Predestination and Free Will

Reviewed by: Alia Choudhry, The Classical Institute, UK

Published by: New Jersey, USA: Blue Dome Press, 2023, 214pp. ISBN: 978-1682060339.

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In the world of theology and philosophy, few debates are as enduring and complex as the reconciliation of predestination and free will. Across religious traditions and philosophical schools, scholars have grappled with how divine omniscience and determinism can coexist with human agency. The book under review seeks to examine this perennial question through a comparative lens. Grounded in Islamic theological discourse, the book delves deeply into the perspectives of classical and contemporary Muslim scholars, including the renowned Fethullah Gülen, and juxtaposes these views with those of Western philosophers and theologians.

While earlier research has investigated predestination and free will within particular religious contexts, Ergi’s book reveals the subtleties among different traditions through a comparative examination. The author provides a thorough analysis that bridges Islamic theology with Western philosophical discourse, making a valuable contribution to the field. He articulates how mainstream Islamic beliefs (Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah) uphold the necessity of reconciling these concepts, presenting them not as mutually exclusive but as complementary aspects of human existence and divine governance. By examining the views of classical and contemporary Islamic scholars alongside Western theologians, Ergi offers a holistic view of the theological landscape.