The concept of predestination has been an essential topic in theology and philosophy since at least the time of St. Augustine. It has also long been one of the most contentious of Christian doctrines. Many theologians and laypersons have found the doctrine a source of great comfort, but many others have found it deeply worrisome. Above all, those who reject predestination have been motivated by concerns about what the doctrine implies about human free will and divine responsibility for evil.

Couenhoven addresses these issues by taking up two main questions: 'what does a doctrine of...