Monergism is the conviction that God alone regenerates the sinner — without cooperation from the human will. The dead cannot assist in their own resurrection. Just as Lazarus did not help roll away his own stone, the spiritually dead sinner plays no causal role in regeneration. God calls, God opens the heart, God grants faith, God gives repentance — the entire chain of salvation flows from divine initiative. This stands against synergism, which assigns some causal role to human will in coming to God. Monergism does not deny that humans genuinely believe and repent; it insists those acts are themselves gifts of God, not contributions from a neutral or free will. The locus classicus is Ephesians 2: "By grace you have been saved through faith — and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
Webster 1828 does not include this technical term, which emerged from Reformation-era debate. The concept, however, is rooted in Augustine's anti-Pelagian writings (4th–5th c.) and systematized in Reformed theology. Luther's De Servo Arbitrio (The Bondage of the Will, 1525) is the Protestant charter of monergism. Calvin's Institutes crystallized it as the "effectual calling" of the Spirit.
• 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."
• John 6:44 — "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."
• John 1:13 — "Children of God — born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
• Romans 9:16 — "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
• Acts 16:14 — "The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul."
Greek: μόνος (monos) — alone, only, single ἔργον (ergon) — work, deed, operation monergism = "single working" or "one operative cause" Contrast: synergism = syn (together) + ergon = cooperative working Semi-Pelagianism: human will takes the first step, God cooperates Pelagianism: human will is sufficient without divine grace Monergism: God is the sole efficient cause of the new birth
American revivalism and modern evangelicalism have largely replaced monergism with synergism — salvation as a cooperative venture where God does His part and you "make a decision." The altar call culture, "accepting Jesus," and "asking Him into your heart" language implicitly frames the human will as the determining factor. While these traditions preserve gospel content, they subtly shift the glory: the reason one person believes and another does not becomes human will rather than divine mercy. Monergism insists the difference is grace — all the way down. "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor 4:7).