism; and usually predeterminism.
There is some disagreement among scholars regarding the views on predestination of first-century AD Judaism, out of which Christianity came. Josephus wrote during the first century that the three main Jewish sects differed on this question. He argued that the Essenes and Pharisees argued that God's providence orders all human events, but the Pharisees still maintained that people are able to choose between right and wrong. He wrote that the Sadducees did not have a doctrine of providence. Biblical scholar N. T. Wright argues that Josephus's portrayal of these groups is incorrect, and that the Jewish debates referenced by Josephus should be seen as having to do with God's work to liberate Israel rather than philosophical questions about predestination. In Wright's understanding, Essenes were content to wait for God to liberate Israel while Pharisees believed Jews needed to act in cooperation with God. John Barclay has responded that despite the over-simplification of Josephus's portrayal, there were complex differences between these groups which may have been similar to those described by Josephus.Francis Watson has also argued on the basis of 4 Ezra, a document dated to the first century AD, that Jewish beliefs in predestination are primarily concerned with God's choice to save some individual Jews.
Predestination is a 2014 Australian science fiction mystery thriller film written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. The film is based on the Robert A. Heinlein short story "'—All You Zombies—'", and stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor.
The movie begins in medias res as a time travelling agent is trying to disarm a bomb that explodes and burns his face. Someone approaches and helps him to grasp his time travelling device, bringing him to a hospital in the future. While the agent is recovering from facial reconstruction, we learn that he had been trying to prevent the "Fizzle Bomber's" attack on New York, in 1975. After his recovery he receives his last assignment.
The agent moves to 1970 New York. As a bartender, he starts a conversation with one of the customers. The customer, John, reveals he writes true confession articles under the pen name "The Unmarried Mother". This pseudonym is explained by his biography. He grew up as "Jane" in an orphanage. As an adult she applied for "Space Corp", but she was later disqualified because of a medical condition. She met a man that she fell in love with, but later that man disappeared. It turns out that Space Corp worked for the Temporal Agency, and this agency now wanted to recruit her. However, Jane became pregnant with her ex-lover's baby. The agency broke off contact, and later her baby was stolen. Furthermore, she found out that she was intersex and that giving birth had led to complications that required her to become a man. Since then, John has been living a bitter life as "The Unmarried Mother".
Predestination is a doctrine in Calvinism dealing with the question of the control that God exercises over the world. In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith, God "freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass." The second use of the word "predestination" applies this to the salvation, and refers to the belief that God appointed the eternal destiny of some to salvation by grace, while leaving the remainder to receive eternal damnation for all their sins, even their original sin. The former is called "unconditional election", and the latter "reprobation". In Calvinism, people are predestined and effectually called in due time (regenerated/born again) to faith by God.
On predestination, the Belgic Confession of Faith (1561) states:
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1643) states:
The Westminster Confession also states in Chapter X:
John Calvin held a view on predestination sometimes referred to as "double predestination." This is the view that God has actively chosen some people for damnation as well as for salvation. It is not the view of any of the Reformed confessions, which speak of God passing over rather than actively reprobating the damned.