Journal Participatio

ParticipatioJournaloftheThomasF.Torrance

TheologicalFellowship

Volume1(2009)

Participatio isthejournaloftheThomasF.TorranceTheologicalFellowship

(www.tftorrance.org),aresearch fellowshipwithintheChristianChurchand

traditionbasedonthetheologyofThomasF.Torrance.Thejournalsmission

istwofold:toapprehendthesignificanceofTorrancesworkandtoadvance

the evangelical and scientific theology he articulated for the benefit of the

Church,academy,andsociety.

Participatio: The Journal of the Thomas F. Torrance Theological

Fellowship is published as an annual, peerreviewed, online journal.

ResearchersinterestedinengagingthetheologyofT.F.Torrancemaysubmit

manuscripts in accordance with the policies specified below. Contributions

fromdiversedisciplinesandperspectiveswillbe encouraged to explore the

wideranging significance of Torrances legacy. Occasional miscellaneous

issues will include paper presentations and responses from the annual

conference,bookreviews,etc.Formoreinformationseewww.tftorrance.org.

POLICIESFORMANUSCRIPTSUBMISSION:

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Editor:ToddSpeidell

[email protected]

EditorialBoard:ElmerColyer(UniversityofDubuqueTheologicalSeminary,

IA),GaryDeddo(InterVarsityPress,IL),EricFlett(EasternUniversity,PA),

GeorgeDragas(HolyCrossGreekOrthodoxSchoolofTheology,MA),Trevor

Hart (University of St Andrews, Scotland), Alasdair Heron (University of

Erlangen, Germany), George Hunsinger (Princeton Theological Seminary,

NJ), Christian Kettler (Friends University, KS), Paul Molnar (St. Johns

University, NY), Joel Scandrett (Wheaton College, IL), Robert Walker

(UniversityofEdinburgh,Scotland).

CopyEditor:MichaelGibson(InterVarsityPress,IL)

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Production Editor: Robert Leach (OgdenDunes Community Presbyterian

Church,IN)

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Editor,Participatio,[email protected]

2009Participatio:JournaloftheThomasF.TorranceTheologicalFellowship

ISSN:19329571

Allrightsreserved. Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system,without permission in

writing from the publisher. For information contact Todd Speidell, Editor,

[email protected]

CONTENTS

VOLUME1:"TheTheologicalSignificanceandLegacyofThomasF.Torrance"

(narrativeaccountsandtheologicalreflectionsbylivingrelatives,colleagues,

students,andfriendsthatassesshissignificanceandlegacyforthefutureof

anevangelicalandscientifictheology).

Eulogies

ALASDAIRHERON..............................................................................6

GEORGEHUNSINGER.........................................................................11

RecollectionsandReflections

GEOFFREYW.BROMILEY. ....................................................................13

ELMERM.COLYER.............................................................................15

JOCKSTEIN......................................................................................20

HOWARDTAYLOR ..............................................................................21

DAVIDTORRANCE.............................................................................26

KENNETHWALKER.............................................................................35

ROBERTT.WALKER............................................................................39

Essays

RAY S. ANDERSONTHE PRACTICAL THEOLOGY OF THOMAS F. TORRANCE

......................................................................................................49

ALISTER E. MCGRATHTHOMAS F. TORRANCE AND THE SEARCH FOR A

VIABLENATURALTHEOLOGY:SOMEPERSONALREFLECTIONS..................66

PAULD.MOLNARTHECENTRALITYOFTHETRINITY INTHETHEOLOGYOF

THOMASF.TORRANCE.......................................................................82

6

INMEMORIAMTHOMASFORSYTHTORRANCE(19132007)1

M.B.E.,M.A.,B.D.,D.Theol.,D.D.(mult.),D.Sc.,M.B.A.,F.R.S.E.

AlasdairHeron,Dr.Theol.

(Retired)ProfessorofReformedTheology

UniversityofErlangen,Germany

[email protected]

OnthefirstSundayinAdvent,2nd December2007TheVeryReverend

ThomasF.TorrancepassedawayinEdinburghattheageof94years.Hehad

beenpresidentoftheAcadmiedesSciencesReligieusesfrom1972to1981,

Professor of Christian Dogmatics in the University of Edinburgh from 1952

untilhisretirement in1979,andModeratorof theGeneralAssemblyofthe

ChurchofScotlandin197677.

Throughout the secondhalf of the twentiethcenturyhewasamajor

figureintheReformedChurchandinecumenicaltheologythepatriarchofa

theologicaldynasty(hisyoungerbrotherJames,hissonIainandhisnephew

Alanallbecame theological professors inScotland)a teacherwho inspired

generationsofstudentstoengageintheologicallearningandresearchand,

thehonouredfriendofmanyofhiscolleaguesandpupils.

Torrance was born in China his parents were missionaries on

August 30, 1913. He graduated M.A. in philosophy and B.D. in divinity in

Edinburgh,thenundertookpostgraduatestudies,particularlyinBasle,where

heobtainedhisdoctorateforadissertationpublishedsomeyearslaterasThe

DoctrineofGraceintheApostolicFathers(1948).Patristictheology,aboveall

that of Athanasius and the Nicene Fathers, remained central for his work

throughouthiscareer,asisreflectedintwolaterworks,TheTrinitarianFaith.

TheEvangelical Theologyof theAncientCatholicChurch (1988) andDivine

Meaning.StudiesinPatristicHermeneutics(1995).

1ThismemoirisreprintedfromJesusChristToday.StudiesofChristologyinVariousContexts (Proceedings of the Acadmie Internationale des Sciences Religieuses,Oxford 2529 August 2006 and Princeton 2530 August 2007), TheologischeBibliothekTpelmann146,Berlin/NewYork:WalterdeGruyter,2009,bycourtesyoftheAcadmieandthepublisher.

RECOLLECTIONSANDREFLECTIONS

7

EquallycentralwastheformativeinfluenceofKarlBarth(althoughthe

Basle dissertation was mentored by Oscar Cullman), whose monumental

Church Dogmatics in the English/American edition (19561977)was edited

by Torrance with Geoffrey Bromiley. Torrance wrote much and most

appreciatively of Barth e.g. Karl Barth. An Introduction to His Early

Theology, 19101931 (1962), and many later papers though in one

especially important respect, the matter of theology and science, he

consciouslysoughttomovebeyondtheboundariesatwhichBarthhaddrawn

toahalt.On themorephilosophicalandepistemological sidehewasmuch

influencedbyMichaelPolanyi,theauthorofPersonalKnowledge(1958)and

TheTacitDimension (1966),and followingPolanyisdeath in1976actedas

his literaryexecutor,alsoeditingBeliefinScienceandinChristianLife.The

RelevanceofMichaelPolanyisThoughtforChristianFaithandLife(1980).

