In-Depth Analysis: Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

This essay provides an analysis of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), a religious doctrine agreed upon by the Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) of the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The JDDJ aimed to resolve a 500-year-old conflict regarding the nature of justification. While the document achieved a common understanding of God's grace through faith in Christ, disagreements persist on key issues such as the nature of grace, justification, and original sin. The essay highlights the points of agreement, such as the role of Christ's death and resurrection, while also emphasizing the unresolved differences between Lutheran and Catholic perspectives. It concludes that the JDDJ represents a good starting point for scriptural understanding but falls short of fully reconciling the differing theological positions.

Running head: JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 1
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
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JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 2
Joint Declarations on the Doctrine of Justification
The JDDJ (Joint Declarations on the Doctrine of Justification) is a religious doctrine that
was agreed upon and created by the PCPCU (Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity)
of the Catholic Churches and the LWF (Lutheran world federations) in late 1999 based on an
extensive ecumenical dialogue (Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic Church, 153). The
document argues that churches shared an understanding that is common regarding the
justification of God’s grace by having faith in the Christ. It resolved a conflict among the parties
involved that had existed for more than 500 regarding the justification nature which formed the
basis for a protestant changes. The WMC (world Methodist councils) applied this agreement in
2006 (Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic Church, 145). WCRC (world communion for
reformed churches) which involves eighty million followers from the Presbyterian, congregation
churches, united, reforming, and waldensian churches) followed it in 2017 (Lutheran World
Federation, & Catholic Church, 159). Based on its substance the LWF and the CPCPU accept in
this agreement that ex-communications that relate to this justification document set upon by the
Trent councils are not applicable to the Lutheran church teachings as formulated in the
document. At the same time, these churches also claim that what their Lutheran faith condemns
is not applicable to the teachings by the Catholics as set forth in the justification document.
Among the Lutherans the adoption for this joint justification was not universally accepted.
Among the 124 LWF followers, 35 voted against it including the churches under the ILC
(international Lutheran council) (Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic Church, 162).
The JDDJ concludes basically that the remaining and past differences between the
Roman Catholics and the Lutherans do not cause disruption to their justification doctrine
consensus. According to the JDDC, there are three differences that now exist after the

JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 3
agreement, such as; differences of theological elaboration, language and of justification
understanding emphasis (Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic Church, 173). The main
unresolved issues in the JDDJ include faith, grace, justification, original sin. The doctrine fails to
settle the disagreement between the Lutherans and the Catholics on justification. According to
the Lutherans, justification involves being righteous or not guilty as pronounced by God on
sinners based on the works of Christ. The Catholics also claim that righteousness involves the
internal process and transformation of a believer who continues being made righteous (Lutheran
World Federation, & Catholic Church, 157). The doctrine fails to agree on grace. Lutherans
claim that grace involves the undeserved favor from God while the roman Catholics has it that it
involves the spiritual power that the power gets infused with enabling one to merit salvation and
love God. The doctrine fails to clarify the root cause of justification includes the works of God of
saving through Christ and not anything in humans (Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic
Church, 151). It applies justification through faith or by faith but fails to state the role of this
faith in justification process as inclusive of the idea that sinners receive God’s grace when
sinners receive the benefits of Christ. The doctrine also contains the position of the Lutherans on
original sin which is left after baptism is considered to be sin. It claims that the position of the
Roman Catholics is that original sin can be eradicated fully by baptism and that having the desire
to sin that happens after one’s baptism is not sin. The doctrine leaves these disagreements
between the two groups unresolved.
The doctrine agrees partly to the true teachings of the bible while in some part, it fails to
be in the same context with Christian faith. The JDDJ affirms that justification involves the work
of the true God (Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic Church, 149). It agrees to the fact that
God sent Christ the son to save the sinners. Thus, the presupposition and foundation of

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justification involves the resurrection, death and incarnation of Christ. In this case, justification
means Christ is the righteousness through which the Holy Spirit accords God’s will (Lutheran
World Federation, & Catholic Church, 157). Despite the definition of justification in the JDDJ,
catholic still believes in other blessings such as baptism, altar sacrament, absolution in public and
private confession ordination to pastoral office, Ten Commandments, psalms, the creed. The
JDDJ formed a good start for understanding the scripture and teachings.
From the analysis, it can be argued that the JDDJ doctrine agrees in part to biblical
teaching and Christian faith is such aspects as the true purpose of God to Christians. Such
aspects include God’s use of the son to save sinners through the death, incarnation and
resurrection of Christ. However through its use of through faith and by faith does not clearly
bring out the fact that the justification comes through God’s work but not the efforts of
Christians or anything in them. The doctrine fails to apply biblical teachings to solve the idea of
grace, original sin, faith and justification which is the key base of disagreement between
Lutherans and Catholics.

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References
Lutheran World Federation, & Catholic Church. Joint declaration on the doctrine of
justification. (2000); 143-179. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.