Simply Put – "Quietism and Activism"

Podcast: Simply Put
Host: Barry Cooper (Ligonier Ministries)
Date: March 31, 2026

Overview

This episode unpacks the theological terms “quietism” and “activism” as they relate to the Christian life, specifically in the context of sanctification. Barry Cooper clarifies common misconceptions about how a believer grows in godliness, contrasting total passivity (“quietism”) with excessive self-effort (“activism”), and shows how Scripture presents a balanced view.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction via Modern Analogy

[00:00–01:17]

• Barry opens with a humorous comparison between the passive frustration of waiting for a Star Wars trailer to download on dial-up internet in 1999 and the passivity central to quietism.
  • “Your state of the art 56k dial up modem…meant that you had to wait and wait, and there was nothing you could do to help it along.” (00:16)

2. Defining Quietism

[01:18–03:00]

• Quietism is the belief that a Christian should be completely passive in their sanctification because God alone does the work.
• Roots in a 17th-century Roman Catholic movement, associated with Miguel de Molinos, Madame Guyon, and Francoise Fenelon.
• Barry describes quietism as: “There’s nothing you can do to move your sanctification along. God does the work in you, and so you should just calmly wait and be passive in the process.” (00:34)
• Characterized today as “Let go and let God”—illustrated by the metaphor of a spiritual car wash where Christians are just “to sit there… and do nothing.” (01:55)
• Warns against “striving to live a holy life” as something discouraged by quietist thinking.

Notable quote:
“That, according to quietism, is the Christian life, you must calmly resign yourself to the conveyor belt of sanctification.” (02:15)

3. The Opposite Error: Activism

[03:01–03:46]

• Activism claims that sanctification is all about personal effort; the Holy Spirit’s work is sidelined.
• “That’s the view that… your growth as a believer is all about you. You can’t be relying on the Holy Spirit to do anything for you.” (03:08)
• Many Christians, Barry argues, lean too far in one direction or the other—either quietism or activism.

4. Scriptural Balance in Sanctification

[03:47–05:11]

• Key text: Philippians 2:12–13:
  • “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
• Cooper dramatizes the activist’s and quietist’s selective reading of the text, showing both sides distort Scripture by ignoring context.
  • Activist: “There you are, you see. I have to work out my own salvation. It’s all about me.”
  • Quietist: “There you are, you see, says the quietest God does the working— to which Paul says: Were you not listening to the first part of the sentence?” (04:13)
• Scripture “gives us a much more holistic view”:
  • Christians are to strive for holiness, but do so in “the knowledge that it is God who is working in us to make us more like Christ.” (04:45)
• The motivation to work is fueled by knowing that God works through your efforts.

Memorable moment:
“If you knew that God would be at work in you when you are at work, wouldn’t that motivate you to work all the more?” (05:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On quietism: “Let go of your own will and any illusion that you can affect your own sanctification… Let go and let God.” (01:36)
• On activism: “You’d better be working incredibly hard all the time, otherwise you’ll never be sanctified.” (03:13)
• On biblical balance:
  “We are to work and work hard for holiness, but… it is God who is working in us to make us more like Christ.” (04:47)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Dial-up analogy, introduction to the passivity of quietism
• 01:18 — Historical roots and key figures of quietism
• 01:55 — Spiritual car wash illustration
• 03:01 — Explanation of activism as the opposite error
• 03:47 — Philippians 2:12–13 and how both errors misread it
• 04:45 — Summary of the balanced, biblical view of sanctification
• 05:03 — Motivational conclusion: God works through our work

Conclusion

Barry Cooper compellingly explains that “quietism” and “activism” are both distortions of the biblical approach to spiritual growth. Christians are called neither to passive resignation nor frenetic self-effort. Instead, sanctification is a cooperative process: we work, knowing God Himself is at work within us.

Listeners come away with not only clear definitions of two key theological terms but also a practical, scriptural framework for pursuing holiness with hope and assurance.