divine sovereignty
Heaven's ultimate authority
Divine sovereignty is the theological doctrine that God holds supreme authority and control over all creation.
Nothing happens outside God's will or power—from cosmic events to individual human lives.
The concept raises difficult questions about free will and the problem of evil: if God is sovereign, how can humans be responsible for their choices?
Different religious traditions interpret the scope differently, from absolute predestination to a sovereignty that permits genuine human freedom.
- predestinationDivinely predetermined fate
- omnipotenceUnlimited universal power
- theodicyDefense of divine goodness
- providenceDivine protective care
- omniscienceUnlimited knowledge state
Calvinism · transcendence · determinism · immanence · election · master plan · prayer · theology · grace · teleology · lordship · kingdom of God · throne · heavenly · higher power · worship · decree · creator
divine sovereigntypopular sovereignty
Populace holds ultimate authority
secular authority · self-governance · democracy · civil authority · state sovereignty
divine sovereigntyfree will
Autonomous choice capacity
self-determination · human choice · indeterminism · contingency · human responsibility
divine sovereigntyatheism
Rejection of deities
godlessness · randomness · chance · meaninglessness · naturalism