Justification by Faith in Catholic-Protestant Dialogue

by Anthony N.S. Lane

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.

Genres: Theology, Religion

284 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Tony Lane is Professor of Historical Theology and Director of research at the London School of Theology (formerly LBC) and author of Justification by Faith in Catholic-Protestant Dialogue (T&T Clark, 2002) and The Lion Christian Classics Collection (2004).

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendid clarity and so well-researched as to be a complete education on the issue by itself.

Argues that while there is not complete agreement, the papal endorsement of Luther's "sola fide" in the appendix of the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" (1999) is a truly historic step. Also argues that different paradigms can do the same work and that's why we can reconcile Paul and James without steamrolling one of them.