Miikka Ruokanen, Professor Emeritus of Dogmatics, University of Helsinki

Miikka Ruokanen is Professor Emeritus of Dogmatics at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Professor of Systematic Theology at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, China. He is also Guest Professor at the Renmin University of China, Beijing, and Advisory Professor at Fudan University, Shanghai. His publications include include The Catholic Doctrine of Non-Christian Religions: According to the Second Vatican Council (Brill, 1992), Theology of Social Life in Augustine's De civitate Dei (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1993), and Christianity and Chinese Culture (co-edited with Paulos Huang; Eerdmans, 2010).

"Professor Ruokanen is a thinker of global stature, deeply engaged with the theologies of Europe, North America, and China. Here his thorough scholarship and profound reflection on Martin Luther combine to offer a retrieval of Luther that is prophetically relevant to the twenty-first century. This is not only a convincing, original contribution to the understanding of Luther on key issues, including Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, Christian life, freedom, and grace; it is also an inspiring resource for churches of all traditions around the world-indeed, for anyone who shares in Luther's passionate attention to the Bible." - David F. Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Cambridge, UK

"This book is well worth reading for anyone passionate about Luther or his theology." - Mark Mattes, Grand View University, Lutheran Quarterly

"Professor Miikka Ruokanen establishes a genuinely new understanding of Martin Luther's major theological treatise The Bondage of the Will. He offers a crucial modification and advance to the so-called Finnish school of Luther interpretation. Ruokanen's work reveals the Trinitarian and, more specifically, the powerfully Pneumatological and participatory nature of grace in Luther's argument against Erasmus." - Ian A. McFarland, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Theology, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA

"Ruokanen opens up new perspectives on the depth and function of Luther's understanding of the Trinity and the relationship of God with his people in this provocative study. It invites rich scholarly exchange on the nature of the union of Christ with believers and other aspects of the De servo arbitrio in relationship to Luther's larger oeuvre." - Robert Kolb, Professor of Systematic Theology Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, USA

"Differing from previous research, which mainly focuses on specialized problems, Ruokanen succeeds in creating an excellent comprehensive analysis of Luther's magnum opus, The Bondage of the Will. He establishes the Trinitarian nature of Luther's theology and displays the central role of the Holy Spirit in his theocentric doctrine of grace." - Risto Saarinen, Professor of Ecumenics, University of Helsinki, Finland

"In this book of Miikka Ruokanen we have a wise and faithful guide to exploring Luther's doctrine of grace, alongside all of its ecumenical horizons. Anyone seeking to understand this central theme of the Reformation and its relevance to the world church today must read this book." - Professor Tom Greggs, DLitt, FRSE, Marischal Chair (1616) and Head ofDivinity, University of Aberdeen, UK