Editing Unconditional election (section)

==History==
The doctrine was first articulated and popularized by 4th century [[Church Father]] [[Augustine of Hippo]] during his debates with [[Pelagius]], and he taught that saving grace is bestowed by God on the elect according to his sovereign decrees. Few later theologians prior to the [[Reformation]] would take up this idea. However, prominent exceptions include [[Thomas Aquinas]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Hägglund |first=Bengt |author-link=Bengt Hägglund |title=Teologins historia |publisher=Concordia Publishing House |year=2007 |isbn=978-0758613486 |edition=4th rev. |location=St. Louis, Missouri |pages=139–140 |language=de |translator=Gene J. Lund |trans-title=History of Theology |orig-year=1968}}</ref>

Unconditional election was first codified in the [[Belgic Confession]] (1561),<ref>Belgic Confession, article 16 ("The Doctrine of Election").</ref> re-affirmed in the [[Canons of Dort]] (1619),<ref>Canons of Dort, first head, chapter 1, article 7 ("Election Defined").</ref> which arose from the [[Quinquarticular Controversy]], and is represented in the various [[Reformed Christian confessions of faith|Reformed confessions]] such as the [[Westminster Standards]] (1646).<ref>[[Westminster Confession of Faith]].</ref> Today, it is most commonly associated with the Reformation teachings of [[John Calvin]] as one of the [[Five points of Calvinism|five points]] of [[Calvinism]] and is often linked with [[Predestination (Calvinism)|predestination]].