What Have Lutherans Learned from Orthodox?: Salvation as Union with God.

The purpose of this article is to consider the influence of Eastern Orthodox theology and spirituality, particularly soteriology, upon the Lutheran doctrine of salvation. It focuses on the emergence of a new interpretation of Martin Luther's view of justification as union and Christ's "real" presence in the believer through the Holy Spirit. This account materially reflects key intuitions of the Eastern Orthodox vision of deification (divinization, theosis) and was developed in Helsinki, Finland, under the tutelage of Tuomo Mannermaa and his school. Even though this new interpretation continues to be contested and debated, particularly in German Luther scholarship, it has also exercised wide influence on international theological discussion. The latter part of the article, more constructive in nature, seeks to link the Helsinki School insights to some other current Lutheran contributions as well as relevant viewpoints from the wider Christian West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]