Which religious doctrine is associated with Calvinism?

Calvinism is fundamentally associated with the doctrine of predestination, which posits that God has already determined, before the foundation of the world, who will be saved and who will be damned. This belief is central to Calvinist theology and reflects the idea that salvation is not based on individual merit or actions but rather on God's sovereign choice.

In the context of Calvinism, predestination underscores the belief in God's absolute power and grace, emphasizing that human beings can't influence their salvation through good works or faith alone—concepts that are more associated with other branches of Christianity. This makes predestination a distinctive and key feature of Calvinist teachings, differentiating it from other Christian theological perspectives.

While the idea of faith alone for salvation is indeed significant in many Protestant traditions, including those influenced by Martin Luther, it is not as central to Calvinism as predestination. Transubstantiation is a doctrine related to the Catholic Church regarding the nature of Eucharist, and while the Protestant work ethic can be connected to Calvinist beliefs, it is not a doctrinal tenet. Thus, predestination is the essential doctrine that characterizes Calvinism distinctly.