When did predestination start?

Answer 1

The concept of Predestination, in the Christian faith, began, as I understand it, with the beginning of Protestantism. Catholicism was the reigning Christian denomination in Europe in the 1500's and the Catholic Church was beginning to become very unpopular with many people. Some people felt that the Catholic Church was too corrupt and that the Pope and Cardinals were just power-hungry individuals with personal greed as a priority rather than true Christianity. The Church was viewed as overly political by some and abuses and personal profit were rampant. Small groups of rebels began to form and a leader, Martin Luther emerged. He met in secret groups and spread illegal (at the time) pamphlets denouncing the Catholic Church and many Catholic Kings, such as Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France. Lutheranism had been gaining ground since the 1300's, but in the 1500's Catholicism became seriously threatened. Protestants and Lutherans believed that all people should have access to the Word of God (The Bible), which at that time was only printed in Latin and Ancient Greek and only read by religious scholars. They printed translated copies in English and other modern languages and distributed them through an illegal underground. It was illegal to own a copy of The Bible in English in some countries at that time and Church leaders feared that their authority would weaken if common people had access to Holy texts. They believed that only Religious scholars had the authority to interpret The Bible and feared that people would come to their own conclusions. The Pope was considered God's chosen representative on Earth and the Church wanted to keep the mystery and power that resulted from keeping the masses uneducated and dependent on the Church. Protestants and Lutherans were considered extremely radical and oddly, one of the tenets of their version of Christianity, was the belief in Predestination. They believed that all people were already chosen as "saved" or "not saved" but that no one knew who was or was not. It was a very pessimistic spiritual view and individuals hoped that they were saved and tried to live as true a Christian life as possible on the off chance that they were chosen by God to be saved. When Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon and marry a commoner, Anne Boleyn, he was not able to get the divorce he wanted from the Catholic Church and eventually split from the Church (a very radical step) and created a new church, the Church of England, with himself at it's head. He began the dissolution of monasteries, many of which were corrupt, and took their profits for himself and favored courtiers and men in government. He despised Martin Luther and wanted him burned, but ironically agreed with him on many points, although he would never admit it. He viewed himself as a staunch Catholic for his entire life, although he and his new wife, Queen Anne, acted Protestant in many ways. This split from the Church created a religious climate in Europe that allowed for Lutheranism to gain many followers and this version of Christianity expanded rapidly and has been a popular religion ever since, along with Protestantism.

Answer 2

Predestination—Meaning of the Word

What does the word “predestination” mean in the churches? The Dictionnaire de théologie catholiqueconsiders it to be “the divine intention to bring certain ones, who are designated by name, to everlasting life.” It is generally thought that the chosen ones, “designated by name,” are the ones referred to by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans, in the following terms: “God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son ... And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.”—Romans 8:28-30, Revised Standard Version.

Augustine, the Father of Predestination

Although other Church Fathers had previously written about predestination, Augustine (354-430C.E.) is generally considered to have laid the foundations of the doctrine for both Catholic and Protestant churches. According to Augustine, the righteous have from eternity been predestined by God to receive eternal blessings. On the other hand, the unrighteous, although not predestined by God in the strict sense of the word, are to receive the merited punishment for their sins, condemnation. Augustine’s explanation left little place for free will, thus opening the way for many a controversy.

In her book Babylon, archaeologist Joan Oates says that “each Babylonian had his own personal god or goddess.” The Babylonians believed that gods “shaped the destinies of all mankind, individually and collectively.” According to Kramer, the Sumerians believed that “the gods in control of the cosmos planned and instituted evil, falsehood and violence as part and parcel of civilization.” Belief in fate was widespread, and it was held in high esteem.

Answer 3

The concept of predestination has been a topic of philosophical and theological discussion for centuries. It has roots in various religious traditions, but its formalization into a systematic doctrine can be traced back to early Christian theologians such as Augustine in the 4th and 5th centuries.