Twofold Righteousness

Martin Luther's theology depends on a pair of distinctions, and this collection looks closely at the central one. In his 1535 commentary on Galatians, Luther argues that understanding righteousness requires separating two kinds, which he calls alien and proper. Toward the Creator, a person receives an alien righteousness as a gift, one that Christ won through his death and resurrection. Toward other people and the created order, a person practices a proper righteousness by actively keeping God's commands, which set the form and pattern of good human living.

Luther regarded this twofold scheme as the key to understanding what it means to be human. He applied it often, especially to justification by faith, to the nature of sin, and to how people should use the gift of their humanity. The book traces how this idea developed historically and suggests ways Christians can still draw on it today. Along the way, it shows how sharply Luther broke from medieval theological formulations.

The collection, also titled The Alien and the Proper, brings together essays by David A. Lumpp, Charles P. Arand, William W. Schumacher, Joel Biermann, and Timothy Saleska. Robert Kolb edited the volume.