Thomas Torrance
Encyclopedia
Thomas Forsyth Torrance (30 August 1913 – 2 December 2007) was a 20th century Protestant Christian
theologian who served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh
in the University of Edinburgh
, during which time he was a leader in Protestant Christian theology. He is best known for his pioneering work in the study of science and theology, but he is equally respected for his work in dogmatic or systematic theology
. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also edited the translation of several hundred theological writings into English from other languages, including the English translation of the thirteen-volume, six-million-word Church Dogmatics
of celebrated Swiss theologian Karl Barth
, as well as John Calvin's
New Testament Commentaries. Torrance has been acknowledged as one of the most significant English-speaking theologians of the twentieth century, and in 1978, he received the prestigious Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion. Torrance remained a dedicated churchman throughout his life, serving as an ordained minister in the Church of Scotland
. He was instrumental in the development of the historic agreement between the Reformed and Eastern Orthodox Churches on the doctrine of the Trinity
when a joint statement of agreement on that doctrine was issued between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
and the Orthodox Church on March 13, 1991. He retired from the University of Edinburgh in 1979, but continued to lecture and to publish extensively. Several influential books on the Trinity
were published after his retirement: The Trinitarian Faith: The Evangelical Theology of the Ancient Catholic Church (1988); Trinitarian Perspectives: Toward Doctrinal Agreement (1994); and The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons (1996).
missionary parents in Chengdu
, Szechuan, West China
; named after his great-grandfather, Thomas Forsyth Torrance; and spent the first thirteen years of his life there. He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh
, Oxford
and Basel
. He began studying in Edinburgh in 1931 focusing on classics and philosophy. At that time his own realist views of philosophy, theology and morality started to take shape, and as he moved to the study of theology at the Faculty of Divinity (New College
) in 1934 this led him to question the theological methodology of Schleiermacher
for its lack of any realist scientific objectivity. For Torrance, such objectivity meant that theology needed to allow all its concepts to be shaped by the unique nature of the object of reflection . In this regard, theology did not differ from science; what set science and theology apart of course was the different nature of the objects of their reflection. In the case of science that was the world created by God; in the case of theology it was God the creator, reconciler and redeemer who was no distant God but the God who became incarnate in his Son within time and space in order to reconcile the world to himself. This insight led Torrance to oppose every form of dualism because such thinking always tended to keep God from interacting with us in history in one way or another. He also opposed all forms of "subjectivism" because he held that it was impossible for people to know God objectively by reflecting upon themselves. Torrance was strongly influenced by Hugh Ross Mackintosh (1870-1936) and by Daniel Lamont
(1869-1950), the former stressing the centrality of Christ and the connection between theology and mission, and the latter stressing the relationship between Christianity and scientific culture.
who was born January 13, 1949 and is now the President of Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey and Professor of Patristics; and Alison Meta Elizabeth Torrance who was born on April 15, 1951 and is now a medical doctor in general practice in Edinburgh.
from 1976-1977, as did his son Iain from 2003 to 2004. As a Reformed churchman and theologian Torrance worked tirelessly toward ecumenical harmony with Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics throughout his career. In recognition of his ecumenical work with the Eastern Orthodox church, he was consecrated a Protopresbyter in the Patriarchate of Alexandria by the Archbishop of Axum in 1973. Torrance himself served on the Reformed–Roman Catholic Study Commission on the Eucharist which met at Woudschoten, in the Netherlands in 1974, during which time he formed a personal relationship with the Roman Catholic cardinal and renowned ecumenist, Yves Congar
. He represented the Church of Scotland in conversations with the Church of England between 1949 – 1951 and fought tirelessly for the visible union of the Church, and not merely a spiritual union; he was the Convener of the Church of Scotland Commission on Baptism from 1954 to 1962 (with John Heron, the father of Alasdair Heron, acting as secretary to the Commission); and was present at the World Council of Churches
meeting in Evanston, Illinois, in 1954.
Torrance led a colloquy in Switzerland in March 1975 which discussed Karl Rahner’s work on the Trinity because he believed that Rahner’s work offered an opportunity for genuine ecumenical convergence between East and West, Catholic and Evangelical Christians. Torrance made significant contributions to Reformed and Roman Catholic discussions of Justification by Faith and by Grace as well. It should also be noted that there is much in Torrance’s writing that could form the basis for significant fraternal dialogue between Christians and Jews. Torrance studied with the distinguished Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth in Basel, completing his dissertation on "The Doctrine of Grace in the Apostolic Fathers" in 1946, after his service as a chaplain during World War II. In 1948, he was the founding Editor of the important and highly regarded peer reviewed journal, the Scottish Journal of Theology
, which his son Iain continues to edit along with Bryan Spinks of Yale University.