Apartfromhisownnumerouspublicationshewas,withJ.K.S.Reid,a

foundingeditorofTheScottishJournalofTheology(establishedin1947and

still going strong under the editorship of his son Iain, now President of

PrincetonTheologicalSeminary,andProfessorBryanSpinksofYale).Healso

playeda role inbringingdistinguishedguest lecturers toEdinburgh. Two in

particularmaybementionedbecauseoftheirimportanceforhisownareaof

specialinterest:the1969GunningLecturesofR.Hooykas,Religionandthe

Rise of Modern Science (1972) and the 19741975 and 19751976Gifford

LecturesofStanleyJaki,TheRoadofScienceand theWaystoGod (1978

1981).

Torrancesfirstacademicappointmentwasasprofessoroftheologyat

Auburn Seminary,New York (19381939). Thiswas followed by twoparish

ministriesinScotlandandtwoyearsasanarmychaplainduringtheSecond

World War. In 1950 he was appointed to the chair of church history at

Edinburgh, moving on to the chair of dogmatics in 1952. He possessed

enormous(andforsomeofhisdebatingpartners rather toooverwhelming)

eruditioninthefieldofhistoricaltheologyandthehistoryofphilosophy,but

there can be no doubt that his great strength and chief interest was in

constructive systematic theology in the style of dogmatics pioneered by

Barth. This led him to engage both in intensive critical study of his own

Reformedtraditionforexample,CalvinsDoctrineofMan(1959)Kingdom

PARTICIPATIO:JOURNALOFTHETHOMASF.TORRANCETHEOLOGICALFELLOWSHIP

8

andChurch.AStudyintheTheologyoftheReformation(1956)TheSchool

ofFaith.TheCatechismsoftheReformedChurch(1959)or, fromthebusy

years after his retirement, The Hermeneutics of John Calvin (1988) and

Scottish Theology from John Knox to John McLeod Campbell (1996) in

theological ecumenical dialogue, particularly with Roman Catholic thinking

before,duringandafterVatican II,reflected inthetwovolumesofConflict

andAgreementintheChurch(I.OrderandDisorder,1959II.TheMinistry

andtheSacramentsoftheGospel,1960)andinTheologyinReconstruction

(1965),andwiththeOrthodoxChurches,chieflyonthebasisofapatristically

informed Trinitarian hermeneutics, as in Theology in Reconciliation. Essays

towards Evangelical and Catholic Unity in East and West (1975). Our

Acadmie was of particular value and importance to him as part of this

ecumenicaldimension.

AnothercrucialinterestofTorranceundoubtedlylayinthetwinfieldsof

theology and science and theology as science. Unlikemany theologianshe

hadnofearoffacingthechallengeofthenaturalsciencestotheologyandno

interest in thedualistic strategieswhichwould try todefend theology from

that challenge by stressing its difference (for example, as a symbolic,

metaphorical languagegame) from anything that could be called hard

science. Torrance was, by contrast, fascinated by the history, logic and

achievements of science (less, perhaps, by what many feel to be the

ambiguities of the impact of science and technology) and traced time and

againnotdifferencesbutsimilaritiesbetweenscienceandahermeneutically

awaretheology.Inbothwehavetodealwithreality(henceTorrancesstress

on objectivity and his lampooning of subjectivism, e.g. Bultmannian

existentialism)withthesubtleintellectual instrumentsdevelopedtoexplore

thatreality(hefrequentlypointedoutthetheologicalprehistoryofconcepts

thatintimebecamescientificallyfruitful)withthetracingoftheinnerlogic

revealingitselftosensitiveenquiryand,withtheultimatelyastoundingfact

oftheaffinitybetweentherealityexploredandthemindexploring.

These structural resemblances between the scientific and the

theologicalundertakingimpressedthemselvesearlyonhismindandledtoa

longseriesofnotablebooks,forexampleTheologicalScience(1969)Space,

TimeandIncarnation(1969)GodandRationality(1971)Space,Timeand


9

Resurrection(1976)TheGroundandGrammarofTheology(1980)Juridical

LawandPhysicalLaw(1982)RealityandScientificTheology,1985.Thislast

wasthefirst inaseriesofstudiesheinitiatedunderthecharacteristictitle,

Theology and Science at the Frontiers of Knowledge. He also edited and

republishedJamesClerkMaxwellsclassiccontributiontothedevelopmentof

physics between Newton and Einstein, A Dynamical Theory of the

ElectromagneticField(1982).

Torrancesvisionwasclearlyandsuccinctlyexpressedattheendofhis

speech upon receiving the Templeton Prize in 1978. After listing recent

changes in the approach of natural science (1) the move away from

abstractiveobservationalism(2)thetransitionfromananalyticalscienceto

a unitary integration of form (3) the application of the laws of

thermodynamicstoopensystems(4)thechangefromaflatunderstanding

of nature to one characterised byahierarchy of levels or dimensions he

concluded:

It ismore andmore clear tome that,under theprovidenceofGod,owingtothesechangesintheveryfoundationsofknowledgeinwhichnaturalandtheologicalsciencealikehavebeensharing,thedamagingcultural splits between the sciences and thehumanitiesandbetweenboth and theology are in processof beingovercome, thedestructiveand divisive forces too long rampant in worldwide human life andthoughtarebeingundermined,andthatamassivenewsynthesiswillemerge in which man, humbled and awed by the mysteriousintelligibilityoftheuniverse,whichreachesfarbeyondhispowers,willlearn to fulfillhisdestined role as the servant of divine love and thepriestofcreation.2

Itmaywell bedoubtedwhether, thirty years on, that visionhas yet come

much closer to realization. Thinkers on his scale are rare in theology (of

whatever denomination), and they are not always appreciated by those

whoseviewisnarrowerorshallowerorsimplyfuelledbyotherinterestsand

concerns. Torrance was such a powerful and energetic personality and so

massively convinced of his discoveries in the field of theology and science

thathecould,thoughpersonallygraciousandfrequentlycharming,provoke

uninterest or active resistance on the part of those who felt themselves

overrunbythesheerweightandimpetusofhisideasandassertionsorbyhis

2 The Addresses at the Sixth Presentation of The Templeton Foundation Prize forProgressinReligionatGuildhall,London,Tuesday21stMarch,1978.DeansGrange,Co.Dublin:LismorePress,1978.


