Determinism is an obvious possible deduction from
the definition of the divinity or God in most systems
of theology. These systems normally define God as a
being who is omnipotent, who is omniscient, and whose
omniscience includes foreknowledge of all future
events. It would seem that any being who possessed
these characteristics fully would have to be ultimately
responsible for every event that occurs in the universe.
Thus no individual lesser being, such as a man, could
be truly free to act or to make a decision on any matter,
important or trivial, at any time, in any place, in any
conceivable circumstances.
This deduction, however, carries certain disturbing
implications, and even provokes contradictions in many
systems of theology. For most of these systems also
include in their normal definitions of God the idea that
He is infinitely good, and the ultimate source of all
that is good in the universe. This creates the serious
problem of explaining the evil that seems to be such
an obvious and recurrent feature of all experience. It
creates the particularly serious problem of explaining
the ultimate forms of evil forecast by certain systems
of theology, such as the eternal damnation of the souls
of a high percentage of the entire human race. If God
is truly omnipotent and truly good, how can He permit
evil to exist, particularly forms of evil which are com-
pletely catastrophic and irreversible, such as the eter-
nal damnation of a human soul?
There are several fairly obvious possible logical
escapes from this dilemma. One can conclude, as be-
lievers in many primitive religions do, that God is evil
or neutral. One can conclude, as many modern liberal
believers in progress do, that God is not omnipotent
at every point in history. Or one can argue that evil
is really an illusion, and that everything which seems
evil serves some ultimate good purpose.
These logical escapes do not satisfy most theologians.
They do not seem to them to be confirmed either by
experience or by revealed truth. Most theological sys-
tems thus seek to face the dilemma by creating a
theodicy, or defense of God's goodness and omnipo-
tence despite the existence of evil. And most theologi-
ans, aware of this dilemma, shrink from endorsing
determinism. Those who emphasize God's omnipo-
tence, and particularly His role in the salvation of
individual human souls, may approach determinism
closely. But they hesitate to endorse it openly and
frankly. The term “determinism” tends to be used in
theology mostly as a polemicist's epithet, directed
against theological arguments which are charged with
overemphasizing divine omnipotence. It is thus more
precise to speak of approaches to determinism in the-
ology, rather than actual determinism.
