Manuel Piñon, O.P.’s1 Retrieval of the Biblical Significance of the Doctrine of Predestination

Abstract

Fr. Manuel Piñon, O.P., in his work Predestination and Salvation, insisted that it is imperative to clarify and rediscover the original features of the content of the doctrine of predestination,—a doctrine that has engendered misunderstanding within the Christian circle in the past—inasmuch as it is at the heart of the theology of Christian revelation. This study on the above proposition of the said Dominican scholastic is carried out through a threefold discussion. It traces the development of the dogma by utilizing as markers the two major thinkers in the Catholic tradition, namely Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, making their respective theological reflections as the premise upon which M. Piñon’s own exposition will be constructed. Moreover, the developments in the doctrine of predestination that had been introduced by thinkers reacting to the propositions of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas respectively are likewise to be investigated. It is in order to account for M. Piñon’s insistence on the need to rediscover and rearticulate the original understanding of the said doctrine. Without discounting the implication to human freedom, this study takes the stance that the issue of predestination is concerned more about the right doctrine of God. The theology of predestination, as proposed by M. Piñon, will be explored around the question: How to reconcile the notion of God who is solicitous about the salvation of all, with the view that some will end up condemned for eternity?