A positive active material, a positive electrode and a lithium battery containing the positive active material, and a method of manufacturing the positive active material are disclosed. The positive active material includes: a positive active material core particle for intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions; and a coating layer at least partially surrounding the positive active material core particle and including a ceramic composite represented by Formula 1.
Li7+aLa3−bZr2−cMdO12+e Formula 1
In Formula 1, M comprises at least one selected from aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), scandium (Sc), vanadium (V), yttrium (Y), niobium (Nb), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), silicon (Si), gallium (Ga), and germanium (Ge), and −1≦a≦1, 0≦b≦2, 0≦c≦2, 0≦d≦2, and 0≦e≦1.