10

trenchant criticism of what he believed to be destructive approaches to

theology.(Isaythisasaformerstudentandjuniorcolleagueofhiswhodid

not feel provoked to sucha reaction but could observeotherswhodid.)

Within a fewyears of his retirement this traditionof interest and research

had fadedaway inTorrances own faculty inEdinburgh, though the field of

theology and science is still being energetically cultivated elsewhere. It

remains,however,afascinatingchallengeanditmaywellbethatthefullfruit

ofTorrancesvisionandnowhislegacyhasyettobeseen.

11

THOMASF.TORRANCE:AEULOGY1

GeorgeHunsinger,Ph.D.

HazelThompsonMcCordProf.ofSystematicTheology

PrincetonTheologicalSeminary

[email protected]

ThomasForsythTorrance(19132007),whodiedofaheartattack in

EdinburghonDecember2,was arguably the greatest Reformed theologian

since Karl Barth, with whom he studied, and an eminent 20th century

ecumenist. Havingserved for27yearsasProfessorofChristianDogmatics

at NewCollege, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the

Church of Scotland in 1976 and in 1978, hewas awarded the Templeton

Prize for Progress in Religion for his contributions to the emerging field of

theologyandscience.

In theology, he generally placed himself somewhere between Calvin

andBarth,thoughalsomovingwellbeyondthem. Anaccomplishedpatristics

scholar, he devoted himself to Eastern OrthodoxReformed dialogue, being

highlyesteemedamongtheOrthodoxforhisecumenicalspiritandhisgrasp

ofprimarysourcesintheoriginallanguages. Heoncesurprisedmebysaying

thathis favorite theologianwasAthanasius,whomheplaced in illuminating

relationship with Barth. An icon of the great Alexandrian appears as the

frontispiece tohis The TrinitarianFaith (1988),anexpositionof theNicene

Creed,whichremainsperhaps themostaccessibleofhisnumerous learned

works.

Besides the theologian, the ecumenist, and the church leader, there

were at least three other Torrances: the translator, the interdisciplinary

theologian,and thehistorianofdoctrine. Englishspeaking theology stands

greatly inhisdebt forhismonumentalefforts ineditingandtranslatingnot

only Calvin's New Testament commentaries but also Barth's voluminous

dogmatics. His interestinEinsteinandmodernphysicsfromthestandpoint

ofNiceneChristianityhasyettobeadequatelyassessed. Leastwellknown,

1 Thiseulogywas firstposted online at theblog,Faith andTheology:http://faiththeology.blogspot.com/(Dec.3,2007).


12

perhaps,ishisworkasanintellectualhistorian. Scatteredthroughoutmany

journalsareessaysonvirtuallyeverymajorfigureinthehistoryofdoctrine,

though alongside Athanasius he had a special fondness for Gregory

NazianzenandHilaryofPoitiers.

In breadth of learning, depth of scholarship, quality of output,

ecumenicalconviction,anddevotiontotheNicenefaith,theologyandchurch

willnotsoonseeanotherlikehim.

13

GEOFFREYW.BROMILEY,Ph.D.,D.LITT.,D.D.

Prof.EmeritusofChurchHistoryandHistoricalTheology

FullerTheologicalSeminary

Pasadena,California

DuringmyPh.D.yearsinEdinburghIknewTom'sbrothersandsister

verywell asweall joined in InterVarsity Fellowshipactivities. From them

andothersIheardofTom'slearnedessaysduringhisB.D.work,hisreturn

withadoctoratefromBasle,andhisministryinaScottishparish.Infactwe

metattimeswhenhecametogivelecturesinEdinburgh.Onesuchaddress

was given to the Christian Union which contained some rather obscure

referencestoSchelling.OnanotheroccasionhemetmeintheNewCollege

libraryandbegantospeakofsomesignificantnewworkofwhich,immersed

atthetimeinHerder,Ihadnotyetheard.

My real acquaintance with Tom developed when I came back to

EdinburghandwasaskedbyhimtobejointeditoroftheEnglishversionof

Barth's Church Dogmatics, which led to many meetings and phone

discussions. One great crisis arose when Tom found one translator way

behindinhisworkwhenitwasneededalmostatonce.Iwrotetohimasking

foraplainresponseandhetoldmethathehadnotevenbegun. Threeofus

splituphisportionandprepared thetextvery rapidlyfor theprinter.Later

camethe attempts to associatemore closely the Churches of England and

Scotland, and work in the European section of the Faith and Order

movement. In all these areas I could only admireTom's wealth of

information,hisskill indissectionandconstruction,andthefarandfuture

reachingspiritthathealwaysdisplayed.

Tom began to write those books whose content, if studied and

followedmoreclosely,wouldhelp toset theologyonawiser,more fruitful,

andmorebiblicallyorientedcourse.Tobesuresomestudentshavefoundhis

styleaswellashisthinkingveryhardtounderstand.Tomsmilinglytoldme

once that he went along with the German dictum: one of the greatest

enemiesofWahrheit(truth)isKlarheit(clarity)! Butitiswellworthwhile


14

to digmoredeeply into hisworks. Inhis radio addresses,by theway, he

couldspeakmuchmoresimplyifnolessprofoundly.

In the words of Barth, Tom grasped firmly the "unique opportunity"

that the divine calling had given him.God inhis sovereign overruling will

surelyusehiscontributionand legacy todogreatthingsonHisbehalf.Nor

shouldwe forget that, asTomsaw it, theological reflection on thegracious

ways andworks ofGod should constantly lead to prayers of gratitude and

praise.

15

ELMERM.COLYER,Ph.D.

ProfessorofHistoricalTheology,StanleyProfessorofWesleyStudies

UniversityofDubuqueTheologicalSeminary

[email protected]

DuringthespringofmysenioryearinhighschoolIhadafairlyclassic

anddramatic conversionexperience that radically changedmy life. A year

andahalflater,while incollegestudyingnaturalscience, Isensedacall to

ministry. ThiswasabitofashocksinceIhadabsolutelynodesiretobea

pastor.ItcreatednosmallamountofstruggleinmylifeuntilIreachedthe

pointofsayingyestoGodscall.