, Creation
, Incarnation
, Atonement
, Eschatology
, Pneumatology
, the Church and the Sacraments as well as a theology of ordained Ministry. Interpreting each of these doctrines from within the perspective of an ecumenically open doctrine of the Trinity, with which most Roman Catholic and Orthodox theologians would substantially agree, Torrance forged an understanding of Justification by Grace that demonstrated exactly how and why Christ, in his uniqueness as God become man acting from within the human situation marked by sin and evil, overcame sin, suffering, evil and death once and for all both from the divine and the human side. This enabled Torrance to offer a theology that was at once full of depth and meaning and yet joyful and hopeful because he knew that Jesus was no mere moral example of the good life, but God himself who suffered the God-forsakenness associated with human enmity against God on the cross out of unconditional love for humanity, and did so effectively precisely because he was the Word of God incarnate. He once said that if Jesus was just a man dying on a cross, then Christianity would be immoral, offering a picture of a vindictive God along with the image of a pagan human attempt to appease God through human sacrifice—a form of self-justification. But put God on the cross and the whole picture changes because then the depth of God’s costly love could be seen to include the fact that God was not aloof from human suffering but willing himself to experience this suffering in his own Son in order to overcome all that threatens true human existence in fellowship with God. All of this was accomplished and demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection and continues to be lived as part of the new creation in the Church, as the community is united through faith and hope with the ascended and advent Lord by the Holy Spirit, through partaking of the Sacraments and through preaching and teaching the Gospel.
(490-570) whose thinking stood in stark contrast to Aristotelian and Neoplatonic thinking which Torrance believed was harmful both to science and to theology. Such thinking led to ideas of God as an unmoved mover, and thus one who was not a living God capable of acting within creation without being conditioned by creation or limited by it. Torrance approved of Einstein
, Maxwell
and Polanyi
in their attempts to hold together thought and reality, experience and ideas, instead of tearing them apart and believed that theologians could learn from this. Such unitary thinking in science, Torrance believed, could help theologians overcome Kantian and Cartesian dualism. His theology demonstrates exactly how he thought this should be done, especially as this relates to interpreting Scripture. When form and being are separated, as they are when our ideas are separated from objective reality, then it becomes impossible to know Jesus as he is in himself; we only know Jesus as he appeared to be to his followers and this leaves the door open to the idea that Jesus could be created and re-created according to people’s faith. This was especially problematic with respect to the risen Lord. When the chord is cut between idea and reality, then it is thought that the resurrection is only a mythological way of reflecting on the death of Jesus instead of as a description of a unique occurrence in his life history that enabled a true understanding of his person and work as recorded in the scriptures.
, his mentor continues to do.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
theologian who served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh
New College, Edinburgh
New College was opened in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and from the 1930s has been the home of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh...
in the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, during which time he was a leader in Protestant Christian theology. He is best known for his pioneering work in the study of science and theology, but he is equally respected for his work in dogmatic or systematic theology
Systematic theology
In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also edited the translation of several hundred theological writings into English from other languages, including the English translation of the thirteen-volume, six-million-word Church Dogmatics
Church Dogmatics
Church Dogmatics is the thirteen-volume magnum opus of Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth, which was published in stages from 1932 to 1967.-Academic significance:...
of celebrated Swiss theologian Karl Barth
Karl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
, as well as John Calvin's
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
New Testament Commentaries. Torrance has been acknowledged as one of the most significant English-speaking theologians of the twentieth century, and in 1978, he received the prestigious Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion. Torrance remained a dedicated churchman throughout his life, serving as an ordained minister in the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. He was instrumental in the development of the historic agreement between the Reformed and Eastern Orthodox Churches on the doctrine of the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
when a joint statement of agreement on that doctrine was issued between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
World Alliance of Reformed Churches
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
and the Orthodox Church on March 13, 1991. He retired from the University of Edinburgh in 1979, but continued to lecture and to publish extensively. Several influential books on the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
were published after his retirement: The Trinitarian Faith: The Evangelical Theology of the Ancient Catholic Church (1988); Trinitarian Perspectives: Toward Doctrinal Agreement (1994); and The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons (1996).
Early years
Torrance was born of ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
missionary parents in Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Szechuan, West China
West China
West China , refers to the area around China's Sichuan Province in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. This term was widely used before 1949, however, it is not widely used nowadays.-See also:* Greater Sichuan * West China Union University* North China* East China* South China...
