diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails.rb b/lib/rabl-rails.rb
index 471fa00..5fbf960 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ require 'rabl-rails/railtie'
 require 'multi_json'
 
 module RablRails
+  extend Renderer
+  
   mattr_accessor :cache_templates
   @@cache_templates = true
   
diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails/renderer.rb b/lib/rabl-rails/renderer.rb
index 0ee0acf..168b409 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails/renderer.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails/renderer.rb
@@ -1,2 +1,91 @@
 require 'rabl-rails/renderers/base'
-require 'rabl-rails/renderers/json'
\ No newline at end of file
+require 'rabl-rails/renderers/json'
+
+module RablRails
+  module Renderer
+    class TemplateNotFound < StandardError; end
+    
+    mattr_reader :view_path
+    @@view_path = 'app/views'
+
+    class LookupContext
+      T = Struct.new(:source)
+
+      def initialize(view_path, format)
+        @view_path = view_path || RablRails::Renderer.view_path
+        @format = format
+      end
+
+      #
+      # Manually find given rabl template file with given format.
+      # View path can be set via options, otherwise default Rails
+      # path is used
+      #
+      def find_template(name, opt, partial = false)
+        path = File.join(@view_path, "#{name}.#{@format}.rabl")
+        File.exists?(path) ? T.new(File.read(path)) : nil
+      end
+    end
+
+    #
+    # Context class to emulate normal Rails view
+    # context
+    #
+    class Context
+      attr_reader :format
+      attr_accessor :target_object
+
+      def initialize(path, options)
+        @virtual_path = path
+        @format = options.delete(:format) || 'json'
+        @_assigns = {}
+        @options = options
+
+        options[:locals].each { |k, v| @_assigns[k.to_s] = v } if options[:locals]
+      end
+
+      def assigns
+        @_assigns
+      end
+
+      def params
+        { format: format }
+      end
+
+      def lookup_context
+        @lookup_context ||= LookupContext.new(@options[:view_path], format)
+      end
+    end
+  
+    #
+    # Renders object with the given rabl template.
+    # 
+    # Object can also be passed as an option :
+    # { locals: { object: obj_to_render } }
+    #
+    # Default render format is JSON, but can be changed via
+    # an option: { format: 'xml' }
+    #
+    # If template includes uses of instance variables (usually 
+    # defined in the controller), you can passed them as locals
+    # options.
+    # For example, if you have this template:
+    #   object :@user
+    #   node(:read) { |u| u.has_read?(@post) }
+    #
+    # Your method call should look like this:
+    #   RablRails.render(user, 'users/show', locals: { post: Post.new })
+    #
+    def render(object, template, options = {})
+      object = options[:locals].delete(:object) if !object && options[:locals]
+
+      c = Context.new(template, options)
+      c.target_object = object
+
+      t = c.lookup_context.find_template(template, [], false)
+      raise TemplateNotFound unless t
+
+      Library.instance.get_rendered_template(t.source, c)
+    end
+  end
+end
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diff --git a/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb b/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb
index 00c85d7..cb9bcac 100644
--- a/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb
+++ b/lib/rabl-rails/renderers/base.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ module RablRails
       #
       def render(template)
         collection_or_resource = instance_variable_get(template.data) if template.data
+        collection_or_resource = @_context.target_object unless collection_or_resource || template.data == false || !@_context.respond_to?(:target_object)
         output_hash = collection_or_resource.respond_to?(:each) ? render_collection(collection_or_resource, template.source) :
           render_resource(collection_or_resource, template.source)
         _options[:root_name] = template.root_name
diff --git a/test/render_test.rb b/test/render_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8108f7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/render_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+require 'pathname'
+require 'tmpdir'
+
+class RenderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+
+  setup do
+    @user = User.new(1, 'Marty')
+    @user.stub(:respond_to?).with(:each).and_return(false)
+    @tmp_path = Pathname.new(Dir.mktmpdir)
+  end
+
+  test "allow object to be passed as an option" do
+    File.open(@tmp_path + "nil.json.rabl", "w") do |f|
+      f.puts %q{
+        object :@user
+        attributes :name
+      }
+    end
+    assert_equal %q({"user":{"name":"Marty"}}), RablRails.render(nil, 'nil', locals: { object: @user }, view_path: @tmp_path)
+  end
+
+  test "load source from file" do
+    File.open(@tmp_path + "show.json.rabl", "w") do |f|
+      f.puts %q{
+        object :@user
+        attributes :id, :name
+      }
+    end
+    assert_equal %q({"user":{"id":1,"name":"Marty"}}), RablRails.render(@user, 'show', view_path: @tmp_path)
+  end
+  
+  test "raise error if template is not found" do
+    assert_raises(RablRails::Renderer::TemplateNotFound) { RablRails.render(@user, 'not_found') }
+  end
+  
+  test "instance variables can be passed via options[:locals]" do
+    File.open(@tmp_path + "instance.json.rabl", "w") do |f|
+      f.puts %q{
+        object false
+        node(:username) { |_| @user.name } 
+      }
+    end
+    assert_equal %q({"username":"Marty"}), RablRails.render(nil, 'instance', view_path: @tmp_path, locals: { user: @user })
+  end
+
+  test "handle path for extends" do
+    File.open(@tmp_path + "extend.json.rabl", "w") do |f|
+      f.puts %q{
+        object :@user
+        extends 'base'
+      }
+    end
+    
+    File.open(@tmp_path + "base.json.rabl", "w") do |f|
+      f.puts %q{
+        attribute :name, as: :extended_name
+      }
+    end
+
+    assert_equal %q({"user":{"extended_name":"Marty"}}), RablRails.render(@user, 'extend', view_path: @tmp_path)
+  end
+
+end
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