The Life of Justification, a Series of Lectures

The Life Of Justification, A Series Of Lectures by George Body. The work collects Lent lectures delivered in All Saints', Margaret Street, during Lent 1870, presenting a Catholic view of justification as a real incorporation into Christ through the Spirit, rather than a mere inward conviction or imputed righteousness. Body outlines the problem of justification as humanity's deepest need, tracing its cry through Job, Israel, prophets, and the Christian church, and arguing that the answer lies in union with Christ—made possible by the Incarnation, the Cross, and the Church's sacraments. The six lectures move from the want of humanity to Christ as our justification, to union with Christ as the condition of justification, to conversion, the life of justification, its progress, and its consummation in glory. A central strand is the Holy Spirit's work within the Church and in individuals through baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist, forming a real, personal participation in the divine life. The author emphasizes the Virgin Mary as a model of acceptance, and pits Catholic doctrine against imputation-based Protestant views, envisioning a lived faith sustained by grace and persevering love.