Merit and the Finnish Luther

The concept of merit, according to a C atholic understanding, is dictated by the nature of the divine grace that moves C hristians to good works without violating their freedom. The Lutheran tradition, however, rejects the meritorious character of good works, at least in the context of salvation. In this article, it is argued that the new, F innish L uther interpretation undermines the basis for L utheranism's traditional resistance to the notion of merit. A tentative conclusion is that a L utheranism that appropriates the F innish interpretation has reason to embrace the applicability of merit‐language in soteriological contexts.