Includes bibliographical references (pages 229-288) and index.
CONTENTS NOTE
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The predestinarian labyrinth: historical background -- The agony and the ecstasy: predestination in New England puritanism -- "Shall the hellish doctrine stand?" enlightenment doubts and evangelical division -- From Methodists to Mormons: attacking predestination in the young republic -- Domesticating a doctrine: Catholics and Lutherans -- Debating a doctrine: Presbyterians and Baptists.
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
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Predestination-the idea that God foreordains one's eternal destiny-is one of the most fascinating and controversial doctrines in Christianity. In this groundbreaking history, the first of its kind, Peter Thuesen shows that far from being only about the age-old riddle of divine sovereignty versus human free will, the debate over predestination is inseparable from other central Christian beliefs and practices-the efficacy of the sacraments, the existence of purgatory and hell, the extent of God's providential involvement in human affairs-and has fueled theological conflicts across denominations for centuries. - Publisher.