Predestination in Early Modern Thought

If there is a theological locus that the popular mind associates with John Calvin, it is the doctrine of predestination, and in particular the notion of “double predestination.” This association is not limited to the popular mind, to be sure; even scholars have attempted to make predestination the “center” of Calvin’s theology. I do not here plan to tackle the issue of the place of predestination in Calvin’s theological framework. My goal instead is to demonstrate the lack of originality of Calvin’s teaching on predestination when placed against the backdrop of both medieval debates surrounding predestination and the theology of Calvin’s fellow reformers.