Predestination, 1517-1543

The Debates between Erasmus, Luther, Melanchthon, and Calvin

Abstract

This article examines discussions of predestination in the context of Wittenberg theology during the first three decades of the Protestant Reformation. It shows that from the earliest disputations involving Wittenberg theologians, predestination was part of the debate because of its significance for Luther’s reconsideration of the relation between human agency and divine grace. By following the discussions between Erasmus, Luther, Melanchthon, and Calvin, and the implicit intertextuality of their debates, this study aims to consider what was left unsaid and explores what can be inferred about some of the known doctrinal shifts and precisions, especially in Melanchthon’s thought, when analyzed in light of the discussions of predestination.