Iustitia Dei
A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification

A substantially rewritten edition of a work that has already established itself as the leading authority in its field.

Alister E. McGrath (Author)

9781108472562, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 February 2020

510 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.8 cm, 0.82 kg

The Christian doctrine of justification is of immense interest to historians and theologians ,and continues to be of major importance in modern ecumenical discussions. The present work appeared in its first edition in 1986, and rapidly became the leading reference work on the subject. Its many acclaimed features include a detailed assessment of the semantic background of the concept in the Ancient Near East, a thorough examination of the doctrine of the medieval period, and an especially careful analysis of its development during the critical years of the sixteenth century. The substantially rewritten fourth edition thoroughly updates the work, responding to the latest developments in scholarly literature and user feedback. It will remain an essential resource for all concerned with the development of Christian doctrine, the history of the Reformation debates on the identity of Christianity, and modern discussions between Protestants and Roman Catholics over the nature of salvation.

Part I. Justification: The Emergence of a Concept: 1. The Hebraic context: semantic aspects of the concept of justification
2. Paul and the shaping of the Christian tradition
3. The fountainhead: Augustine of Hippo
Part II. The Middle Ages: The Consolidation of the Doctrine: 4. The nature of Justification
5. The righteousness of God
6. The concept of grace
7. The human appropriation of justification
8. Justification and the two powers of God
9. The concept of merit
10. Justification and the sacraments
Part III. Protestantism: The Reformation Debates on Justification: 11. Is there a 'Reformation' doctrine of justification?
12. Luther's early approach to justification
13. Justification in Lutheranism, 1516–1580
14. Reformed theology, 1519–1560
15. The English Reformation: from Tyndale to Hooker
16. Protestant Orthodoxy: 17. Anglicanism: the Caroline Divines
18. Puritanism: from the Old World to the New
19. Pietism: justification and the 'new birth'
Part IV. Catholicism: The Council of Trent on justification
20. The development of the doctrine within Catholicism, 1490–1545
21. Catholic responses to early Protestant doctrines of justification
22. An attempt at rapprochement: the Regensburg Colloquy (1541)
23. Catholic theological schools during the Tridentine debates on justification
24. The Tridentine debates on justification
25. The Tridentine decree on justification
26. Post-Tridentine discussions of justification
Part V. The Modern Period: 27. The Enlightenment: justification, moralism, and rationalism
28. The long nineteenth century: retrieval and reconfiguration
29. Contemporary renewal: justification and theological reconstruction
Conclusion: reflections on a study of doctrinal history.

Subject Areas: Theology [HRLB], History of religion [HRAX]