Wright vs. Piper

A standard Reformed account of justification includes the view that Christ's righteousness as being "imputed" into us (in Luther's phrase, the alien righteousness of Christ is somehow or other transferred onto genuine believers).

Bishop Wright has suggested that such a view, based on our understanding of the first century imagery of the law-court, makes no sense at all--the righteousness of the judge is a distinct concept from the righteousness of the defendant.  Thus, the conception of justification as an imputation of (one and the same) righteousness makes a serious category mistake.