Predestination: An Introduction

Short Studies in Systematic Theology

by Andy Naselli, Graham A. Cole (Series Editor), Oren R. Martin (Series Editor)

A Concise and Systematic Exploration of the Doctrine of Predestination  How can God choose to save some and eternally punish others? What about my loved ones who are not believers? For many, contemplating predestination brings about fear, trepidation, controversy, and emotional exhaustion, making it a difficult topic to study―let alone view as a blessing.  This addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series carefully examines God’s word to answer 15 commonly asked questions regarding the doctrines of election and reprobation. With helpful visuals, key definitions, answer summaries, and prayer responses, this concise guide is perfect for all believers who want to discover and delight in what God has revealed throughout Scripture. Readers will not only learn how God saves his people from their sins, but will be stirred to respond to him in worship. 

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2023

Reviews

[Collin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping this book would drive me to worship. It did.

[Kelton Zacharias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really superb overview of the doctrine. Not too simple without being needlessly complex, and never is too far from doxology.

[Matt Ecton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, accessible, devotional. Will be my go-to recommendation for an intro on the topic going forward.

[Grace Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I think it would be difficult to find a better book on this doctrine. It’s comprehensive while still being approachable and maintains a posture of humility and submission to Scripture throughout.

[Carly Sumption]

i don’t feel i can give this a fair rating as i don’t agree with many of Naselli’s conclusions, but it is not poorly written

[Zach True · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul states in Romans 2:5, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be reveled.”

Author Andrew David Naselli embarks on, as he states, “hiking the hill” that is predestination/election. Now this is quite the weighty topic to be handling but the way Naselli does it is with such grace and humility. I appreciate him tackling this topic and taking it to the depths that he did because I feel as if predestination and election are “dirty words” in the Church today and it shouldn’t be that way. Readers will be met with God sovereignty in election as well as His justice in reprobation (theology of damnation).

Some may hear reprobation and ask, “Why would God elect some men for heaven and some for damnation?” According to Naselli, we are asking the wrong question. “The question to ask is not, Ho could God choose the pass over sinner and eternally punish them? The question to ask is, How could God choose to save anyone? Or more personally, How could God choose to save me?” We are all born with sin thanks to original sin via Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We are also given a choice to live free from sin when we choose to follow Jesus. Caveat, free from sin DOES NOT mean we live without sin. It DOES however mean we get to live free from its bondage, shame, and fear.

Jesus offers us a way out and that’s through election. Naselli states election similar to this: Those God elected are already predisposed to choosing life in the Crucified Christ and following Him whereas those who are elect to reprobation have already been predisposed to choosing sin, lust, and the cheap thrill and fulfillment that Satan offers them in the world. Brothers and sisters, if you are one of those who believe that election and predestination are “dirty words” within the Church, I challenge you to read this book and maybe even re-read it after that because I promise you will find truth, Grace, mercy, and love on both sides of predestination(mercy) and reprobation(justice).

[Joshua Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naselli begins this book by challenging the reader to join him on a journey up a mountain. One that is strenuous and tiresome- but one that is well worth the view from the top. This book challenged me in many areas of my own beliefs. Naselli did a really good job of defining terms and highlighting both views of Calvinism and Arminianism. This book barely scratches the surface on many questions related to predestination, but it is a great introductory read! I feel like I learned a lot!

[Derek Plegge · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re wanting to understand more about the doctrine of election and reprobation, then pick up this book! I loved how he formatted the book in which each chapter was addressing specific questions concerning such doctrines.

[Joshua Chatman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, concise, biblical and really edifying. As you read this, you’ll be more in awe of the Lord’s grace in Christ. I highly recommend this book

[Aaron Irlbacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is as advertised: “Predestination: An Introduction.” I would recommend it to anyone who is beginning to awaken to this truth and is hungry to learn. The strength of this book lies in its blend of brevity and practical theology.

[Derrick Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Read this for elders meetings. A good and faithful introduction to predestination, though at times it felt a bit too basic. Naselli’s prose and argumentation was clear, easy to follow, and often doxological. Still, this book would have been strengthened if Naselli utilized historic terminology/categories in part one on election like he did in part two on reprobation in order to better orient lay people to the conversation/debates on election. Other than that it’s a good book that I would recommend as a lay introduction to predestination.

[Benaiah Neetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Naselli has arguably written the new standard work on Predestination. He is fair to the Arminian side and yet is not unwilling to state what he believes. His two chapters on reprobation are worth the price of the book!

[David Crews PhD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Andy Naselli has just penned an outstanding read "Predestination: An Introduction" (Crossway Publishers, 2024) I would like to share with you. I believe this book is destined to become a classic in helping believers better understand, appreciate and glorify God for "so great a salvation" we have now in Christ as it pertains to "predestination, election and reprobation." I literally emptied three different pens making underling sentences and scribbling side notes as I was truly moved by this thoroughly biblical, powerful book.

