In this assessment of the recent Catholic-Protestant dialogue concerning the doctrine of justification, Anthony Lane begins by discussing traditional Protestant doctrine with close reference to Calvin, and traditional Catholic doctrine with close reference to the Council of Trent. He goes on to examine eight key documents, from Hans Kung's Justification (1957) to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (1999). Fifteen key theological issues are then explored. These include the status of theological language used by Catholics and Evangelicals, the definition of justification, the grounds on which a person is accounted righteous, the question of sin remaining in the Christian, whether faith alone can save, the relationship between law and gospel, the question of merit and reward, the assurance of salvation and finally, a discussion on the Roman Magisterium and current Evangelical responses to recent changes in Catholic theology. In conclusion, Anthony Lane discusses the extent to which any agreement or convergence of thinking has been achieved, and its future significance.

An analysis of the Lutheran/Roman-Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification with a special focus on the method of Differentiated Consensus.

About the Contributor(s): Hans (Johann) Heinz, ThD, born 1930 in Vienna, is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology and Church History, currently residing in Braunau, Austria. He has served as a pastor-evangelist and academic teacher for more than forty years in his home country and in Germany, being one of the leading Seventh-Day Adventist scholars in the fields of Reformation History and Luther Studies. While teaching at the seminaries in Bogenhofen, Marienhohe, and Friedendsau, his influence guided the theological reflection of numerous students and pastors. The present volume represents his doctoral dissertation, which was originally published by Andrews University Press (1984). The theological issues addressed in this book are still of vital importance for the modern ecumenical and interchurch dialogue.

John Calvin's understanding of works-righteousness is more complex than is often recognized. While he denounces it in some instances, he affirms it in others. This study shows that Calvin affirms works-righteousness within the context where faith-righteousness is already established, and that he even teaches a form of justification by works. Calvin ascribes not only a positive role to good works in relation to divine acceptance, but also soteriological value to believers' good works. This study demonstrates such by exploring Calvin's theological anthropology, his understanding of divine-human activity, his teaching on the nature of good works, and his understanding of divine grace and benevolence. It also addresses current debates in Calvin scholarship by exploring topics such as union with Christ, the relation between justification and sanctification, the relation between good works and divine acceptance, the role of good works in the Christian life, and the content of good works.

The Greek family of words characterizing the doctrine of "justification by faith" (as it is known in English) is most prominent in the writings of the Apostle Paul. It was this doctrine that lay at the heart of the sixteenth-century Reformation; Martin Luther and his followers considered it to be at the very center of the gospel. Protestants came to understand "justification" differently from the Catholic Church they had left. Instead of the Catholic "realist" view, in which God makes a sinner righteous, they came to a "forensic" understanding, by which God, as judge, declares a sinner righteous. During the nineteenth century a third, "relational" view began to emerge: it viewed "justification" as God's gift of a right relationship to a sinner. This monograph examines Paul's concept from three perspectives: the New Testament data; the way the doctrine has developed historically; and how the doctrine has been expressed in English translations of the Scriptures. The author concludes that it is the relational view that most accurately depicts Paul's concept of "justification."

Ecumenism: A Guide for the Perplexed is a comprehensive introduction to the methods, achievements, and future prospects of the modern ecumenical movement. The authors begin the volume by charting out a serviceable definition of ecumenism, a term that has long been a source of confusion for students of theology and church history. They review the chronology of the modern ecumenical movement and highlight the major events, figures, accomplishments, and impasses. This historical survey is followed by critical examinations of three significant challenges for contemporary ecumenical theology and practice. Along the way, the authors provide commentary upon the difficulties and prospects that the ecumenical movement might anticipate as it enters this new millennium.

Cardinal Kasper is a distinguished theologian who was a colleague of Cardinal Ratzinger, Karl Rahner, and Hans Kung at The Universities of Münster and Tübingen. Kasper now heads the Vatican's Council for Promoting Christian Unity, with the specific task of fostering relations between the Catholic Church and other Christian Churches and Ecclesial communities. Here he outlines his vision for the unity of Christian Churches. A man with an open mind, Kasper covers one of the major responsibilities of the contemporary Catholic Church. His perspective of the uniqueness of The Catholic Church and its magisterium is presented here as a modern inquiry into the nature of truth. His views are enlightening and engaging, and reflect the important role of dialogue as understood by the Catholic Church, which also listen to other traditions and learn from them. Many will read it in the hope that the thought of this renowned, open-minded Church leader may give hope to people of all traditions that they may learn to understand Jesus's injunction - 'they may be one'.

Renowned biblical scholar Thomas Schreiner looks at the historical and biblical roots of the doctrine of justification and offers an updated defense of this pillar of Reformed theology. Reinvigorating one of the five great declarations of the Reformation—sola fide—Schreiner: Summarizes the history of the doctrine, looking at the early church and the writings of several of the Reformers. Walks readers through an examination of the key biblical texts in the Old and New Testament that support the Reformed understanding of justification. Discusses whether justification is transformative or forensic and introduces readers to some of the contemporary challenges to the Reformation teaching of sola fide, with particular attention to the new perspective on Paul. Five hundred years after the Reformation, the doctrine of justification by faith alone still needs to be understood and proclaimed. In Faith Alone you will learn how the rallying cry of “sola fide” is rooted in the Scriptures and how to understand this doctrine in a fresh way. —THE FIVE SOLAS— Historians and theologians have long recognized that at the heart of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation were five declarations, often referred to as the "solas." These five statements summarize much of what the Reformation was about, and they distinguish Protestantism from other expressions of the Christian faith: that they place ultimate and final authority in the Scriptures, acknowledge the work of Christ alone as sufficient for redemption, recognize that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and seek to do all things for God’s glory. The Five Solas Series is more than a simple rehashing of these statements, but instead expounds upon the biblical reasoning behind them, leading to a more profound theological vision of our lives and callings as Christians and churches.

In this work it is argued that legal justification can best be studied from a procedural, dialogical point of view: legal statements are justified if the audience is convinced in an argumentative dialog. The formalized and implemented model DiaLaw guards the procedure in which two players aim at justifying statements. DiaLaw shows the advances and problems linked to procedural models of legal justification. Moreover, an instructive discussion of the different models of procedural justification is provided. It is stressed that in legal justification not only logically compelling arguments should be considered, but also convincing arguments. Therefore DiaLaw also deals with the rhetorical, psychological aspects of argument. This book is relevant for scholars in legal theory, artificial intelligence, and argumentation, and can be used in graduate courses on AI and Law, and legal argumentation.