Afteranswering thiscall topastoralministry,I switchedmymajor to

psychology, thinking that itwouldprovideamorebeneficial preparation for

seminary study and forministry. However, in the fall ofmy third year of

collegeItookaphilosophycourseinwhichwereadPlato,Aristotleandother

greatthinkersinthehistoryofthatdiscipline.Iwassofascinatedandeven

a bit disoriented by the course that I switched my major yet again to

philosophy.SoIhadaverywideundergraduateeducationspanningallthree

ofthesefields:naturalscience,psychologyandphilosophy.

However, itwasphilosophyat a secularuniversity. Oneprofessor in

particularseemedtotakeperversepleasure inexposingall theweaknesses

of therationalistevangelicalexpressionof theChristianfaithwithinwhich I

had been nurtured in the evangelical subculture I inhabited in college.

EspeciallytroublingtomewasthemodernintellectualhistoryfromDescartes

and Newton through Hume and Kant to Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus and

Heidegger. I was also exposed to the reactionary intellectual history in

critical biblical studies and modern theology that tried, unsuccessfully, to

come to terms with the problems posed for Christian faith by modern

science,philosophyandcriticalhistoriography.

Needlesstosayallofthiscreatedsomethingofanintellectualcrisisfor

me.Ifoundnoviableanswerswithinmyrationalistevangelicalsubculture.

Itwasapainful time,since Ihadbegunservingasapastor to threesmall


16

churches my final year in college while still in the midst of an intense

intellectualandpersonalstruggletosortoutthecontentofmyfaith.

It was at this point that I encountered the theology of Donald G.

Bloesch. After reading Essentials of Evangelical Theology in a twoday

marathon after Christmas in 1980, I decided to attend the University of

DubuqueTheologicalSeminary(whereInowteach)tostudyunderBloesch,

whobecamemymentorandclosefriend.

I benefittedgreatly from studyingwithDon. He exposedme to the

Great Tradition of the Church and the evangelical impulses throughout

Christianhistory. Heprovidedmewithanalternativewaytobeevangelical

in contrast to the defensive rationalism that infected somuch of American

Evangelicalismandprovedtobea ratherweakand inadequateresponse to

theproblemsIhadencounteredintheintellectualhistoryofmodernscience,

philosophy and critical historiography. Yet I always sensed there was

somethingnotquiterightinBloeschsowntheologicalmethodanddoctrineof

God.Iknewthatthetwohadtobeconnected,butasaseminarianIdidnot

havetheintellectualhorsepowertofigureit.

Itwasatpreciselythispoint that I firstencountered theevangelical,

doxological, Trinitarian and scientific theologyof Thomas F. Torrance in the

most unusual of places: a course on pastoral care. The professor, James

Fishbaugh,aformerstudentofTorrance,hadusread,RealityandEvangelical

Theology,abookontheologicalmethodandhermeneuticsthathasvirtually

nothinginitaboutpastoralcare.Thisdenselittlebookexasperatedmetono

end, especially since I had to write a prcis of it! It was really my first

attempt at interpreting Torrances theology, and amost unpleasant one at

that!

Nevertheless,Torrancesworkcontainedthemostprofoundanalysisof

and answers to the methodological and hermeneutical problems posed by

modern science, philosophy and critical historiography I had ever

encountered,questionsthathadgnawedatmymindandmysoulsincemy

undergraduate studies. Torrancewas the first evangelical I readwhowas

intellectually up to the task of engaging these problems at such a

sophisticatedlevelwhileremainingfaithfultotheGospel.


17

Itwas really hardwork gettingmymindaroundTorrances thought

yeteverysooften the fogwould lift foramomentand Iwouldglimpsean

astonishing theological and spiritual panorama that I had not encountered

elsewhere, and that illumined what I had always believed as a Christian,

while at the same time putting an end to so many of the questions

concerningmyChristianfaithfrommyundergraduatestudies.

I was initially attracted to Torrances work in the area of theological

methodandhermeneutics.Thecrucialbooksthatimpactedmeatthattime

wereRealityandEvangelicalTheologyRealityandScientificTheologyThe

GroundandGrammarofTheologyand,TransformationandConvergencein

the Frame of Knowledge, along with a number of significant articles on

relatedtopics.Torranceprovidesaholistic,criticalrealistepistemologythat

avoids foundationalism without tumbling over into so much of the post

modern nonsenseprevalent these days. Torrances holism, critical realism,

critique of dualism, notion of indwelling, personal knowledge, and

participationall helpedme sort out the problems I encountered inmodern

science,philosophyandcriticalhistoriography.

However, it was only later inmyPh.D. studies that I came tograsp

fully the interconnections between content and method in Torrances

theology. That iswhenall thepiecesof thepuzzlecame together forme.

AsIworkedthroughTheMediationofChrist,TheTrinitarianFaithandlater,

TheChristianDoctrineofGod,inrelationtothemethodologicalworksnoted

above, I came to see the interrelations betweenmethod and content that,

quitefrankly,manyinterpretersofTorrancestheologymiss.

The difficulty here is that Torrance tended towrite on content or on

methodanddidnotalwaysbringouttheinterconnectionsbetweenthetwo,

though the first four chapters of The Christian Doctrine of God are a

remarkableexceptiontothis.Torrancestheologyisextremelycomplexand

integrated, but his publications are rather unsystematic. I remember so

often thinkingtomyselfasanotherpieceof thepuzzle fell intoplace, This

manisabsolutelybrilliantinpullingallofthistogether.Howunfortunatethat

onehas tospend somuch time readingand rereading somanybooksand

essays in order to figure out how it all fits together! Thatwas themain

reasonforwritingmybookonHowToReadT.F.Torrance.


18

OfteninmystudyofTorrancesworkIhavefoundmyselfonmyknees

coramdeolostinwonder,praiseandthanksgivingtothegloriousTriuneGod,

overwhelmed by the power and grandeur of the Gospel. I find myself

personally, spiritually and theologically transformed,yet in away that is in

keepingwithreally anunpacking ofthe faith I had come to know inmy

senioryearofhighschoolwhenIfirstheardtheGospel.