Unfortunately, today the subject of "predestination, election and reprobation" is largely ignored or greatly misunderstood by the church. Yet, Scripture is rich with it's teachings in both the Old and the New Testament. The author is so convinced we need to know God's wisdom better on "predestination" that he invites the reader "to hike up the holy mountain" of God's revelation He desires each of His beloved children personally to embrace in a way that touches our hearts and inspires our souls to know Him and love Him with a passion we deeply desire in our life.

So, with the pastoral, devotional tone of a patient teacher, expecting many questions from his readers, and the theological approach of an indepth scholar, Author Andy Naselli disappoints no one as he clearly explains what many believers may not even realize today about our salvation how God-centered it really is on every level. Additionally, he tackles the tough questions that some dismiss or even more wish they could understand in a practical way.

Far from a dry, dusty, cold, irrelevant theological treatise, "Predestination: An Introduction" warmly addresses the great mysteries of God's plan, purpose and involvement in our salvation from eternity, from long before His creation of the world.

With helpful comparative visuals, graphs and a smooth narrative flow, this book moves with the ease and beauty of a gentle rolling, crystal-clear river, but it's provocative depth is anything but simplistic. It will move the reader to engage the Lord in worship in ways that is effervescent with joy, praise and wonder. I was surprised at what the Spirit of God showed me and I felt I was only tiptoeing on the edge of an ocean so deep and timeless that only eternity can plumb it's expansiveness.

If you are pastor or teacher and would like to introduce this subject to your church, this book is for you. If you are a believer and would like to take the author's invitation "to hike up the mountain" then, you won't find a better book to carry along as your traveling companion.

I personally have been meditating and studying predestination and election, on and off, for over 40 yrs. Yet, as I read this book, felt my heart personally and "strangely warmed" with a renewed, special touch and revelation of God's salvation in Christ for me, as His child by His undeserved mercy and grace. I pray you will too.

I received this book from Crossway publishers in exchange for an honest review.
David Crews
January 30, 2024

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new book by Andrew David Naselli, Predestination: An Introduction – Short Studies in Systematic Theology, is a book for those of us who want to understand election/predestination better. He mentions he wrote this not only for his seminary students but also members of the church, his oldest daughter (a teen), and his wife (homemaker and homeschooling mom). This is not an academic read, so it was easy to read and not dry, which sometimes a topic like this could be. You can tell he has done his research, as he has not only the scripture but also many references from other theologians who have studied predestination to explain what the Bible teaches.

I like that he included many charts/graphs throughout his writing for those that like a more visual view of an explanation, in addition to text. Each chapter is short but meaty in context. Each chapter covers a question/topic about predestination and then an explanation of what God says about it. There are fifteen chapters total that cover: what is the goal of election, when did God choose to save, is it fair, do we have free will, reprobation, and more… After each chapter is how to respond to prayer from what you learned.

I really enjoyed this book on predestination. In addition, it would be great to do as a study with others. When I became a Christian, I had struggled with years at first why I was a believer and not others that I know. I read Chosen By God by R.S. Sproul and that book was the start of my study on predestination, as it helped me to understand God more, and it gave me peace. So, if you have ever struggled with the idea of why you’re Christian, why you were saved, or how you were saved. I highly recommend you get this book.

At the end of the book, he provides a list of more resources you can further learn from.

[Sam Nesbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine introduction to the Reformed understanding of predestination. It is thoroughly biblical and works through the most significant issues that differentiate Calvinism and Arminianism. A particularly persuasive point that was made concerning the inadequacy of Arminian interpretations of Romans 9 argued that if one’s interpretation of Paul’s argument does not lead to his objections, then one has misunderstood his argument. Put another way, if one tries to explain Paul’s argument in such a way that the reader thinks “oh that makes sense and sounds fair,” then it is not the same argument, for Paul’s natural flow presumes the reader to object to his argument.

It is not all that apparent, however, that this introduction to this contentious theological subject is an upgrade from the many other treatment on predestination. The work feels a bit too long a points; some chapters could easily be combined into one or eliminated entirely without losing much to the overall value of the book. The author’s treatment on elect infants was insufficient as well: although he brings up original guilt and a sin nature, he does not adequately flesh these concepts out and moves on to typical evangelical arguments that cohere with an “age of accountability” view, which does not exactly conform with historic Reformed views on the subject. Although he does admit that no salvation can be conceived apart from Christ, he does not emphasize this enough in comparison to the aspect of the innocence of children due to their lack of active sinning.

Overall, this a fine introduction for learning or refreshing on the ins and outs of Calvinist-Arminian debates pertaining to soteriology, but the reader should move on quickly to deeper works on the subject.

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But why would God choose to save individuals who were already going to be saved anyway? What does his choice add? Those individuals would be saved even if God did not choose to save them... Turretin describes such a view as postdestination: 'If election is from foreseen faith, God would not have elected man, but rather man would have elected God, and predestination should rather be called postdestination.'" - Andy Naselli

In many ways, this book is like drinking out of a firehose. In other ways, this book is the clearest and most concise articulation of God's sovereignty in election and reprobation that I have read. The fact that Naselli manages to write this book in a way that promotes worship of an indescribably majestic God certainly adds to its strength. The book is helpfully organized by questions for each chapter title ("Is Unconditional Election Unfair?", "Do We Have Free Will?", "Who Deserves Blame for Reprobation?"). This will definitely be a book I quickly recommend to others (along with Packer's Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God ) who struggle with this topic and one I will reference often. So thankful for God to give us believers that think like Andy!

