True Lutherans

McGrath traces the odd development in Lutheran Orthodoxy of the notion that regeneration and faith precede justification in such a way that “where Luther had understood justification to concern the unbelieving sinner, orthodoxy revised this view, referring justification to the believing sinner.” This takes Lutheran Orthodoxy back in the direction of a medieval doctrine, albeit retaining the forensic character of justification.

On some other points, Reformed Orthodoxy remained more true to Luther than Lutherans: “the strongly predestinarian cast of Reformed theology approximates to that of Luther to a far greater extent than Lutheran orthodoxy does. Similarly, the strongly Christological conception of justification to be found in Luther’s writings is carried over into Reformed theology, particularly in the image of Christ as caput et sponsor electorum, where it is so evidently lacking in Lutheran orthodoxy. In terms of both its substance and emphasis, the teaching of later Lutheran orthodoxy bears little relation to that of Luther.”