This research paper by Zachary S. Keuthan, submitted to Dr. James Anderson for ST540 – Christian Encounter with Islam at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, examines the doctrines of qadar (divine decree) in Islam and predestination in the Reformed Christian tradition. Keuthan explores their similarities in affirming divine sovereignty alongside human responsibility, while emphasizing that their theological contexts yield profoundly different implications for God’s character and human assurance.
Drawing on the Qur’an, Hadith, and classical Islamic theology, Keuthan explains that Islam teaches an absolute divine decree where all events—good and evil—occur by Allah’s will. Although some schools, like the Ash‘arites, sought to preserve human responsibility through the concept of kasb (acquisition), he argues that this view often results in theological tension and a perception of fatalism. In contrast, Reformed theology situates divine decree within a Trinitarian framework that preserves both God’s justice and mercy.
Keuthan concludes that while Islam and Calvinism share a high view of God’s sovereignty, they diverge radically in character and consequence. In Islam, Allah’s will is ultimate but arbitrary; in Calvinism, God’s decree expresses His covenantal love and righteousness revealed through Christ. Thus, what appears austere in Islam becomes redemptive in Christianity—an eternal plan grounded not merely in power, but in the goodness of the Triune God.
Course and semester: ST540 Christian Encounter with Islam — Spring 2016