[Gordon Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clear and helpful overview of a dense and challenging subject. His frank but nuanced treatment of reprobation as the inevitable concommitant of election is very welcome. The attempt in chapter 11 to avoid the language of supra- and infralapsarianism with the more inexact language of equal or unequal double predestination, does not seem to me to be a success - the reasoning is more tortuous not less than the analysis based on a logical ordering of the decrees. Similarly chapter 10's response to the question of whether or not babies dying in infancy are elect seemed very weak, replacing the invented notion of an 'age of accountability' with an equally invention notion of conscious vs unconscious rebellion which might actually be worse. It has the potential to open the door to adult salvation without explicit knowledge of the gospel if that is construed as 'unwilling' rebellion. Apart from these sections the book is an excellent resource which helps highlight and classify the issues in this topic and concludes with an admirable exhortation to give thanks for the justice as well as the mercy of God.

[Justin Genus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblical and clear. Deals with pastoral questions, logical objections, and practical applications. Naselli is especially organized in his thought and use philosophical categories to bring clarity, but not as governing principles. He also encourages us to worship God as He presents Himself in scripture, challenging the believer to accept God on His terms, and directs us heavenward with prayers in each chapter.

My only quibble with the work would be what I’d view as a tendency to call things mysterious that are simply challenging for the human mind to accept. Practically, Naselli does not allow this to affect his embrace of these truths, but it is a logical inconsistency nonetheless.*

A good resource for those who are familiar with the Reformed doctrine of predestination generally, but want to wrestle through key objections systematically (and without the trappings of a covenantal framework).
8.5/10

(I listened to this free on hoopla, but you may want a physical copy if you arent familiar with the subject matter. Naselli uses lists and charts with regularity.)

*This tendency is helpful, however, in the chapter on the death of infants.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good. Some things I appreciated about it -

1) It is extremely biblical. The scripture index at the back is 12 pages, and many passages were cited multiple times.

2) It is extremely organized. There are lists, bullet-points, tables, questions with answers, charts, illustrations. It could almost read like a textbook.

3) But it doesn't because it is devotional, too. Naselli concludes each chapter with a half-page prayer. And there are numerous calls to gratitude, humility, and praise.

4) It relies (a lot) on other authorities, from Augustine to Piper.

5) It's not written by a presbyterian. Most everything I've read that was written within the last few hundred years that robustly defends predestination was written a presbyterian.

6) Naselli quotes a lot from Arminians. He often is complimentary of their sincerity and points out where they agree with Calvinists. But he's not afraid at all to firmly state what the truth is. See #1.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to imagine a better introduction to this vital topic. Naselli is the very definition of a "careful thinker" and exegete. He is also incredibly organized, and writes accordingly. You know exactly what he's arguing, why he's arguing it, whence it's arguing it, etc. He offers an entirely consistent Reformed position straight from Scripture. He knows the history of the doctrine and how it should be applied today.

Just about the only nit I could pick is that he cites Piper too much (not that Piper is wrong; Naselli could simply use more variety). There are other good works out there on this subject, but this is as good an overview as any I've read.

[Camden Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great and simple overview of predestination! Aimed at church members and laymen. I liked his distinction between four types of election in the Bible (to serve, to save, corporate, and individual). His treatment on distinguishing between multiple wills of God was helpful. He addressed God's relationship to evil, positing that God is never an efficient cause for evil. He holds to non-symmetrical double predestination. Lastly, he had insightful comments on infant death and election.

[curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a splendid introduction to contentious and often misunderstood doctrine. Naselli writes with clarity and wonderful accessibility, and does a tremendous job not only defending the classical Reformed position on predestination, but in demonstrating its prevalence throughout the canon of Scripture and its critical importance for understanding the nature and character of God and of the salvation he has wrought.

[Will Imfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a direct and clear treatment of the doctrines of predestination and election. Having strained and wrestled with these doctrines my whole life, I found Naselli to be both helpful and worshipful. I definitely still have questions but this provided categories and some clarity, appealing to the authority of scripture to ultimately rule one’s opinion of these topics.

[Dan Mays · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is a good introduction to Predestination while also going deep enough on topics within Predestination that I learned through this book.

I do not agree with everything in this book, and yet it feels like it holds the line of "truth in love" well.

[Richard Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naselli presents a clear, accurate, and easy-to-follow guide to the doctrine of predestination. Written in simple language, it makes a complex subject accessible to readers. It is a solid introduction to the subject.

[Logan Thune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, accessible, thorough, and very helpful. Will be recommending this one for anyone struggling with the topic.

[Lucas Waldrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great dive into the doctrine of predestination (election, reprobation). I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand this doctrine further and go deeper in their worship of God.

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good overview of the doctrine of predestination. Accessible and fair to the Arminian perspective. Clearly admitted areas of mystery where we simply won’t know things this side of eternity.

[Braley Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough, clear, doxological.