I spent twenty years carefully reading, digesting, and then writing

aboutTorrancestheology.Iinnowayregrettheamountofmytime,energy

and career I have devoted to mastering his theology. It has been an

immenselyhelpfulandoftenexhilaratingexperience.

As a Methodist, many people are surprised that I find Torrances

theology rathermorecongenial to that of JohnWesley. There are, in fact,

manyparallelsbetweenthem, includinga lovefortheGreekfathers,a fully

Trinitarian perspective, a strong emphasis on participation, and a high

Christocentric understanding of the sacraments, just to mention a few.

Indeed,theAmericanWesleyan/Methodisttraditioncouldgreatlybenefitfrom

a reading of Torrancesworkbecause itwould help that tradition read and

understand Wesleys theology better than it often does. I am simply

astonishedbyhowmanyAmericanMethodistsmisstheTrinitariancharacter

of Wesleys theology. I am currently working on a book on Wesleys

Trinitarian understanding of Christian faith that I hope will rectify this

problem.

IhavefoundthreeaspectsofTorrancesworkespeciallybeneficialasa

Methodist. First, his understanding of the vicarious humanity of Christ is

especiallycrucialbecauseitdeepenstheWesleyanordosalutisandprovides

anelementthatissingularlymissinginWesleystheology.

Second, Torrances conceptualization of grace provides a viable

alternative to the tiresomedebatebetweenmonergismandsynergismwith

referencetotherelationbetweendivineandhumanagencyateverypointin

the ordo salutis. I think Wesley would have liked Torrances alternative.

Indeed, I think Wesley was struggling to articulate a position like it, but

withouttheadequateintellectualcategoriestodoso.

Finally, Torrances doctrine of the Trinity is a significant corrective to

much of AmericanMethodist theologywhich, quite frankly, has substituted


19

somephilosophicalpanentheismforthetrueTrinitariandeepstructureofthe

Gospel. Torrances perspective is interactionist: the Triune God personally

interactswith theworldofnatureandhistorywhile remainingdistinct from

andfreeinrelationtothecreatedorder,unlikeinpanentheismwhichposits

aninneridentitybetweenGodandtheworldthatoftenconditionsboth.

FromBordenParkerBownerightupthroughJohnCobbandtheother

processthinkers,manyofthetopflightMethodisttheologianshavetakenthe

regrettable panentheist turn. While some theologians will passionately

disagree, I thinkthatTrinitarianandpanentheistdeepstructuresare inthe

endincompatible,despitesomeattemptstosynthesizethetwo.TheWesley

brothers were both thoroughly Trinitarian theologians, and their Trinitarian

theologiesareremarkablysimilartothatofT.F.Torrance,eveniftheydonot

develop their Trinitarian theology all that deeply. Much of American

Methodism has been rather untrinitarian, though that is changing these

days.

Onapersonalnote,ImightaddthatTomTorrancewasgracious,kind,

and most encouraging to me in all of my contacts with him about his

theology over the fifteen or so years that I knew him personally. He

answered many questions about his work and provided numerous articles

that I could not easily obtain here in the United States. Our email

correspondencefillsaratherfatfolder.Healsoreadmybookonhowtoread

histheologyinmanuscriptformandofferedhelpfulsuggestions.Oneofthe

mostamusinghastodowithhisreformulatednaturaltheology.Inanote,I

stated that I believed Torrance regretted ever calling what he was up to,

naturaltheology.Inthemarginofthemanuscript,nexttothecomment,

Torrancedrewahugeexclamationpoint.

Mydeepest regret is that I did not take time togoover toScotland

andvisitTorranceinhislateryears.DavidTorrance,Tomsyoungerbrother,

keptme inongoingcontactwithTomuntilhisdeath lastDecember. Ialso

correspondedwithJamesTorrance,themiddlebrother,andhadalongphone

conversationwith hima fewweeks before he died. I owe all threeof the

Torrances,especiallyTom,aprofounddebtofgratitude. Their impactupon

mypersonallife,faith,andtheologyareimmense.

20

JOCKSTEIN,M.A.,B.D.

ErstwhileWardenofCarberryTowerandEditoroftheHandselPress

Edinburgh,Scotland

[email protected]

Tovisitonesformerteacherinhislastfewyears,andpraywithhimin

his infirmity,wasaverymovingexperience.Hewouldalwayswelcomeme

and,whenhewasable,askafterotherformerstudents.OnthoseoccasionsI

was sharply aware of the significance of what Tom Torrance had always

taught,thattheLordJesuspickeduphumanityfromitslowestpoint,andat

enormouscostrestoredtheimageofGodandbroughtourfrailhumannature

safelythroughdeathandintothegloriousfreedomofGodschildren.

Tomwasgraciousenoughtopreachatourwedding.MywifeMargaret

hadcometostudytheologyatEdinburghUniversitybecauseofthewayTom

had spoken at her Art College Christian Union. Our time at New College

overlapped, and it fascinated us how often people intellectuallymore able

thanuswoulddismissToms lecturesas impossibletounderstand,whereas

we thrived on them. I recall fellowstudentswho said theywere converted

throughlisteningtoTom.

He was sometimes criticised because he never suffered theological

foolsgladly,andhisrobustrejoindersinclasswerehardforsomewhowere

emotionallyfragile,buttoanywhowenttohimforhelpandadvicehewas

invariablykindandgentleand(likeseveralothermembersofstaff inthose

days)hedidmuchgoodworkbehindthescenes.

Handsel Press had the privilege of publishing his Space, Time and

Resurrection (now tobe reissuedbyWipf andStock), andTomserved for

manyyearswithusontheboard.HeaskedmepersonallyifhisNewCollege

lecturescouldbepublished,anditisagreatjoythatthisyear(2008,jointly

publishedbyPaternosterPressandInterVarsityPress)theprojectcomesto

fruitionwithIncarnation:ThePersonandLifeofChristasvolumeone,edited

byhisnephewRobertWalker.

21

HOWARDTAYLOR,M.Th.

(Retired)HeriotWattUniversity(Edinburgh)ChaplainandLecturer

Edinburgh,Scotland

[email protected]

OneofmyfirstmemoriesofT.F.Torrancewashisradiantface,which

greetedmeatNewCollegeinthe1960s.Similarly,whenmywifehadgiven

birthtoournewbaby,ourfirstvisitorwasTomTorrance!Laterinlife itwas

he,togetherwithhisoldestsonThomas,whophonedmeandsuggestedto

methatIapplyformycurrentpostatHeriotWattUniversity. Asateacher,

he was deeply personal and pastoral. What were my recollections of his

teaching?

