Mannermaa's revisionist work on justification inLuther's theology - a notable contribution from oneof the most influential Finnish scholars of Luther studies - is now available in English. His book opens up newinterpretive questions for historical theology with strikingimplications for ecumenism, ethics, and spirituality.

He writes, the idea of the divine life in Christ which ispresent in faith lies at the very center of the theology of theReformer. He argues that later Lutheran interpretation ofthis teaching has portrayed justification as more mechanicaland forensic than Luther did, underestimated the extentto which God's righteousness is also ours, and obscured theradical personal transformation that Luther attributed tojustification.