Sunday, June 7, 2020

Eastern Orthodox Apologist on the Christological Problems of Monergism

An Eastern Orthodox apologist "Therealmedwhite" (whose first name is David) has an interesting video:

 

Monergism Refuted: What the Trent Horn Vs. Dr. James R. White Debate Missed

 

 


He points out the Christological problems of Monergism, the theological position of "Dr" James White and other Reformed Protestants.

 

One of the slides gives a useful overview of the problem:

 

Monergism Implies Monothelitism

 

If only God's will matters in our salvation, then human will is to be ignored.

This means in Christ, His human will is not free, since in salvation only the divine will is he will that matters.

But if it isn't free, Christ cannot be said to have a human will, it either doesn't exist, or it's subject to the divine will.

If it doesn't exist, then will is hypostatic, this means in God there are three wills.

If It does, then the human will it not nevertheless enumerated, since it's subject to the diivne will.

Either case, the human will is not assumed, therefore it is not healed. (St Gregory of Nazianzus, Letter to Cledonius)

 

White, it should be noted, holds that Monothelitism is a heresy, as seen in his debate on Papal Infallibility against Robert Sungenis (Pope Honorius taught the doctrine in a private letter to Sergius), so his holding to two wills in Christ and monergism are in conflict with one another.


One can find the Horn/White debate on eternal security here. As I have said before on this blog, Horn won the debate (I would score the debate 6-4 if not 7-3 in favour of Horn). On the many problems of Reformed theology, see my article:


An Examination and Critique of the Theological Presuppositions Underlying Reformed Theology