Ordo salutis, (
Latin: "order of salvation") refers to a series of conceptual steps within the
Christian doctrine of salvation. It has been defined as "a technical term of
Protestant dogmatics to designate the consecutive steps in the work of the
Holy Spirit in the appropriation of salvation." Although there is within
Christian theology a certain sense in which the phases of salvation are sequential, some elements, are understood to occur progressively and others instantaneously. Furthermore, some steps within the "order of salvation" are regarded as objective (or
monergistic), performed solely by
God, while others are considered subjective (or
synergistic), involving
humanity. Christians prior to the
Protestant Reformation, while not using the exact phrase, sought to order the elements of salvation. The term "
Ordo salutis" was first used by
Lutheran theologians in the mid-1720s.