Synergism

For other uses, see Synergy (disambiguation).

Synergism, in general, may be defined as two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently. The word synergy or synergism comes from two Greek words: erg meaning "to work", and syn meaning "together"; hence, synergism is a "working together."

Christian Theology

In Calvinism (AKA monergism), "synergism" is used to describe the Arminian doctrine of salvation, although many Arminians would disagree with the characterisation. According to Calvinists, synergism is the view that God and man work together, each contributing their part to accomplish regeneration in and for the individual. John Hendryx, a Calvinist thinker, has stated it this way: synergism is "...the doctrine that there are two efficient agents in regeneration, namely the human will and the divine Spirit, which, in the strict sense of the term, cooperate. This theory accordingly holds that the soul has not lost in the fall all inclination toward holiness, nor all power to seek for it under the influence of ordinary motives." Arminians, especially of the Wesleyan tradition, might respond with the criticism that Hendryx has merely provided a description of semi-Pelagianism, and they recognize that grace precedes any cooperation of the human soul with the saving power of God.

In other words, God has offered salvation, and man must receive it. This is opposed to the monergistic view as held by Reformed or Calvinistic groups in which objects of God's election participate in, but do not contribute to, the salvific or regenerative processes. Classical Arminians and most Wesleyans would consider this a straw man description, as they have historically affirmed the Reformed doctrine of total depravity. To this, Hendryx replies by asking the following question: "If two persons receive prevenient grace and only one believes the gospel, why does one believe in Christ and not the other? What makes the two persons to differ? Jesus Christ or something else? And that 'something else' is why Calvinists believe Arminians and other non-Augustinian groups to be synergists." Regeneration, in this case, would occur only when the unregenerate will cooperates with God's Spirit to effectuate redemption. To the Monergist, faith does not proceed from our unregenerate human nature. If faith precedes regeneration, as it does in Arminianism, then the unregenerate person must exercise faith in order to be regenerated.

However, it ought to be recognized, such a debate concerning whether it is possible for an unregenerate will to cooperate with God's Spirit is a superimposed Calvinian concept to Wesleyans. In order to answer such objections, we need to see what the doctrine of Prevenient Grace actually teaches. For they are in agreement with the Monergist; strictly speaking, at no time is it being argued that faith proceeds from the unregenerate (that is, a totally natural or graceless) human nature. John Wesley expressed this himself, saying, "The will of man is by nature free only to evil. Yet... every man has a measure of free-will restored to him by grace." "Natural free-will in the present state of mankind, I do not understand: I only assert, that there is a measure of free-will supernaturally restored to every man, together with that supernatural light which 'enlightens every man that comes into the world.'" "This is not a statement about natural ability, or about nature as such working of itself, but about grace working through nature."

Arminians therefore have a position which may be summarized in the following way. A human being cannot, on their own, turn to God. God grants to all men the "prevenient grace" (prevenient meaning "coming before"). With this prevenient grace (or with its effects on the fallen human), the person is now able to choose faith or reject it. If the person accepts it, then God continues to give further grace to heal them. In answer to Hendryx's question about the two individuals receiving prevenient grace and only one being saved, the Arminian would reply that the one who was saved freely chose faith, but only had the power to choose faith because of the prevenient grace, whereas the one who was not saved had the same assistance from prevenient grace and thus the same ability to choose, but chose to reject faith. Whether this is characterized as synergy will depend upon one's definition. It differs, however, from semi-Pelagianism, which maintains that a human being can begin to have faith without the need for grace.

Another analogy sometimes used is based upon Revelations 3, in which Christ states that He stands at the door and knocks, and if anyone opens He will enter in. Arminians assert that Christ comes to each person with prevenient grace, and if they are willing for Him to enter, He enters into them. Therefore, no one does any of the actual work of saving themselves, because Christ does the work of coming to them in the first place, and if they are willing to follow Him, He does the work of entering in, but whether He does so is dependent upon the will of the person (no one, however, could will for Him to enter if He did not first knock).

This is similar to the position taken in the Conferences of St. John Cassian. In this work, the matter of grace and faith is taken as analogous to that of the invalids that Christ healed. The fact that Christ came to where an invalid was is liked to prevenient grace, because unless Christ came there, the invalid would have no opportunity to ask him for help. Likewise without prevenient grace, a person would not be able to ask God for help. The actual asking for help comes from the free choice of the invalid or person in question. It is made possible by Christ's presence (by prevenient grace), but there is no necessary outcome: Christ's presence (prevenient grace) leaves a person able to ask for help, but also able to refuse to ask for help. Asking, however, does not do anything to actually heal the person; Christ's response to their request is what heals them, not their own choice. Likewise, God saves those who ask Him. However, they are only able to ask because He first comes to them with prevenient grace. Nonetheless, they are free to refuse to ask for His help, just as the invalids were free to not ask Christ for healing. Thus it is concluded, "it belongs to divine grace to give us opportunities of salvation... it is ours to follow up the blessings which God gives us with earnestness or indifference."

In the 13th Conference, Cassian also uses the analogy of a farmer. Although the farmer must chose to work the farm, the growth of his crops is entirely due to God. God provides the growth, but He does so only for those who are willing to have that growth and actualize this through their effort.

Synergism is also an important part of the theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Orthodox sometimes use St. John Cassian's analogies to explain their doctrine.

Biological Sciences

Synergism has been termed for a hypothesis on how complex systems operate, advanced by Robert Corning. Environmental systems may react in a non-linear way to peturbations, such as climate change so that the outcome may be greater than the sum of the individual component alterations. Synergistic responses are a complicating factor in environmental modelling.

See also

• Arminianism
• Decision theology
• Eastern Orthodoxy
• Monergism
• Regeneration (theology)
• Semi-Pelagianism
• Soteriology

External links

• Universal prevenient grace
• Prevenient Grace by Jeff Paton