; named after his great-grandfather, Thomas Forsyth Torrance; and spent the first thirteen years of his life there. He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
. He began studying in Edinburgh in 1931 focusing on classics and philosophy. At that time his own realist views of philosophy, theology and morality started to take shape, and as he moved to the study of theology at the Faculty of Divinity (New College
New College
-United Kingdom:* North East Worcestershire College Redditch and Bromsgrove* New College Durham, County Durham* New College, Edinburgh, Edinburgh* New College London, St John's Wood, London* New College Nottingham, Nottingham...
) in 1934 this led him to question the theological methodology of Schleiermacher
Schleiermacher
Schleiermacher is the name of:* Friedrich Schleiermacher - German theologian and philosopher* Ruth Schleiermacher - speedskater* Steffen Schleiermacher - composer...
for its lack of any realist scientific objectivity. For Torrance, such objectivity meant that theology needed to allow all its concepts to be shaped by the unique nature of the object of reflection . In this regard, theology did not differ from science; what set science and theology apart of course was the different nature of the objects of their reflection. In the case of science that was the world created by God; in the case of theology it was God the creator, reconciler and redeemer who was no distant God but the God who became incarnate in his Son within time and space in order to reconcile the world to himself. This insight led Torrance to oppose every form of dualism because such thinking always tended to keep God from interacting with us in history in one way or another. He also opposed all forms of "subjectivism" because he held that it was impossible for people to know God objectively by reflecting upon themselves. Torrance was strongly influenced by Hugh Ross Mackintosh (1870-1936) and by Daniel Lamont
Daniel Lamont
The Very Rev Professor Daniel Lamont DD, MA was an eminent Church of Scotland Minister and academic. He was a Professor at New College, Edinburgh from 1927 to 1945; and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1936 to 1937....
(1869-1950), the former stressing the centrality of Christ and the connection between theology and mission, and the latter stressing the relationship between Christianity and scientific culture.
Student years and early years as professor
Torrance was awarded the Blackie Fellowship in 1936 for study in the Middle East. This was not without its precarious moments as when he was sentenced to death in Basra (Iraq), accused of being a spy. Fortunately, he was able to convince the authorities that he was a theological student and was allowed to proceed to Baghdad and then to Syria. He eventually returned to Scotland, specialized in systematic theology and graduated summa cum laude. After that he studied with Karl Barth in Basel. In 1946 he became engaged to Margaret Edith Spear and completed his doctorate magna cum laude. From 1938 to 1939 Torrance taught at Auburn Theological Seminary in upstate New York and was eventually offered a position in religion at Princeton University which he did not accept because he decided to return home to Scotland with war in Europe on the horizon. From 1939 to 1940 Torrance studied at Oriel College, Oxford. He was ordained as minister on March 20, 1940. During World War II Torrance provided pastoral and practical support to Scottish soldiers in North Africa and northern Italy and was fortunate to escape with his life after coming under fire on more than one occasion. After the war, Torrance returned to his parish in Alyth and later became minister at Beechgrove Church in Aberdeen, following in the footsteps of his former beloved professor, Hugh Ross Mackintosh. He married Margaret Edith Spear on 2 October 1946 in Combe Down Parish Church, near Bath, England. The Torrance family soon included: Thomas Spear Torrance who was born July 3, 1947 and is now an economist and philosopher of science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh; Iain Richard TorranceIain Torrance
Iain Richard Torrance is President of Princeton Theological Seminary and a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He is married to Morag Ann , whom he met while they were students at the University of St Andrews, and they have a son, Hew, and a daughter,...
who was born January 13, 1949 and is now the President of Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey and Professor of Patristics; and Alison Meta Elizabeth Torrance who was born on April 15, 1951 and is now a medical doctor in general practice in Edinburgh.
Churchman
As an ordained minister in the Church of Scotland he served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
from 1976-1977, as did his son Iain from 2003 to 2004. As a Reformed churchman and theologian Torrance worked tirelessly toward ecumenical harmony with Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics throughout his career. In recognition of his ecumenical work with the Eastern Orthodox church, he was consecrated a Protopresbyter in the Patriarchate of Alexandria by the Archbishop of Axum in 1973. Torrance himself served on the Reformed–Roman Catholic Study Commission on the Eucharist which met at Woudschoten, in the Netherlands in 1974, during which time he formed a personal relationship with the Roman Catholic cardinal and renowned ecumenist, Yves Congar
Yves Congar
Yves Marie Joseph Congar was a French Dominican cardinal and theologian.-Early life:Born in Sedan, in northeast France, in 1904, Congar's home was occupied by the Germans for much of World War I...
