What exactly is the "Doctrine of Synergism" in Theology?

[freespirit2001]

I am curious about the definition of the "Doctrine of Synergism"...According to the American Heritage College Dictionary the meaning is:

Synergism: " The doctrine that individual salvation is achieved through a combination of human will and divine grace." It also pertains to synergy....

Gk.-sunergos---working together

Synergy: "the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects." "cooperative efforts among groups, such as corporate subsidiaries, that creates an enhanced combined effect."

I am just curious if this doctrine pertains to all christian faiths.?..

How does it relate to the Divine Intervention of Holy Spirit?

Is it the synergism of God ( Holy Spirit? ) that moves people's hearts and minds to God's greater purpose?

Is synergism a convicting force of Holy Spirit?

I have seen more extensive meaning of this concept in larger dictionaries....

 

[Polycarp1]

Taken "neat" it amounts to the heresy of Pelagianism, suggesting that we can save ourselves rathr than depending on Christ. And it would be totally distasteful to Calvinists and other Reformed folks, who view the references to "the elect" in Paul as suggesting that God is selective on who He saves.

But there's another aspect to it that speaks a lot of truth -- the sort of "common sense" that applies categories and distinctions of this world to matters of God often falls short of the truth. I offer this anonymous hymn from 1878 as a poetic way of expressing the truth underlying the doctrine:

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me;
it was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.

Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;
'twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
as thou, dear Lord, on me.

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee;
for thou wert long beforehand with my soul,
always thou lovedst me.

 

[freespirit2001]

...That is so beautiful Polycarp1....so beautiful...true....

 

[atoborch]

I am curious about the definition of the "Doctrine of Synergism"...According to the American Heritage College Dictionary the meaning is:

Synergism: " The doctrine that individual salvation is achieved through a combination of human will and divine grace." It also pertains to synergy....

Gk.-sunergos---working together

Synergy: "the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects." "cooperative efforts among groups, such as corporate subsidiaries, that creates an enhanced combined effect."

I am just curious if this doctrine pertains to all christian faiths.?..

How does it relate to the Divine Intervention of Holy Spirit?

Is it the synergism of God ( Holy Spirit? ) that moves people's hearts and minds to God's greater purpose?

Is synergism a convicting force of Holy Spirit?

I have seen more extensive meaning of this concept in larger dictionaries....

freesprit, while I agree with the post in resopnse to your first question, one must also relize that not only the word of God is going to inspire, I've found evdance or warrant for the Christian faith in many areas of study, esspciall lingustics and comm theory it does not mean the athours had divein intervention in there work or even believe in the one and only Christ they simply observe fact and report what they see, yet in the end one can conlcued there is something higher at work, this personaly is my favorate Burke for example conclued that humans are the only animal that can think in the negative, which in lay terms means we have the power of Choice, what gift/burrden did we reseive when Adam and Eve ate the apple choice, that is quite interstiting, no doubt

 

[freespirit2001]

I posted this question in this forum under "Liberal Theology" thinking it would be a term that bible students and college theologians might have heard ior found in one of their studies or perhaps in some information that is used in religious or spiritual approaches...I hope I can find out if there are up-to-date uses and meaning of the word "synergism."...

I've found in my business courses the word "synergy" is used alot in organizational management science as a term to promote motivational effectiveness and new life into the processes and operations and strategies of the organization...it basicaly means the opposite of atrophy and atrophic..."wasting away...deterioration..."

That's why I'm curious about the modern up-to-date uses of the word...and if it is used in any current religious or spiritual studies...it does seem to me to mean what Polycarp1 has given to me in the hymn...but is there any more studies of the usage of the word "synergism".....?

Personally, as a liberal christian, but strongly spirit-led in all my walks of life, I would like to refer to this word as the active motivating power of Holy Spirit...in our lives without having to sound so religious with all my inferences about God...but mentioning something like..."That is the Lord's synergism...moving thoughts and hearts to be closer to God...( as well as I understand it to be Holy Spirit...others who are more worldly would understand the process of synergism better than for me to say, "It's God moving you...or the Holy Spirit moving you....I'm just not an evangelist...I'm a pragmatic believer though)...



Here is another old definition...I still have to look for our more modern version:

synergism-The doctrine that human effort cooperates with divine grace in the salvation of the soul; specif., a type of Semi-Pelagianism in Germany in the 16th century, which taught that "God does not deal with man as a block, but draws him so that his will cooperates..." as opposed to monergism...

synergism was also mentioned in the Council of Trent from "Dogmatic Theology" by Shedd*

*"Funk and Wagnall's New Standard Dictionary of the English Language" 1932

 

[atoborch]

read derria freesprit, and make it what ever you want to to be terms are hallow and meaningless

 

[freespirit2001]

I think I know what you mean, atoborch...

I studied the bible very young, the only one in my family that really reads God's Word...and I've found very few in life actually read the bible at all ( they occasionally tend church and respect christian teaching and the Spirit of God---though few people I know are spirit-filled or ever really understand the spiritual meaning and the spiritual concepts and processes of baptism---or the Book of Acts, Romans or Corinthians)....all in all, I still visited many other churches all my life (including the ones on TV and radio), and have some catholism in my family (my grandmother's cousin was a benedictine monk) and I'm grateful to God, I received some religious art from his room, and notes of his faith that I love very dearly...

It would be more effective for me to be able to communication effective understanding of Holy Spirit using words like "synergism" to promote greater spiritual integrity in those I love, in a discreet loving way....who lack spiritual knowledge on higher levels of the Word of God....(????) it also sounds like a motivating activating force of God....

 

[D. Paul]

If I may, simply put, the question behind this becomes:
Is Salvation from God alone or due to joint efforts of God and man? If man has anything to do with his own re-birth, he then has reason to boast above those who are not regenerate. The issue is Salvation which is monergistic...from God alone.

Polycarp1 is correct in stating "Taken "neat" it amounts to the heresy of Pelagianism" however it is not just to Calvinists and those Reformed who assert this. God throughout scripture gives evidence that Salvatation is from Him alone.

 

[freespirit2001]

...I agree with your understanding...[ Monergistic*] I read and understand the facts of the meaning of salvation coming to us through the grace of God....it is not our own doing, but a gift from God:

" For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus..." Romans 3: 23-24

" I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself,
that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure;
not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing."...Jeremiah 10: 23-24

" The steps of man are from the Lord,
and he establishes him in whose way he delights;
thoguh he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord is the stay of his hand."...Psalm 37: 23-24

The doctrine is an old one and has ambiguous meanings...There may be conflict with suggesting use of the term "synergism"in church going activities....

It is used more in business now, as an intensifyer of agents or materials....It appears to me to be more strictly a business word, than a spiritual word...

I don't like meanings of words having to be repressed, because there was religious controversy about the use of the meaning of the word.... realism and use interests me....about our laws as well....

" God did not give a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-control." ....II Tim. I:7

..."love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith..." I Tim 1:5

..." I can do all things through Him who strengthens me..." Phil. 4:13

....Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.".....II Cor. 3:17

* I don't have a theology dictionary...this word is not in my American Heritage College Dictionary