Foreordination

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Foreordination \Fore*or`di*na"tion\, n.
     Previous ordination or appointment; predetermination;
     predestination. Fore part

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:



  foreordination
       n : (theology) being determined in advance; especially the
           doctrine (usually associated with Calvin) that God has
           foreordained every event throughout eternity (including
           the final salvation of mankind) [syn: {predestination}, {preordination},
            {predetermination}]

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  FOREORDINATION, n.  This looks like an easy word to define, but when I
  consider that pious and learned theologians have spent long lives in
  explaining it, and written libraries to explain their explanations;
  when I remember the nations have been divided and bloody battles
  caused by the difference between foreordination and predestination,
  and that millions of treasure have been expended in the effort to
  prove and disprove its compatibility with freedom of the will and the
  efficacy of prayer, praise, and a religious life, -- recalling these
  awful facts in the history of the word, I stand appalled before the
  mighty problem of its signification, abase my spiritual eyes, fearing
  to contemplate its portentous magnitude, reverently uncover and humbly
  refer it to His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons and His Grace Bishop Potter.