. He represented the Church of Scotland in conversations with the Church of England between 1949 – 1951 and fought tirelessly for the visible union of the Church, and not merely a spiritual union; he was the Convener of the Church of Scotland Commission on Baptism from 1954 to 1962 (with John Heron, the father of Alasdair Heron, acting as secretary to the Commission); and was present at the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
meeting in Evanston, Illinois, in 1954.
Torrance led a colloquy in Switzerland in March 1975 which discussed Karl Rahner’s work on the Trinity because he believed that Rahner’s work offered an opportunity for genuine ecumenical convergence between East and West, Catholic and Evangelical Christians. Torrance made significant contributions to Reformed and Roman Catholic discussions of Justification by Faith and by Grace as well. It should also be noted that there is much in Torrance’s writing that could form the basis for significant fraternal dialogue between Christians and Jews. Torrance studied with the distinguished Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth in Basel, completing his dissertation on "The Doctrine of Grace in the Apostolic Fathers" in 1946, after his service as a chaplain during World War II. In 1948, he was the founding Editor of the important and highly regarded peer reviewed journal, the Scottish Journal of Theology
Scottish Journal of Theology
Scottish Journal of Theology is a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal of systematic, historical and biblical theology. Founded in Scotland in 1948, it provides an ecumenical forum for debate, and engages in extensive reviewing of theological and biblical literature...
, which his son Iain continues to edit along with Bryan Spinks of Yale University.
Dogmatic theology
One of the reasons that Torrance’s theology is now becoming the focus for many doctoral students is that his was a profoundly Christ-centered theology that was in no way Christomonist (one that reduced all theology to Christology), but instead integrated all Christian doctrine in such a way as to offer sensible and compelling explanations of the Christian faith. This integration of doctrine began for Torrance with the Nicene homoousion (the fact that the eternal Son was and is one in being with the Father and Spirit in eternity and with us by virtue of the incarnation), and included the doctrines of the TrinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, Creation
Creation
Creation may refer to:In religion and philosophy:*Creation myth, stories of the supernatural creation of the Earth and its inhabitants*Genesis creation narrative, The Biblical account of creationIn science and technology:...
, Incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
, Atonement
Atonement
Atonement is a doctrine that describes how human beings can be reconciled to God. In Christian theology the atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin through the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion, which made possible the reconciliation between God and creation...
, Eschatology
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
, Pneumatology
Pneumatology
Pneumatology is the study of spiritual beings and phenomena, especially the interactions between humans and God.Pneuma is Greek for "breath", which metaphorically describes a non-material being or influence....
, the Church and the Sacraments as well as a theology of ordained Ministry. Interpreting each of these doctrines from within the perspective of an ecumenically open doctrine of the Trinity, with which most Roman Catholic and Orthodox theologians would substantially agree, Torrance forged an understanding of Justification by Grace that demonstrated exactly how and why Christ, in his uniqueness as God become man acting from within the human situation marked by sin and evil, overcame sin, suffering, evil and death once and for all both from the divine and the human side. This enabled Torrance to offer a theology that was at once full of depth and meaning and yet joyful and hopeful because he knew that Jesus was no mere moral example of the good life, but God himself who suffered the God-forsakenness associated with human enmity against God on the cross out of unconditional love for humanity, and did so effectively precisely because he was the Word of God incarnate. He once said that if Jesus was just a man dying on a cross, then Christianity would be immoral, offering a picture of a vindictive God along with the image of a pagan human attempt to appease God through human sacrifice—a form of self-justification. But put God on the cross and the whole picture changes because then the depth of God’s costly love could be seen to include the fact that God was not aloof from human suffering but willing himself to experience this suffering in his own Son in order to overcome all that threatens true human existence in fellowship with God. All of this was accomplished and demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection and continues to be lived as part of the new creation in the Church, as the community is united through faith and hope with the ascended and advent Lord by the Holy Spirit, through partaking of the Sacraments and through preaching and teaching the Gospel.
