Newman’s Interpretation of Luther: A Reappraisal

Abstract

This article challenges the current scholarly consensus that John Henry Newman wrongly interpreted Martin Luther’s theology of justification by faith alone in his Lectures on Justification. It contends that what Newman primarily opposed in his Lectures was not Luther himself, but “popular Protestantism” and its teaching of justification by mere imputation. The charges against Newman are examined in detail in light of this claim.