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.

Related

Calvinism · transcendence · determinism · immanence · election · master plan · prayer · theology · grace · teleology · lordship · kingdom of God · throne · heavenly · higher power · worship · decree · creator

Opposites
source of authority

divine sovereigntypopular sovereignty

Populace holds ultimate authority

secular authority · self-governance · democracy · civil authority · state sovereignty

determinism vs. freedom

divine sovereigntyfree will

Autonomous choice capacity

self-determination · human choice · indeterminism · contingency · human responsibility

cosmic order

divine sovereigntyatheism

Rejection of deities

godlessness · randomness · chance · meaninglessness · naturalism

Family

divine, sovereignty, sovereign, divinity

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G