Myfirstimpressionwasofamanwhomadeaprofoundanalysisofthe

needs of our culture and he spoke prophetically to Church and society,

including theworlds of natural science andmodern culture. In those early

daysIdidntunderstandmuchofwhathewasteaching,butrecognisedthat

what he was saying was very important. Due to his inspiration I taught

myself quantum theory, relativity theory andGdelsTheorem, conceptshe

often referred to in his teaching. Suddenly everything fell into place and I

saw the relevance of the unitary relationship of natural and theological

science.

Toms theologywas nomeredry scholasticism cut off from awarm

heartedknowledgeand loveofGod.Oneofhisgreatburdenswastoshow

that there can be no knowledge of God, and therefore no true theology,

unlessweapproachHimwithahumble,earnest,worshippingheartopento

thedeeplypersonalrevelationofHimselfthatHehasmadeinthepersonof

JesusChrist.ThisindeedisthescientificwaytoknowGod,foritistheway

appropriate to the subjectmatter of theology God Himself. Hismessage

challenged us to liberate our minds from preconceived logical structures

which might unconsciously impose themselves upon the subject matter of

enquiry,butwhichareinappropriatetotheobjectofinquiryandthereforeare

likelytodistorttheresultsofinquiryintoitstruenature.


22

Hebelievedthatthereisonlyonewayofknowing,whatevertheobject

of knowledge. By that he did not mean that there is only one method of

enquiry very far from it. What he did mean was that all methods of

knowing must be appropriate to the subject of enquiry, so that (contra

AristotleandKant) enquirersmustnotapproach theobject of studywitha

fixedlogicalsystemintowhichtheyseektofittheanswerstotheirquestions.

Ratherthesubjectmatter itselfwillcontain itsown,at first,hiddenlogicor

rationality, so that natural or theological scientistsmust seek to uncover a

rationalitythatisinherentintheobjectoftheirenquiry.

It took Einstein to discover a deeper logic in nature in which light,

space, time, matter and energy are bound together in relationships

relationshipsthatcomefromtheverybeingoftheirexistence.Thatistosay,

theyare relationships that arenot dependent on independent external and

eternal laws, not unlike the covenant of love that binds two human beings

togetherandispartoftheinnerrationalityoftheologythatwesoeasilymiss

if we impose our legalistic ways of thinking upon the data of theological

enquiry. Tom believed that many of the problems associated with the

disciplineofbiblicalstudiescouldbetracedbackto impositionsofthiskind,

where the nature and function of the Biblewerediscerned solely from the

processes and phenomena that went into composing it. This false

phenomenalistic dualism between reality and our perception of it has

bedevilledthefieldofbiblicalstudies.

Thedualism thathedislikedmostwasthatofadetachedGodanda

mechanistic universe. Instead, he believed that through the pages of the

BiblewemeetaGodwho,thoughHecreatedtheuniverseoutofnothing,is

throughHisWordandSpiritpersonallyanddeeplyrelatedtoit.Thisisseen

especiallyanduniquelyintheIncarnationandatonement,throughwhichHe

hasmadeHimselfknowntousasoneamongusandforusbyredeemingthe

worldfromsin.

The appropriate way to respond to Gods Word is by listening and

answering.AswelistenwefindthattheWordchallengesusdeeply,sothat

we cannot do theology in a detachedway butmust allow ourselves to be

challengedandchanged inour inmostbeing,justasnaturalscientistsmust

be open to the object they seek to know, so that its hidden logic might


23

engage their minds and foster growth in understanding. Our problem,

though, is that we cannot answer and respond to that Word from God

because, as sinners, we are alienated from it. One of Toms most central

convictions was that Christ is not only Gods Word but also our human

responsetothatWord.Ihavepersonallyfoundhisemphasisonthevicarious

humanity of Christ most liberating. He often tried to discourage us from

examiningourownfaith,repentanceandworship,encouragingusinsteadto

lookawayfromourselvestoChrist.

Toms emphasis upon the vicarious response of Christ got him into

trouble with some Evangelicals who imagined that he was saying that we

dontneedtorepentandbelievebecauseChristhasdoneitallforusinour

place.Of course this is notwhat TomTorrancewas saying.Hewas instead

developingoneofthemajoremphasesoftheEpistletotheHebrews,where

ChristmakesourresponseforusasGreatHighPriest,takingourprayersto

theheavenofheavens.SowhenwefixoureyesuponJesusastheoriginator

andcompleteroffaith,wearesetfreefromtheassurancedestroyingworries

soevidentinbothseventeenthcenturyCalvinismandArminianism.

SincethiswayofsalvationisthesameasthewayofknowingGod,it

wasTomTorrancesmissionary endeavour to theologians topersuadeus to

thinkinChristsothatwedonotcutoffourtheologicalorbiblicalstatements

fromChristhimself.Heusedasanexamplethestatement:Godislove.We

seethemeaningofthatinChristhowever,ifweuse itasan independent,

freestandingstatementfromwhichwededuceotherpropositionsapartfrom

Christ, thenwewill reach false conclusions. Languagemust not be cut off

from that to which it refers. This was his quarrel with what he called

rationalisticfundamentalists.

Rationalisticfundamentalistsarethosewhothinktheycantreatbiblical

statementsasindependentfromtheultimateBeingtowhomtheyrefer.Once

thismoveismadetheycanthenapplypreconceivedrationalstructurestofit

biblicalstatements(suchasGod is love)intoadogmaticsystem.Butthis

would be to commit the error that is referred to elsewhere in this article,

namelytoimposeourownsystemsoflogiconthesubjectmatterofenquiry

rather than letting it teach us its own inherent logic. Such systems of

doctrine tend to be legalistic constructs of our own minds where we may


24

seemtoputgraceatthecenterofatheologicalsystembut insteadendup

withanewlegalisticsystemthatdoesnotreallysetpeoplefreeinChrist.

