It is often claimed that Lutherans are so focused on the reality of justification, that they neglect its companion doctrine, sanctification. This perception has been reinforced by the tendency of some Lutherans in the latter half of the twentieth century to speak disparagingly about the Christian’s good deeds, proudly proclaiming that Lutherans are “weak on sanctification.” Despite these claims, the Lutheran church has produced numerous manuals on ethics, sermons of moral exhortation, and dogmatic treatises on sanctification. In an age of widespread moral confusion, recapturing classical Lutheran ideas of new obedience is an absolute necessity.

In this volume, seven contemporary voices, along with two older ones, address the doctrine of sanctification in classical Lutheran theology. They then apply these teachings to current debates. Topics discussed here include: models of sanctification, the two kinds of righteousness, Christoformation, Christian obedience according to the reformers, charity, antinomianism, Radical Lutheranism, and the teaching on sanctification present in the Augsburg Confession.