Monergism is a theological doctrine that teaches God alone brings about salvation through an internal calling and regeneration of an individual by the Holy Spirit. This contrasts with synergism, which teaches that salvation is a cooperative effort between God’s grace and man’s exercise of free will. The monergistic view of salvation is most commonly associated with Calvinism and Reformed theology.
According to monergism, the natural state of man after the fall is unable to respond to the gospel. Man is dead in his sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1), so God must initiate salvation by awakening the sinner’s heart and renewing their will. This is often referred to as irresistible grace, meaning when God calls the elect to Himself, they cannot resist responding in repentance and faith. God alone is responsible for regeneration and faith is a gift of God, not an act of man’s free will (Ephesians 2:8-9). All glory in salvation belongs to God alone.
Key biblical passages used to support monergism include:
- John 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
- John 6:65 – “No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
- John 15:16 – “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
- Acts 13:48 – “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”
- Romans 8:7-8 – “The mind that is set on flesh is hostile to God…it does not submit to God’s law.”
- Romans 9:16 – “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
- Ephesians 2:8-9 – “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works.”
- Philippians 1:29 – “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should…believe in him.”
- 2 Timothy 1:9 – “[God] saved us and called us…because of his own purpose and grace.”
In summary, monergism teaches that regeneration precedes and enables faith. The Holy Spirit must first supernaturally work in the sinner’s heart to enable them to respond to the gospel in repentance and faith. Salvation is completely the work of God from start to finish. Man contributes nothing to his regeneration. The决定 gist of monergism is soli Deo gloria – glory to God alone in salvation.
This contrasts sharply with synergism, which teaches that salvation involves cooperation between God’s grace and man’s free will. God provides prevenient grace to all, restoring free will lost in the fall, which grants all men the ability to freely choose or reject Christ. Faith is an act of man’s will, not a gift from God. While God’s grace makes salvation possible, man’s response determines whether one is saved or not. This view argues God would be unjust to require faith without enabling libertarian free will to exercise faith. Key biblical passages used to argue for synergism include:
- Joshua 24:15 – “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
- John 3:16 – “Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
- Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.”
In summary, synergism teaches that man cooperates with God’s grace by exercising free will to repent and believe. Salvation is contingent on man’s response. God’s election is based on His foreknowledge of those who would believe. The gist of synergism is God woos but man decides his eternal destiny. This has been the dominant view in Catholicism and Arminianism.
The monergistic view of salvation can be traced back to Augustine in his dispute with Pelagius. Augustine argued man was totally depraved after the fall and did not possess libertarian free will. Man cannot come to God apart from God’s empowering grace which regenerates the heart and guarantees the sinner will repent and believe. The early Reformers like Luther and Calvin carried on this monergistic soteriology. Article 10 of the Canons of Dort summarizes the monergistic view:
But that others who are called by the gospel obey the call and are converted is not to be ascribed to the proper exercise of free will, whereby one distinguishes himself above others equally furnished with grace sufficient for faith and conversion (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains); but it must be wholly ascribed to God, who, as He has chosen His own from eternity in Christ, so He calls them effectually in time, confers upon them faith and repentance, rescues them from the power of darkness, and translates them into the kingdom of His own Son; that they may show forth the praises of Him who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light, and may glory not in themselves but in the Lord, according to the testimony of the apostles in various places.
John Calvin also strongly advocated for monergism. He taught fallen man was totally depraved and enslaved to sin. Man could not exercise saving faith apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Reformed confessions like the Westminster Confession (Ch 10) and London Baptist Confession (Ch 10) reflect Calvinistic monergism. Article 11 of the Belgic Confession also affirms regeneration precedes and enables faith:
We believe that this true faith, produced in man by the hearing of God’s Word and by the operation of the Holy Spirit, regenerates him and makes him a “new man,” causing him to live the “new life” and freeing him from the slavery of sin.
Opponents argue monergism makes God the author of evil by forcing repentance and faith on the unwilling. It removes human freedom and responsibility. The synergist view argues God’s grace restores free will lost in the fall, allowing man to freely choose or reject God’s offer of salvation. Faith becomes an act of man’s will, not God’s will being imposed on man.
Defenders of monergism appeal to God’s sovereignty and Scripture’s testimony that fallen man is unable and unwilling to submit to God apart from divine intervention (Jeremiah 13:23, John 6:44, Romans 3:11). Prevenient grace is an invention not taught in Scripture. Total depravity necessitates God’s monergistic regeneration of the sinner’s heart to enable saving faith. God does not force salvation on the unwilling, rather He makes the unwilling willing through irresistible grace.
In conclusion, monergism teaches God alone activates regeneration and faith in the sinner. The natural man is unable to believe apart from God’s sovereign work. Synergism teaches God activates prevenient grace, restoring free will lost in the fall so man can cooperate with God’s offer of salvation. The two views represent the nexus of the Calvinist-Arminian debate regarding how fallen man comes to saving faith. The monergistic view emphasizes God’s sovereignty in salvation. The synergist view emphasizes human freedom and response.