This volume presents in English the official Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, confirmed by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church in Augsburg, Germany, in October 1999. The result of decades of Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue, this primary document represents an ecumenical event of historical significance. Included in the volume are the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and the Official Common Statement with its Annex. These texts are recommended for careful study in seminaries and parishes and for reading by individual Christians. It is hoped that the Joint Declaration will deepen understanding of the biblical message of justification and also serve to further reflection within the wider ecumenical movement.

"The document ... is a declaration of the consensus achieved by Lutherans and Catholics on the topics of church, ministry, and eucharist as the result of ecumenical dialogue between the two communions since 1965. It is a consensus 'on the way, ' because dialogue has not yet resolved all the church-dividing differences on these topics."--Preface.

Catholics and Lutherans signed the Joint Declaration on Justification in 1999. This ecumenical agreement claims to resolve all church-dividing differences on justification without requiring doctrinal revision, a claim that Engrafted into Christ challenges with a twofold thesis. First, the historic disagreement over justification was substantial; thus, doctrinal revision is a sine qua non condition of rapprochement. Second, portions of the Declaration appear irreconcilable with Catholicism. A concluding series of original reflections illustrates the intelligibility of Catholic teaching, identifies a self-destructive element in «sola fide», and challenges structural elements of Lutheran theology. Experts as well as educated laypersons will be interested in this book.

"Investigates the biblical foundations of the doctrine of justification, an official document of the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Foundation, and represents a new level of ecumenical relations since it expresses the official position of the churches involved"--Publisher's website.

Many factors contributed to the Protestant Reformation, but one of the most significant was the debate over the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In fact, Martin Luther argued that justification is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. This comprehensive volume of 26 essays from a host of scholars explores the doctrine of justification from the lenses of history, the Bible, theology, and pastoral practice—revealing the enduring significance of this pillar of Protestant theology.

When lobbyist Faith Lockhart stumbles upon a corruption scheme at the highest levels of government, she becomes a dangerous witness who the most powerful men in the world will go to any lengths to silence in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller. In a secluded house not far from Washington, D.C., the FBI is interviewing one of the most important witnesses it has ever had: a young woman named Faith Lockhart. For Faith has done too much, knows too much, and will tell too much. Feared by some of the most powerful men in the world, Faith has been targeted to die. But when a private investigator walks into the middle of the assassination attempt, the shooting suddenly goes wrong, and an FBI agent is killed. Now Faith Lockhart must flee for her life--with her story, her deadly secret, and an unknown man she's forced to trust...

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.