Theology and science
As indicated by the fact that he was awarded the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion in 1978, Torrance made singular contributions to the dialogue between science and theology. His contributions in this area led Alister McGrath to observe that many of those theologians he studied did not seem bothered by the fact that they had no first-hand knowledge of the method and norms of natural science, but wrote about science nonetheless! But it was different with Torrance. "Torrance’s writings were, quite simply, of landmark significance." P. Mark Achtemeier describes Torrance’s work in this area as "magisterial and highly original." Christopher Kaiser noted that if Einstein was the person of the century from the perspective of the secular media, then Torrance would qualify as the theologian of the century from the perspective of people who are science minded. In his groundbreaking book Theological Science, Torrance argued that theological and natural science held in common the same need to understand reality through our thoughts by pointing beyond ourselves and not letting our subjective experiences and knowledge distort the objective reality we are attempting to conceptualize. Theology and science should be seen as "allies in a common front where each faces the same insidious enemy, namely, man himself assuming the role of Creator . . ." (Torrance, Theological Science, xiii). As long as the dialogue is conceived to be between science and religion, Torrance contended, "we shall not escape from romantic naturalism." Instead, he insisted that we must focus on the dialogue between science and theology and thus between the "philosophy of natural science" and the "philosophy of theological science" because these two methods have in common the "struggle for scientific method on their proper ground and their own distinctive fields" (Torrance, Theological Science, xiii). Torrance did a great deal to foster this discussion in his books Space, Time and Incarnation and Space, Time and Resurrection where he showed the connections between the two sciences by allowing theology to understand what it means to think of God acting in new and distinctive ways within created time and space, while respecting the distinctive nature of creation itself in its fallen and reconciled condition. Torrance famously argued for a non-dualist and non-monist view of theology and science in the school of the renowned physicist and theologian John PhiloponosJohn Philoponus
John Philoponus , also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria, was a Christian and Aristotelian commentator and the author of a considerable number of philosophical treatises and theological works...
(490-570) whose thinking stood in stark contrast to Aristotelian and Neoplatonic thinking which Torrance believed was harmful both to science and to theology. Such thinking led to ideas of God as an unmoved mover, and thus one who was not a living God capable of acting within creation without being conditioned by creation or limited by it. Torrance approved of Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell of Glenlair was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. His most prominent achievement was formulating classical electromagnetic theory. This united all previously unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and optics into a consistent theory...
and Polanyi
Michael Polanyi
Michael Polanyi, FRS was a Hungarian–British polymath, who made important theoretical contributions to physical chemistry, economics, and the theory of knowledge...
in their attempts to hold together thought and reality, experience and ideas, instead of tearing them apart and believed that theologians could learn from this. Such unitary thinking in science, Torrance believed, could help theologians overcome Kantian and Cartesian dualism. His theology demonstrates exactly how he thought this should be done, especially as this relates to interpreting Scripture. When form and being are separated, as they are when our ideas are separated from objective reality, then it becomes impossible to know Jesus as he is in himself; we only know Jesus as he appeared to be to his followers and this leaves the door open to the idea that Jesus could be created and re-created according to people’s faith. This was especially problematic with respect to the risen Lord. When the chord is cut between idea and reality, then it is thought that the resurrection is only a mythological way of reflecting on the death of Jesus instead of as a description of a unique occurrence in his life history that enabled a true understanding of his person and work as recorded in the scriptures.
Implications of thought
Torrance’s scientific theology could be especially helpful today in the debate over whether election constitutes God’s triunity or whether the triune God eternally elects us without exhausting his being in his actions for us as Creator, Reconciler and Redeemer. Torrance’s thinking, following Barth, clearly comes down against any idea that God’s eternal being is constituted by his relations with us in history. And that is precisely one of the factors that makes his thinking so compelling to so many today. More than any theologian of the twentieth century, Torrance had a lively sense of Christ’s continued high-priestly mediation of humanity to the Father through the Holy Spirit. It is just this emphasis that enabled Torrance to take seriously the fact that there could be no created substitute for the man Jesus in his continued existence as the risen, ascended and advent Lord who, in his true humanity and true divinity, continues even now and until his second coming, to unite people humanly to himself as his body on earth (the Church) through faith and by grace. His is a biblically informed and patristically grounded theology that will serve the ecumenical church for many years to come just as the theology of Karl BarthKarl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
, his mentor continues to do.
Influence
- The fact that there is a scholarly society, formed in 2004, the Thomas F. Torrance Theological Fellowship, with a mission to promote serious reflection on the Christian faith following Torrance’s own approach to theology, is certainly testimony to the growing importance of his work and extraordinary contributions to the Christian Church and its theology.
- Torrance’s thinking has influenced a number of prominent twentieth-century theologians such as Colin E. GuntonColin GuntonColin Ewart Gunton was a British systematic theologian. As a theologian he made contributions to the doctrine of Creation and the doctrine of the trinity. He was Professor of Christian Doctrine at King's College London from 1984 and co-founder with Christoph Schwoebel of the Research Institute for...
