Nuanced
Human agency affirmed; Calvinist predestination rejected
Community of Christ affirms human moral agency as foundational — a conviction shared with the LDS heritage. God desires all to be saved, and individuals genuinely choose whether to respond to God's grace. Calvinist predestination is incompatible with the denomination's Restoration heritage and its progressive social ethics, which presuppose that humans can choose to work with God for justice and peace.
The church's Enduring Principles emphasize responding to God's invitation and participating in God's mission, which presupposes genuine human freedom and responsibility.
Key Distinctions
- Election model:
- conditional election — God elects those he foreknows will believe (Arminian)
- Double predestination:
- denied — God does not predestine any to damnation
- Free will teaching:
- libertarian free will — prevenient grace enables genuine choice
Scripture References
- Doctrine and Covenants 93:38 (Community of Christ version)
Sources
- Community of Christ Enduring Principles
- Community of Christ Basic Beliefs