AneglectedbutimportantthemeinTomTorranceslecturesandbooks

washisemphasisonIsrael.Godfullyandpersonallyaddressedandengaged

humanity through Israels long and painful history. Fulfilment of this

relationshipbetweenGodandhumanitywastheIncarnationandthedeathof

Christ.Therefore,TomTorrancesteachingaboutsuchsubjectsasIncarnation

andecclesiologyshouldtakeintoaccountwhathesaysaboutIsrael.Heoften

said that thedeepest division in theChurchs lifewas thedivisionbetween

JewsandChristians,whoneedoneanother tounderstandGods revelation

and reconciliation in our history. Tom believed that the Bible taught that

ChristfulfilsIsraelsuniquedestinyfromAbrahamtotheendoftime,evenif

Israelitselfdoesnotrecognizeit.

ThecontentofcreationandredemptionhasalwaysbeenGod,people

and nature, so, just as there is a chosen people in peculiar intensity

(Toms often repeated phrase) to represent all peoples, so there is a

promised land to represent all lands. Therefore, a rejection of Israel is a

rejectionofGodswayof saving theworld inChrist.Somemay respond to

this by saying that Israel rejected Christ and, as a consequence, cut

themselvesofffromGodspurposes.Tomwouldrespondbypointingoutthat

muchofhumanityhasrejectedChristbutGodneverthelessstillincludesallin

hispurposesofcreationandredemptioninChrist.

IfwebelievethatGodsrelationshipwithhiscreationispurelyspiritual

(i.e.,Hedoesnot interactwith thephysical spacetimeof thisworld), then

wewillfinditdifficulttobelievethatHeisactiveinhistorysoastogivethe

Jewsauniquehistoryamongthenationsahistorywhichnowhasresulted

intheirregathering.Ifwedoholdthisview(aformofdeism)wemuststill

come to terms with the remarkable uniqueness of Jewish history (this

uniquenessiswidelyacknowledgedevenbythenonreligious).If,however,

webelievethatGodcan,anddoes,actinspaceandtime,thenwewillnot

havethistheologicalproblemwiththeuniquenessofJewishhistoryandGods

continuedcommitmenttothepromisedland.

Ifwebelieve that the templeandOT sacrifices (a temporarysignof

the covenant) are equivalent to the land, then we will believe (see, for


25

example,Hebrews8:13)thatlandhaslostitssignificance.If,however,we

distinguishbetweensign(e.g.,thetempleanditssacrifices)andcontent

(God,people,and landwhichwere thecontentofCreation), thenwewill

seethecontinuingsignificanceoflandaspartofGodsongoingredemptionof

creation.

26

DAVIDTORRANCE,M.A.,B.D.

Retiredparishminister,ChurchofScotland

[email protected]

ThosewhoseknowledgeofTomissolelythroughhismanypublications

maytendtothinkofhimsolelyasatheologianandacademic.Iwishtofocus

onhislifeasaministerandpastorandparticularlyonthebackgroundofhis

earlylife,studentdaysandwaryearsbecausemostpeoplewillnotbeaware

of these formative influencesonhimandhis theology. Inevitably Iwillbe

writing from the perspective of a brotherand sharing somemore personal

reminiscences.

Of the six children born to our parents, Tomwas the second oldest,

and Iwas theyoungest.As such,Tomwasover elevenyears older than I.

Ourfamilywascloselyknit:therewasalwaysastrongbondofloveandtrust

amongus.Despitetheagegap,IalwaysfeltclosetoTom,moreparticularly

asIgrewupandenteredtheministry.Weinevitablyhadmuchincommon,

not least inour theologicaloutlook.Tom,Jamesand Icontinued todiscuss

andshareeachotherstheologicalconcernsthroughoutouradultlives.

Asafamilywewereblessedwithgodlyparents.Fatherwasborninto

a farming family in Scotland. He was a minister and for forty years a

missionary inChina.Motheralsohadfeltthecall tomissionarywork.They

metandmarried inChina.Allsixchildren, threesonsandthreedaughters,

wereborninChina.

Every day our parents gathered the family together forworship and

studyoftheWordofGod.Godspresenceandtheneedforprayerwerevery

real in our home. It is not surprising therefore that Tom from his earliest

years believed in the Lord as his personal saviour. He believed profoundly

what Jesus said to Nicodemus, noone can see (or enter) the Kingdomof

Godunlessheisbornagain(John3.3).Nonetheless,heknewofnotimein

his lifewhenhedidnotbelieveortrustChristashissaviour.Likewisefrom

his earliest years he felt God was calling him to serve Christ for the

advancement of the Gospel. For many years he hoped to become a

missionary like our father and take theGospel to theChinese. Inhis early


27

teen years during the summer vacations from school he accompanied our

fatherinjourneysthroughthemountainvalleysofWestChinaandsharedin

thedistributionofportionsofScripturetothepeasantBuddhistfarmers.This

helpedtoconfirmhisdesiretobecomeamissionary.

ItwaslaterwhenTomwasatUniversityandbeganstudyingtheology

and learned the importance andneed fora theology thatwas trulybiblical

andgroundedinthepersonandworkofChristthathefeltacalltostudyand

teach theology.Henever,however, lostconcernandsupport formissionary

workandforevangelism,andheintegratedhiscallforevangelisticworkwith

avocationtopreach,firstandforemost,totheologians!

China, in the years when our parents were missionaries, was a

turbulent country.West China, where theyworked,was ruled bywarlords,

whohadtheirownarmies.Theyfought,killed,andplunderedatwill.Some

were not so bad as others. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917,

communistatheisticliteratureandmilitaryweaponswerepouringintoChina

and fell all too readily into the hands of the different warlords, increasing

unrestandmakingthecountrydangerous.

Despitethecivicunrest,however,Chinawasagoodandexcitingplace

for children to grow up and enjoy experiences and a freedom generally

deniedtochildrenintheWest.Father,forhiswork,keptahorse,Prince,and

amule,Billy,whichweremuch lovedby the family. EachdayTomandmy

three sisters rodeor galloped threemiles to school.Onemissionary friend

expressedconcerntoourmotheraboutMargaret,theyoungestofthethree

sisters, having to hold on at the back of the mule when it was galloping.

However,theyneverfelloff!FathercomplainedthatafterTomstartedtoride

themule, itwouldno longerwalk andpreferred togallop!Tombecamean

accomplishedriderandyearslater,whenhewasministerinAlyth,andwhen

James, three others, and I were camping with him, I can remember him

ridingahorsebareback,withourluggage,fourmilesuptheglenwherewe

camped.

