In Lectures on the Doctrine of Justification (1838) Newman attempts to find a via media between justification by faith and by works. His emphasis on sanctification and his suspicion of a merely imputed righteousness is marked by a return to an emphasis on the imparted righteousness of the indwelling Christ.

TWO main views concerning the mode of our justification are found in the writings of English divines; on the one hand, that this great gift of our Lord’s passion is vouchsafed to those who are moved by God’s grace to claim it,—on the other, to those who by the same grace are moved to do their duty. These separate doctrines, justification by faith, and justification by obedience, thus simply stated, are not at all inconsistent with one another; and by religious men, especially if not divines, will be held both at once, or indifferently either the one or other, as circumstances may determine. Yet, though so compatible in themselves, the case is altogether altered when one or other is made the elementary principle of the gospel system,—when professed exclusively, developed consistently, and accurately carried out to its limits. Then what seemed at first but two modes of stating the same truth, will be found, the one to be the symbol of Romanism, the other of what is commonly called Protestantism. Aeterna Press

The second of a two-volume project delving into the doctrine of justification. Michael Horton seeks not simply to recover a clear message of its role in modern Reformed theology, but also to bring a fresh discovery of the gospel in a time when contemporary debates around justification have reignited. The doctrine of justification stands at the center of our systematic reflection on the meaning of salvation and grace as well as our piety, mission, and life together. And yet, within mainline Protestant and evangelical theology, it's often taken for granted or left to gather dust in favor of modern concerns and self-renewal. Volume 2 embarks on the theologically constructive task of investigating the biblical doctrine of justification in light of contemporary exegesis. Taking up the topic from a variety of theological vantage points, Horton engages with contemporary debates in biblical, especially Pauline, scholarship. Part 1 draws out The Horizon of Justification from the Old Testament narratives of Adam and Israel. Part 2 defines The Achievement of Justification in the blood of Christ and seeks to lay the groundwork for understanding its extent. Part 3 focuses on The Gift of Righteousness, delving into a clear articulation of what justification means, its mechanism, and the role of works on the day of judgement. Part 4 proposes a way forward for Receiving Justification and understanding faith and justification within the broader framework of union with Christ. Engaging and thorough, Justification shows that the doctrine of justification finds its most ecumenically significant starting point and proper habitat in unity with Christ, where the greatest consensus, past and present, is to be found among Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologies.

Miikka Ruokanen reveals the powerfully Trinitarian and participatory nature of Martin Luther's conception of divine grace in his magnum opus The Bondage of the Will. The study establishes a genuinely new understanding of Luther's major treatise opening up its ecumenical potential. Luther's debate with Erasmus signifies not only a disagreement concerning free will, but the dispute reveals two contrasting understandings of the very core idea of the Christian faith. For Erasmus, the relationship of the human being with God is based on the rationally and morally acceptable principles of fair play. For Luther, the human being is captivated by the overwhelming power of unfaith and transcendental evil, Satan; only the monergistic grace of the Triune God and the power of the Holy Spirit can liberate him/her. Ruokanen verifies the Trinitarian vision of salvation “by grace alone” as the center of Luther's theology. This doctrine has three dimensions. Firstly, the conversion of the sinner and the birth of faith in Christ are effected by prevenient divine grace; justification “through faith alone,” is the sole work of God's Spirit, comparable to creation ex nihilo. Secondly, participation in the person, life, and divine properties of Christ, as well as participation in his salvific work, his cross and resurrection, are possible solely because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer. Justification means simultaneously the forensic declaration of the guilty non-guilty on the basis of the atonement by Jesus' cross, as well as a union with Christ in the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, sanctification means the gradual growth of love for God and neighbor enabled by the believer's participation in divine love in the Holy Spirit. Ruokanen's work offers a crucial modification and advance to the world-renowned Finnish school of Luther interpretation: Luther's classic use of Pneumatological language avoids the problems caused by using an ontological language.