Predestination through the prism of St Augustine,

Blessed Augustine's introduction of the doctrine of predestination has been a significant theological point of debate in Christianity. According to Augustine, God's grace is necessary for salvation, and this grace is given only to the elect—those whom God has predestined to eternal life. This implies that some are predestined to heaven (the elect) and others to damnation (the reprobate), with no ability on their part to alter this outcome. Augustine saw this doctrine as a response to Pelagianism, which overemphasized human free will.

Refutation of Augustine's Predestination by Orthodox Christianity: Orthodox Christianity rejects the strict determinism associated with Augustine's view of predestination. Instead, Orthodoxy emphasizes synergy, the cooperation between God's grace and human free will. While God’s grace is indeed essential for salvation, human beings have the free will to accept or reject this grace. The Orthodox Church teaches that God's desire is for all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), and He gives every person the opportunity to come to Him. In this view, predestination in Orthodoxy is understood as God's foreknowledge of who will choose salvation, rather than an absolute decree that limits human freedom.

Orthodox theologians argue that Augustine's teaching undermines the role of free will in salvation. They emphasize that human cooperation with divine grace is necessary, as salvation is a process of theosis (union with God) that requires active participation, repentance, and spiritual effort.

Refutation of Calvinism by Orthodox Christianity: John Calvin expanded Augustine’s idea of predestination to a more extreme doctrine, commonly referred to as double predestination. Calvin taught that God predestined some people to eternal life (the elect) and others to eternal damnation (the reprobate), based on His sovereign will alone. This strict determinism implies that human free will plays no role in salvation or damnation, and that Christ’s atonement was intended only for the elect (limited atonement).

Orthodox Christianity strongly opposes Calvin's doctrine. For the Orthodox, Calvin's teaching not only negates human freedom but also distorts the nature of God, making Him appear unjust and arbitrary. The Orthodox believe that God's justice and love are inseparable, and He does not condemn anyone without giving them the chance for salvation. Moreover, Calvin’s concept of limited atonement is seen as incompatible with the universal nature of Christ’s redemptive work, which was for all of humanity, not just the elect.

Orthodox theologians stress that every person has the potential to be saved, and that God’s grace is available to all. The idea that God predestines some people to eternal damnation is inconsistent with the Orthodox understanding of God’s love and mercy. The Orthodox Church teaches that salvation is a dynamic process, where human beings must respond to God’s grace, live a life of repentance, and strive for holiness through their relationship with Christ.

In summary, Orthodox Christianity refutes both Augustine's and Calvin's doctrines of predestination by upholding the synergistic cooperation between divine grace and human free will, emphasizing that God desires the salvation of all people and gives everyone the opportunity to achieve it.