(1941-2003), a leading theologian of the TrinityTrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
in Great Britain. - Torrance’s thinking about the theology of nature has influenced Alister McGrath'sAlister McGrathAlister Edgar McGrath is an Anglican priest, theologian, and Christian apologist, currently Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at Kings College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture...
approach to the subject of natural theology. - Torrance influenced the thinking of some of today’s leading Systematic Theologians in Great Britain and on the Continent such as Ivor Davidson of the University of St. Andrews, David A. S. Fergusson of the University of Edinburgh, Alasdair I. C. Heron of the University of Erlangen, Germany, Alan J. TorranceAlan TorranceAlan Torrance is professor of systematic theology at St Mary's College of the University of St Andrews. Previously he lectured at King's College London from 1993–1998, where he was also Director of the Research Institute in Systematic Theology...
of the University of St. Andrews, Robert T. Walker of the University of Edinburgh and John B. Webster of the University of Aberdeen. - In the United States, Torrance influenced the theology of Ray S. Anderson (1925-2009), one of his former students, who taught in the area of Theology and Ministry for many years at Fuller Theological SeminaryFuller Theological SeminaryFuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
and learned from Torrance to understand theology as a practical science. - Torrance has influenced many other American and Canadian theologians too numerous to mention here. One indication of this influence is the fact that so many North Americans are engaged in research and doctoral study of Torrance’s theology. Also, Torrance’s influence can be seen in the thinking of Matthew Baker of Fordham University; Elmer Colyer of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, one of the founding Directors of the T. F. Torrance Theological Fellowship and author of a number of works on Torrance; Gary Deddo, Senior Editor at InterVarsity Press and founding President of the T. F. Torrance Theological Fellowship and author of a number of works on Torrance; George Dion Dragas, Professor of Patrology and Patristics, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, Massachusetts; Eric Flett of Eastern University, St. David’s, Pennsylvania and author of a book on the Theology of Culture as understood through the thinking of Torrance; Michael Gibson of Vanderbilt University; Myk Habets of Carey Baptist College, Auckland, New Zealand, author of a number of works on Torrance, including a book on Torrance and Theosis; George Hunsinger, Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and author of a number of works on Torrance as well as an important book on the Eucharist, influenced by Torrance; Christian Kettler of Friends University, Kansas, the current President of the Thomas F. Torrance Theological Fellowship and author of a number of books that demonstrate Torrance’s influence; Paul D. Molnar, Professor of Systematic Theology at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, past President of the Thomas F. Torrance Theological Fellowship and author of a number of works on Torrance including a book on Torrance’s trinitarian theology; and Andrew Purves, Chair in Reformed Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
See also
- Dogmatics
- Karl BarthKarl BarthKarl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
- Church DogmaticsChurch DogmaticsChurch Dogmatics is the thirteen-volume magnum opus of Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth, which was published in stages from 1932 to 1967.-Academic significance:...
- John CalvinJohn CalvinJohn Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
- Yves CongarYves CongarYves Marie Joseph Congar was a French Dominican cardinal and theologian.-Early life:Born in Sedan, in northeast France, in 1904, Congar's home was occupied by the Germans for much of World War I...
- Albert EinsteinAlbert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
- David A.S. FergussonDavid FergussonDavid A. S. Fergusson is a Scottish theologian. He is Professor of Divinity at New College in the University of Edinburgh. He is a minister of the Church of Scotland.He was born in Glasgow....
- Colin GuntonColin GuntonColin Ewart Gunton was a British systematic theologian. As a theologian he made contributions to the doctrine of Creation and the doctrine of the trinity. He was Professor of Christian Doctrine at King's College London from 1984 and co-founder with Christoph Schwoebel of the Research Institute for...
- Daniel LamontDaniel LamontThe Very Rev Professor Daniel Lamont DD, MA was an eminent Church of Scotland Minister and academic. He was a Professor at New College, Edinburgh from 1927 to 1945; and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1936 to 1937....
- James Clerk MaxwellJames Clerk MaxwellJames Clerk Maxwell of Glenlair was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. His most prominent achievement was formulating classical electromagnetic theory. This united all previously unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and optics into a consistent theory...
- Alister McGrathAlister McGrathAlister Edgar McGrath is an Anglican priest, theologian, and Christian apologist, currently Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at Kings College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture...
- John PhiloponusJohn PhiloponusJohn Philoponus , also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria, was a Christian and Aristotelian commentator and the author of a considerable number of philosophical treatises and theological works...
- Michael PolanyiMichael PolanyiMichael Polanyi, FRS was a Hungarian–British polymath, who made important theoretical contributions to physical chemistry, economics, and the theory of knowledge...
- Friedrich Schleiermacher
- Scottish Journal of TheologyScottish Journal of TheologyScottish Journal of Theology is a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal of systematic, historical and biblical theology. Founded in Scotland in 1948, it provides an ecumenical forum for debate, and engages in extensive reviewing of theological and biblical literature...
