The Concept of Predestination in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Fate, destiny or merely human agency? In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the concept of predestination has undoubtedly been at the heart of theological debate. Particularly controversial is the question of the relationship between divine predestination and free will. Debates about the providence of human existence have continued despite a number of theological and philosophical attempts to reconcile these two notions. The problem of free will and predestination in turn leads to the question of human responsibility. To what extent can human beings actually make decisions about their actions? How are salvation and sin to be understood in this context? These three contributions provided by distinguished scholars offer an interreligious perspective, particularly from the fields of theology, exegesis and philosophy, to shed light on this theological dilemma of human existence.