The doctrine of justification was of major importance at the time of the
Reformation, and continues to be of immense significance in ecumenical
dialogues. This book, which appeared in its first edition in 1986, is
the only major study of the doctrine since 1870. Its many acclaimed
features include an assessment of the concept of justification in the
thought world of the ancient Near East, a thorough examination of the
development of the doctrine in the medieval period, and a careful
analysis of the sixteenth-century debates. This revised and updated
edition brings together in one volume the material from the two volume
first edition, while adding new sections dealing with recent
developments in Pauline scholarship and ecumenical debates over the
doctrine. It will be an essential resource for anyone wanting to
understand historical theology, sixteenth-century church history or the
modern ecumenical debates between Protestants and Roman Catholics.