decisionism

D2E1C3I1S1I1O1N1I1S1M3
UK/dɪˈsɪʒənɪzəm/

noun

The doctrine that moral or legal precepts are the product of decisions made by political or legal bodies

Scrabble 16

Meanings

noundecisionism (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe doctrine that moral or legal precepts are the product of decisions made by political or legal bodies
  2. uncountableChristianityA theology that stresses the importance of the decision to become a Christian for salvation. Often this decision takes the form of the sinner's prayer.

    The decisionism of today's SBC is problematic, but many of us remain unconvinced that dropping decision from our evangelistic vocabulary is a necessary response […].

    2008, Chuck Lawless, “Southern Baptist Non-Calvinists—Who Are We Really?”, in E. Ray Clendenen, Brad J. Waggoner, editors, Calvinism: A Southern Baptist Dialogue, page 166
    1 more example

    The sinner's prayer is an example of a wrong presupposition that plagues much of modern evangelism. It comes from the errant notion that a sinner's decision to receive Christ is the determining factor in salvation. The sinner's prayer is an offshoot of this concept of decisionism, despite the fact that it utterly removes the idea that it is actually God who draws people to Himself.

    2011, John MacArthur et al., Evangelism: How to Share the Gospel Faithfully, page 134

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

Translations

Danish decisionisme
  • decisionismedoctrine about moral or legal precepts
French décisionnisme
  • décisionnismedoctrine about moral or legal precepts
German Dezisionismus
  • Dezisionismusdoctrine about moral or legal precepts
Italian decisionismo
  • decisionismodoctrine about moral or legal precepts

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

decisionism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decisionism

MLA

“decisionism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decisionism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decisionism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decisionism.

Source: decisionism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.