Monergism vs. Synergism
Salvation as God's work alone, or a cooperation between God and man.
| Term | Meaning | Focus | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monergism | “One work” — God alone regenerates and saves | Divine initiative | Reformed / Augustinian |
| Synergism | “Working together” — God and man cooperate | Human response | Arminian / Wesleyan |
Monergism teaches that God is the sole effective cause of salvation. The spiritually dead do not contribute to their new birth; the Spirit alone grants faith and unites us to Christ.
This undergirds the Reformation solas: salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Even faith is a gift.
Synergism views salvation as a cooperative venture. Grace is necessary but not sufficient; the decisive difference lies in the human will's use of that grace.
In Arminian forms, prevenient grace enables all to choose Christ. Those who believe are saved because they have responded rightly; those who do not are lost because they have resisted.
In a monergistic, covenantal framework, the children of believers are addressed as belonging to God's people. God's promises “to you and to your children” (Acts 2:39) are taken seriously, and the ordinary expectation is that He works sovereignly within the covenant line.
This supports a posture of presumptive regeneration: baptized children are nurtured as disciples, not treated as outsiders awaiting a qualifying experience.
Synergistic settings place the decisive weight on a datable profession of faith as a secondary gateway required for baptized covenant children to have full membership in the body of Christ (i.e., participation in the Lord's Supper).
See also: