Christ the Matter and Form of Justification: A New Solution for Reconciling Imputed and Infused Righteousness

Writing from a Reformed perspective, I intend to develop a concept of the duplex iustitia. I will argue that it is possible to affirm that infused righteousness is the sole formal cause of justification, while holding that imputation is its material cause. My goal in doing so will be to enumerate another possible area of agreement so that areas of disagreement can be stated in sharper dynamic clarity and therefore more precisely addressed. First, I will articulate what precisely is at issue in the disagreement between Roman Catholics and the Reformed on the matter of justification’s cause. Here I will discuss the role union with Christ plays in both Roman Catholic and Reformed concepts of justification. From these foundations, I will then argue that a Reformed perspective on justification coheres with the Tridentine affirmation that the sole formal cause is the “righteousness of God by which he makes us just”, while retaining the affirmation that its proper material cause is the imputed righteousness of Christ. In this section, I will defend a version of the duplex iustitia. Third, I will conclude by analyzing how this proposal might move beyond some of the agreements reached in the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDF henceforth) of 1999 and the International Catholic-Reformed dialogue document “Justification and Sacramentality” of 2015, while also stating the limitations of my proposal. Finally, I will answer some anticipated objections.