The concept of predestination has been an essential topic in theology and philosophy since at least the time of St. Augustine. It has also long been one of the most contentious of Christian doctrines. Many theologians and laypersons have found the doctrine a source of great comfort, but many others have found it deeply worrisome. Above all, those who reject predestination have been motivated by concerns about what the doctrine implies about human free will and divine responsibility for evil.
Couenhoven addresses these issues by taking up two main questions: 'what does a doctrine of predestination actually imply?', and 'why has a version of this doctrine nonetheless proved appealing to so many great theologians?' In providing answers to these queries, Couenhoven leads the reader through the thorny issues connected with the Christian understanding of predestination. He analyzes what predestination meant to St. Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and Barth, and explains the different ways in which they held together belief in predestination, free will, and God's goodness. Couenhoven concludes that belief in predestination is more defensible than is widely believed.
About the Author
Jesse Couenhoven is Assistant Professor of Moral Theology in the Department of Humanities and Augustinian Traditions at Villanova University, USA.
Industry Reviews
Couenhoven reminds us why predestination is important: not only is it part of the New Testament and the Christian tradition, but it speaks to all who believe and hope that God is in charge. Like Christ's Cross and Resurrection, the doctrine of predestination insists that God's grace is not defeated by sin and death. This is good news indeed-despite the difficulty in pinning down precisely how predestination should be defined! We are in Couenhoven's debt for this wonderfully lucid and engaging introduction to a crucial aspect of the Gospel. * MATTHEW LEVERING, MUNDELEIN SEMINARY, USA *
Jesse Couenhoven has written a book that really is an illuminating guide for those perplexed by the apparently interminable debate about divine predestination and human freedom. He offers deft and agile commentary on major thinkers in the Christian tradition, and provides a thoughtful (and plausible) constructive account of his own at the end of the book. This is a clear, concise, and rewarding study that should be immediately placed in the hands of all those who doubted something helpful could still be written on this vital theological topic. * Oliver D. Crisp, Professor of Systematic Theology, School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, USA; and Professorial Fellow, Institute for Analytic and Exegetical Theology, University of St Andrews, UK. *
