supralapsarianism

Supralapsarianism is a Calvinist theological position holding that God's decree to elect some people for salvation and others for damnation logically preceded the decree to permit the Fall of humanity.

The opposing view, infralapsarianism, places the election decree after the Fall.

The distinction matters for how one understands God's relationship to human sin: The supralapsarian view makes predestination seem harsher to critics.