A. Introduction

In 1997, the Catholic Church and Lutheran Churches successfully articulated and issued the final version of a Joint Declaration on the doctrine of Justification (JD) after long years of preparation and discussion.1 Though admitting nuances in understanding the doctrine, the Churches achieved a consensus on its basic truth, which is presented in seven assertive statements. This achievement serves as a milestone in ecumenism.

The doctrine of Justification has become the divisive cause and the crux of all theological disputes since the Reformation. Any attempt towards reconciliation inevitably brings this Pauline doctrine to the forefront. There may be two ways of releasing the tension. First, by setting this doctrine within a greater and more integrated whole so that its divisive significance diminishes. According to contemporary theological understanding, Justification is only one among other Pauline doctrines, and it may not even be the most important one.2 Secondly, by viewing this doctrine from a higher viewpoint so that its problems and difficulties are not solved but dissolved. The following attempt to interpret the meaning of the seven assertions in the Joint Declaration adopts this latter approach. The higher viewpoint, I think Rahner would agree, is the theo-anthropological understanding of the human being. Theology is also anthropology. Many disputes and arguments can, it would appear, be attributed to our compartmentalized understanding of God and human beings. Here, Rahner will be our competent guide in discovering that anthropocentricism is not necessarily incongruent with theocentricism. From here, our journey begins.

The first part of this paper is dedicated to delineating Rahner's anthropology and his view on the development of dogma. The underlying contention is that misunderstandings often come from a lack of clarification of some basic terminology, which is taken for granted as some congealed form of ideas. In the issue of justification, the protagonist is the human being. So, to understand what it means to be human is crucial. The second part of the paper presents an interpretation of the Joint Declaration and an attempt to dialogue with the latest comments on it by the Catholic Church3 and the Lutheran circle.4 I hope that the Doctrine and the Joint Declaration will be understood more coherently and be given a wider perspective than the actual text provides.

1. The actual process is succinctly outlined in #3 of the Joint Declaration

2. Cf. FITZMYER, J.A. (1988). Pauline Theology. In: R.E. BROWN, J.A. FITZMYER and R.E. MURPHY (eds) The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs N.J. Prentice Hall. #82. Fitzmyer lists ten effects of the Christ event in Paul, namely, justification, salvation, reconciliation, expiation, redemption, freedom, sanctification, transformation, new creation, glorification.

3. Response of The Catholic Church To The Joint Declaration of The Catholic Church And The Lutheran World Federation On The Doctrine of Justification" (RCC.).