- Systematic TheologySystematic theologyIn the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
- Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion
- Alan TorranceAlan TorranceAlan Torrance is professor of systematic theology at St Mary's College of the University of St Andrews. Previously he lectured at King's College London from 1993–1998, where he was also Director of the Research Institute in Systematic Theology...
- Iain Richard TorranceIain TorranceIain Richard Torrance is President of Princeton Theological Seminary and a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He is married to Morag Ann , whom he met while they were students at the University of St Andrews, and they have a son, Hew, and a daughter,...
- TrinityTrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
- Wolfgang AchtnerWolfgang AchtnerWolfgang Achtner has played a key role as an ambassador for the science-and-religion dialogue in Germany-Career:Achtner studied systematic theology and the Old Testament in Mainz, Göttingen and Heidelberg. His dissertation focused on the science-and-religion dialogue in the work of Thomas F....
- World Alliance of Reformed ChurchesWorld Alliance of Reformed ChurchesThe World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
Major works
- The Doctrine of Grace in the Apostolic Fathers. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1948
- Calvin’s Doctrine of Man. London: Lutterworth Press, 1949.
- Kingdom and Church: A Study in the Theology of the Reformation, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1956.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics I/2 The Doctrine of the Word of God. Prolegomena, Part 2, translated by G.T. Thomson and H. Knight. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1956.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/1 The Doctrine of Reconciliation, Part I, translated by G.W. Bromiley. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1956.
- When Christ Comes and Comes Again. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1957.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II/1, The Doctrine of God, translated by T.H.L. Parker, W.B. Johnston, H.Knight and J.L.M. Haire. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1957.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II/2, The Doctrine of God, translated by G.W. Bromiley, J.C. Campbell, I. Wilson, J. Strathern McNab, H. Knight and R.A. Stewart. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1957.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics III/1, The Doctrine of Creation, Part 1, translated by J.W. Edwards, O. Bussey and H. Knight. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1958.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/2, Part 2, The Doctrine of Reconciliation, translated by G.W. Bromiley. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1958.
- The Apocalypse Today. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959.
- Conflict and Agreement in the Church, I: Order and Disorder. London: Lutterworth Press, 1959.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics III/2. The Doctrine of Creation, Part 2, Translated by H. Knight, J.K.S. Reid, G.W. Bromiley and R.H. Fuller. Edinburgh, T&T Clark, 1960.
- Coedited with G.W. Bromiley: Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics III/3. The Doctrine of Creation, Part 3, Translated by G.W. Bromiley and R. Ehrlich. Edinburgh, T&T Clark, 1960.
- "Justification: Its Radical Nature and Place in Reformed Doctrine and Life," SJT 13 (1960) 240.
- Conflict and Agreement in the Church, II: The Ministry and Sacraments of the Gospel. London: Lutterworth Press, 1960.
- Karl Barth: an Introduction to his Early Theology, 1910-1931. London: SCM Press; New York: Harper & Row, 1962.
- "Scientific Hermeneutics according to St. Thomas Aquinas." The Journal of Theological Studies XIII.2 (October, 1962): 259-89.
- Coedited with D.W. Torrance, Calvin's Commentaries, The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, translated by T.A. Smail. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964.
- Theology in Reconstruction. London: SCM Press Ltd, 1965.
- Coedited with D.W. Torrance, Calvin's Commentaries, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, translated by T.H.L Parker. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965.
- Coedited with D.W. Torrance, Calvin's Commentaries, The Acts of the Apostles 14-26, translated by J.W. Fraser. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966.
- Coedited with D.W. Torrance, Calvin's Commentaries, A Harmony of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke, 3 vols. Vols 1 and 3 translated by A.W. Morrison and vol. 2 translated by T.H.L. Parker. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1972; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1968.
- Space, Time and Incarnation. London: Oxford University Press, 1969
- Theological Science. London: Oxford University Press, 1969.
- "The Problem of Natural Theology in the Thought of Karl Barth." Religious Studies 6 (1970): 121-35.
- God and Rationality. London: Oxford University Press, 1971.
- "The Relation of the Incarnation to Space in Nicene Theology," The Ecumenical World of Orthodox Civilization: Russia and Orthodoxy. vol. 3. (Essays in Honor of Georges Florovsky) ed. Andrew Blane. Paris: Mouton, 1974.
- Theology in Reconciliation: Essays towards Evangelical and Catholic Unity in East and West. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1975.
- "Toward Ecumenical Consensus on the Trinity," Theologische Zeitschrift 31 (1975) 337-50.
