of these also belong to the Protestant doctrine. He declares that
‘receiving in grace and being recognized as a child of God is the
same thing’.^180
Continuing this ecumenical line, Schleiermacher says that justifi-
cation is one divine action that can be called forgiveness of sins
insofar as it is related to the old life; with regard to the new life of
the Christian, it can be called adoption.^181 The equality of all humans
is based on the idea that before justification all humans are equal,
irrespective of their sins.^182 Christians are adopted through Christ;
this divine act of adoption brings about the fulfilment of human
life.^183 Regarding the role of faith in justification, thefirst edition
does not speak about the person-creating power of God; the second
edition may here have a stronger emphasis on heteronomy in
this respect.^184
The treatment of conversion only after justification is a point on
which thefirst edition clearly differs from the second. Schleiermacher
speaks here about the‘recognition of pure divine will’as an aspect of
conversion.^185 At the same time, however, the next article on sancti-
fication remains the place in which the Christian’s being a child of
God is treated. Thefirst edition proceeds even more strongly from
this idea of adoption than the article on sanctification in the second
edition that starts with the concept of communion with Christ.^186
However, such changes may not reflect any deep changes in
Schleiermacher’s theological thinking, in particular as the overall title
‘Regeneration’covers justification and conversion in both editions.^187
The doctrine of‘common spirit’has already been developed in the
first edition.^188
Generally speaking, the theological role of the concept of recog-
nition in thefirst edition of 1821/2 is already fairly similar to its
final form in 1830. While the second edition explains the ideas of
(^180) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §129, 109–10.
(^181) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §129, 111.
(^182) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §129, 113.
(^183) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §129, 114.
(^184) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §129, 115–16; cf. 1830, §109, 200–1.
(^185) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §130, 122.
(^186) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §131, 135; cf. 1830, §110, 202–3.
(^187) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §128, 106; 1830, §107, 168.
(^188) Der christliche Glaube(1821/2), §140–1, 189–202.
150 Recognition and Religion