Monergism
Grace alone does the saving — God begins, sustains, and completes, with no human assist
Monergism holds that salvation is accomplished by God's grace alone, with no cooperating human contribution to its initiation. Traditions differ on this. It is affirmed in strong Augustinian and Reformed theology, drawing on Augustine's anti-Pelagian writings, which stressed the priority of grace. Synergist traditions reject it, holding that the human will cooperates with grace in the work of salvation.
How it traveled
- A Treatise on the Predestination of the SaintsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise on Rebuke and GraceHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise Against Two Letters of the PelagiansHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise on Grace and Free WillHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Discussion: Second PartWittenberg · c. 1546 CEexplains
- Discussion: First PartWittenberg · c. 1546 CEexplains
- Discussion: Third PartWittenberg · c. 1546 CEexplains
- The Sovereignty of GodWittenberg · c. 1546 CEexplains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- a careful and strict inquiry into the prevailing notions of the freedom of willNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
7. But perhaps there will be some who, while they admit that the will is in its own nature averse to righteousness, and is converted solely by the power of God, will yet hold that, when once it is pre
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Sect XXV. — AS to the other paradox you mention, — that, ‘whatever is done by us, is not done by Free-will, but from mere necessity’ — . Let us briefly consider this, lest we should suffer any thing
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
9. With this view, likewise the prayers of the saints correspond. Thus Solomon prays that the Lord may “incline our hearts unto him, to walk in his ways, and keep his commandments” (1 Kings 8:58); int
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A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 54 [XXI.]—Beginning and End of Faith is of God. Therefore that this opinion, which is unpleasing to God, and hostile to those gratuitous benefits of God whereby we are delivered, may be destr
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A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 37.—We Were Elected and Predestinated, Not Because We Were Going to Be Holy, But in Order that We Might Be So. It would be too tedious to argue about the several points. But you see without d
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
1. But that the subject may be more fully illustrated, we must treat both of the calling of the elect, and of the blinding and hardening of the ungodly. The former I have already in some measure discu
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Discussion: Second Part · Martin Luther
Sect. LXXXII. — BUT let us now inquire into the reason why this trope was invented in this passage. — “It appears absurd (says the Diatribe) that God, who is not only just but also good, should be sai
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Sect. XC. — THE more immediate design of Moses then is, to announce, not so much the hardening of Pharaoh, as the veracity and mercy of God; that is, that the children of Israel might not distrust the
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Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards
It is not from any foresight of good works that men do before or after conversion; but on the contrary, men do good works because God hath chosen them. John xv. 16. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
6. On the other hand, it may be proper to consider what the remedy is which divine grace provides for the correction and cure of natural corruption. Since the Lord, in bringing assistance, supplies us
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
11. As to perseverance, it would undoubtedly have been regarded as the gratuitous gift of God, had not the very pernicious error prevailed, that it is bestowed in proportion to human merit, according
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
3. But it is added, in terms which seem to be borrowed from Chrysostom (Homil. 22, in Genes.), that if our will possesses not the power of choosing good or evil, all who are partakers of the same natu
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
5. What purpose, then, is served by exhortations? It is this: As the wicked, with obstinate heart, despise them, they will be a testimony against them when they stand at the judgment-seat of God; nay,
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A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 21.—Man Does No Good Thing Which God Does Not Cause Him to Do. Wherefore God does many good things in man which man does not do; but man does none which God does not cause man to do. Accordin
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A Treatise on Rebuke and Grace · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 38.—What is the Nature of the Gift of Perseverance that is Now Given to the Saints. And thus God willed that His saints should not—even concerning perseverance in goodness itself—glory in the
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
13. Let us now hear Augustine in his own words, lest the Pelagians of our age, I mean the sophists of the Sorbonne, charge us after their wont with being opposed to all antiquity. In this indeed they
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
7. I admit, indeed, that if the Scripture taught nothing else on the subject than that the Law is a rule of life by which we ought to regulate our pursuits, I should at once assent to their opinion; b
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
11. The third class of objections is not unlike the other two. For they produce passages in which God upbraids his people for their ingratitude, intimating that it was not his fault that they did not
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
16. The other passages which they gather together from different quarters will not give much trouble to any person of tolerable understanding, who pays due attention to the explanations already given.
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
7. Now, let the supreme Judge and Master decide on the whole case. Seeing such obduracy in his hearers, that his words fell upon John 6:37, 39). Observe that the donation of the Father is the first st
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