- Space, Time and Resurrection. Edinburgh: Handsel Press, 1976
- The Ground and Grammar of Theology. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1980.
- Christian Theology and Scientific Culture, vol. 1 of series, Theology and Scientific Culture, edited with General Forward by Torrance. New Edition. Belfast: Christian Journals; New York: Oxford University Press, 1981
- Divine and Contingent Order. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
- The Incarnation: Ecumenical Studies in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Edinburgh: The Handsel Press, 1981.
- Reality and Evangelical Theology. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1982.
- A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field, James Clerk MaxwellJames Clerk MaxwellJames Clerk Maxwell of Glenlair was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. His most prominent achievement was formulating classical electromagnetic theory. This united all previously unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and optics into a consistent theory...
, edited by Torrance, Scottish Academic PressScottish Academic PressScottish Academic Press is an old Scottish publishing company. It is based in Edinburgh on Brandfield Street.-External links:...
, February 1983, ISBN 0-7073-0324-9 - "The Deposit of Faith." The Scottish Journal of Theology 36.1 (1983): 1-28.
- Transformation & Convergence in the Frame of Knowledge: Explorations in the Interrelations of Scientific and Theological Enterprise. Belfast: Christian Journals; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1984.
- The Christian Frame of Mind. Edinburgh: Handsel Press, 1985
- Reality and Scientific Theology . The Margaret Harris Lectures, Dundee, 1970 (Theology and Science at the Frontiers of Knowledge, vol 1). Edinburgh: Scottish University Press, 1985
- "My Interaction with Karl Barth." In How Karl Barth Changed My Mind, edited by Donald K. McKim, 52-64. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1986.
- "Karl Barth and Patristic Theology," in Theology Beyond Christendom: Essays on the Centenary of the Birth of Karl Barth May 10, 1986. ed. John Thompson. Allison Park, PA: Pickwich, 1986, 215-39.
- "Theological Realism." In The Philosophical Frontiers of Christian Theology: Essays Presented to D. M. MacKinnon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982, 169-96.
- The Hermeneutics of John Calvin. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1988.
- The Trinitarian Faith: The Evangelical Theology of the Ancient Catholic Church. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1988.
- Karl Barth, Biblical and Evangelical Theologian. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1990.
- The Mediation of Christ. Colorado Springs: Helmers & Howard, 1992.
- Royal Priesthood: A Theology of Ordained Ministry. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1993.
- Ed. Theological Dilaogue Between Orthodox and Reformed Churches, 2 Vols. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1985-1993.
- Trinitarian Perspectives: Toward Doctrinal Agreement. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1994.
- Preaching Christ Today: The Gospel and Scientific Thinking. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994.
- Divine Meaning: Studies in Patristic Hermeneutics. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995.
- "The Uniqueness of Divine Revelation and the Authority of the Scriptures: The Creed Associations's Statement." Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 13 (Aut. 1995): 97-101.
- The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1996.
- Kingdom and Church: A Study in the Theology of the Reformation. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 1996.
- Scottish Theology: From John Knox to John McLeod Campbell. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1996.
- Theological and Natural Science. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2002.
- The Doctrine of Jesus Christ. Eugene Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2002.
- Incarnation: The Person and Life of Christ. Edited by Robert T. Walker. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
- Atonement: The Person and Work of Christ. Edited by Robert T. Walker. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2009.
Further reading
- Elmer M. Colyer. How to Read T. F. Torrance: Understanding His Trinitarian & Scientific Theology. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
- Elmer M. Colyer, ed. The Promise of Trinitarian Theology: Theologians in Dialogue with T. F. Torrance. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002.
- David Fergusson. "Torrance, Thomas Forsyth (1913-2007)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Jan 2011.
- Myk Habets. Theosis in the Theology of Thomas F. Torrance (Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology, and Biblical Studies). Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2009.
- Kye Won Lee. Living in Union With Christ: The Practical Theology of Thomas F. Torrance. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2003.
- Alister E. McGrath. Thomas F. Torrance: An Intellectual Biography. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1999.
- Paul D. Molnar. Thomas F. Torrance: Theologian of the Trinity. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2009.
External links
- The Thomas F. Torrance Manuscript Collection at Princeton Theological Seminary
- Obituary in The Times, 11 December 2007
- The Boston Collaborative Encyclopedia of Modern Western Theology
- TF Torrance Theological Fellowship
- TF Torrance Audio Lectures (mp3)
- Eastern Orthodox-Reformed dialogue, Kappel-am-Albis, Switzerland, March 1992 Agreed Statement on the Holy Trinity (pdf)