Christ Present in Faith: Luther's View of Justification

Mannermaa’s revisionist work on justification in Luther’s theology—a notable contribution from one of the most influential Finnish scholars of Luther studies— is now available in English. His book opens up new interpretive questions for historical theology with striking implications for ecumenism, ethics, and spirituality.

He writes, "the idea of the divine life in Christ which is present in faith lies at the very center of the theology of the Reformer." He argues that later Lutheran interpretation of this teaching has portrayed justification as more mechanical and forensic than Luther did, underestimated the extent to which God’s righteousness is also ours, and obscured the radical personal transformation that Luther attributed to justification.