Quietism

"Quietism" is the collective term given to a set of contemplative Christian practices that were seen as overly-minimizing human effort and spiritual responsibility. Proponents of quietism (including de Molinos, Madame Guyon, and Archbishop Fénelon) were accused of elevating interior, intellectual "stillness" over outward pious action, particularly in the form of the mystical "prayer of the quiet." The objective of such prayer (and like contemplative practices) was perfection through total passivity and dissolution of the human will, thereby disregarding both works of mercy and works of piety. John Wesley took exception to this form of spirituality (especially in the Moravians) on the basis that it neglected the means of grace.