Reformed Christianity studies the logical order of God's decree to ordain the fall of man in relation to his decree to save some sinners through election and condemn others through reprobation. Several opposing positions have been proposed, all of which have names with the Latin root lapsus (meaning fall), and the word stem (a type of root) -lapsarianism. Supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism assert that election and reprobation respectively preceded and succeeded the fall of man logically, not temporally.

Supralapsarianism (also called antelapsarianism, pre-lapsarianism or prelapsarianism) is the view that God's decrees of election and reprobation logically preceded the decree of the fall of man. Infralapsarianism (also called postlapsarianism and sublapsarianism) asserts that God's decrees of election and reprobation logically succeeded the decree of the Fall. The words can also be used in connection with other topics, e.g. supra- and infralapsarian Christology.

The difference between the two views are minute; supralapsarianism, by virtue of its belief that God creates the elect and reprobate, is a suggestion or provides an inference that at some level, God decreed sin to enter into the world without being the author of it. Infralapsarianism teaches that all men are sinful by nature (due to the Fall), are thereby condemned through our own sin (free will), and that God had foreknowledge of whom He would rescue from condemnation. The infralapsarianist view follows Ephesians 1:4–6, "... even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (ESV). That is, some are chosen to be elect (foreknowledge) but not created elect.

Many Calvinists reject both lapsarian views for various reasons. Herman Bavinck rejected both because he sees the entire system of God's plan of salvation as organic, with each part mutually dependent and determinative, rather than some parts "causing" others.

The first to articulate the supralapsarian view were Theodore Beza and Jerome Zanchius. A few later Calvinists, in particular those influenced by Beza's theology, embraced supralapsarianism. In England Beza's influence was felt at Cambridge, where William Perkins and William Ames held to it, as well as Franciscus Gomarus in the Netherlands. Later, William Twisse wrote two comprehensive books on supralapsarianism, one in Latin entitled Vindiciae Gratiae, Potestatis, Et Providentiae Dei and an English work entitled The Riches of God's Love unto the Vessels of Mercy. In the 20th century, proponents of supralapsarianism include Abraham Kuyper, Herman Hoeksema, Arthur Pink, Gordon Clark. Historically, it is estimated that less than 5% of all Calvinists ascribe to supralapsarianism. The infralapsarianism view seems to be expressed in the Synod of Dort in 1618. In the Canons of Dort, First Point of Doctrine, Article 7, it states:

Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, [God] chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin.

However the synod did not reject those who held to a supralapsarian position, as illustrated in the trial held against Johannes Maccovius and his eventual exoneration concerning his views on sin in the divine decree. Other supralapsarians at the synod included Gomarus, Ames, and Gisbertus Voetius, none of whom took exception to the Canons of Dort.

The difficulty in ascertaining an historical supralapsarian position is that while many supralapsarians may have held similar positions with regard to the ordering of the decree, the actual object and subject of predestination may differ among many. The example of William Twisse may be interesting to many given some of his emphases, which may not be as unique to him historically. Regarding his doctrine of salvation, Twisse was explicitly and staunchly supralapsarian, although his views are difficult to fit into the standard definition of supralapsarianism. He adhered to the classic supralapsarian dictum: Quod primum est in intentione, ultimum est in executione...quod ultimum est in executione, primum est in intentione (that which is first in intention is last in execution...that which is last in execution is first in intention) and emphasized these repeatedly in his writings.