OurChinesesummers,spentinthevalleysofthehighmountainswith

theirwildbeauty,treacherousmountainpaths,oftenbesetwithbanditsand

robbers, were likewise exciting. The constant sense of danger made the

familyrelycontinuallyonGod.Prayerwasavery importantpartofour life


28

and there was always joy and thanksgiving over answered prayer. Prayer

meantmuchtoeachmemberofthefamily.

In 1927West China was in a state of civil war withmany riots and

killings.Thefamilysawpeoplehavetheirheadswhippedoffbyswordsinthe

streets.Amissionaryfriendofourmotherwasbeheadedinthestreetnear

our home in Chengdu. There were riots outside our house, with agitators

threatening to break in and kill the family. The British Consul ordered all

Britishsubjectstoleavethecountry,ashecouldnotguaranteetheirsafety.

Hence,in1927,thefamilyreturnedtoScotland.Thefamilysjourneybyboat

downtheYangstetoShanghaiwaseventfulanddangerous.Sailingthrough

the gorges of the upper Yangste bullets were hitting the steel balustrade

behindwhichthefamilywereshelteringondeck.God,however,inanswerto

prayerwonderfullypreservedthefamily.TheyreachedShanghaisafelyand,

later,Scotland.

After a short period Father returned to China alone for his last

missionarytourashefeltthathis largelypioneeringwork inthemountains

was not over.Mother remained in Scotland in order to provide a Christian

homeforthefamilyandtotryandensurethatthefamilygrewupwithinthe

ChristianChurch,eachwithastrongpersonalfaithinChrist.

Our parentswere to find that as God hadwonderfully protected the

familyinChina,sohewastocontinuetopreserveandguidethemall,Tom

notleast,throughouttheyearsahead.

ForTom, lifewasmoreeventful than formostofhiscontemporaries.

He greatly enjoyedhis studies in EdinburghUniversity, first in classics and

philosophyfortheM.A.degreeandthenintheologyfortheB.D.degree.He

worked extremely hard and was a wide and prolific reader. The university

librarianapparentlyhadnevermetastudentwhoborrowedsomanybooks.

Heoftenreturnedhomewithanentirerucksackfull.Hereadfarbeyondthe

booksprescribedforhisparticularstudy.Someyearslater,shortlyafterTom

had entered the parishministry, a university professor, not knowing that I

wasTomsbrother,saidtome,TomTorranceisamineoflearning.

InsporthejoinedtheHareandHoundsatUniversityandtookpartin

crosscountryrunning.HealsoplayedhockeyatUniversity.Atthesametime

he found time for evangelistic outreach and led and engaged in various


29

missions.Evangelismwasthenandthroughouthisministryofdeepinterest

andconcern.HewasafriendoftheAmericanevangelistDr.BillyGrahamand

wasinstrumentalininvitinghimtoleadhislastmissioninScotlandin1990.

In1936,whilestillastudentinNewCollege,Edinburgh,hecompeted

successfully for the John Stuart Blackie Fellowship in Greek (classical,

Septuagint, andHellenistic),whichwasdesigned to send students tostudy

biblicallanguagesandarchaeology intheMiddleEast,andforwhichhehad

spentayearstudyingArabicforuse inMiddleEastcountries.Whenhewas

awarded the Fellowship, he travelled to the Holy Landwith another twelve

students.Theywereallowedtogofortwomonthsandhadtoreturnintime

for the B.D. examinations in May. The John Stuart Blackie Fellowship was

designedforayearsstudy,althoughTomwasgiven leaveofabsencefrom

NewCollegeonlyuntilSeptemberwhenhewasrequiredtoreturntositthe

September B.D. exams. So followed an exciting andmomentous period of

travel andadventure sometimes in company butmoreoften alone through

Palestine,Syria,Iraq,andthenTurkeyandGreece.Withourfathersrestless,

enquiring mind and his own adventurous and courageous spirit and the

determinationtoseeanddiscoverasmuchaspossiblethatwasofhistorical

andarchaeologicalinterest,hewenttomanyplaceswhereotherswouldnot

have ventured. The Middle East was then as now a troubled area of the

world.Onoccasion,asonthevisittoPetra,hehadtohireanarmedguard.

TravellingalonewithadonkeyandanArabguidethroughthemountainsof

Moab to visit Herods castle atMachaerus, hewas suddenly surroundedby

Bedouinsarmedwithrifles.IttooksometimeforhisArabguidetopersuade

themthathewasnotaJewbutaScot.WhenhereturnedtoJerusalemafter

severalweekshefoundthathisfriendsatStAndrewsHospicehadbecome

alarmedforhissafetyastheyhadnotheardfromhimforsometime.

He was not long back in Jerusalem before troubles broke out. The

Grand Mufti Hussein had just come back from visiting Hitler and was

spreading around his poisonous antiJewish propaganda provokingan Arab

revolt. The great bulk of our British troops, about 120,000, were in Egypt

with only small detachments in Palestine and not enough to quell an

anticipated Arab revolt. Accordingly, Tom and some seventy others were

askedtemporallytojointhePalestinePolice.Theyweredulyswornin,given


30

arifleandapolicearmband,declaringthattheywerePalestinianpolice.They

weretoldthatiftheyhadtofiretheyshouldfireatthekneestodisableand

nottokill.Afterseveralweeksofcontinuousdutyheaskedtoberelievedof

hisdutiessothathecouldcontinuehisstudiesinSyriaandLebanonaswell

asPalestine.Hisrequestwasgrantedandwithapoliceescorthetravelledto

NorthPalestine.Hewasdeterminednottoletthetroublespreventhimfrom

seeing andexploringasmuchofPalestine,LebanonandSyriaashe could.

However the flames of antiSemitism were spreading and he kept running

into hostility as he kept being mistaken for a Jew. On one occasion an

attemptwasmadeonhislifewhensomeoneflungaknifethatflashedover

hisleftshoulderandclatteredontheroad.InJordanwhiletravellinginataxi

withtwonuns,thetaxistoppedtopickupaBedouin,whosatnexttoTom.

SuddenlytheBedouinturnedtoTompointingarevolverandshoutingJew.

TomshoutedinArabic,NotJewish!Scottish!AstheBedouinhesitatedTom

andthedriverwereabletothrowhimoutofthetaxianddriveon.Attimes

hewondered iftherewereattemptstopoisonhim.InIraq,however, inan

attempttovisitBasrahistroublesbeganinearnest.Hetravelledbytrain.An

Arab revolt was taking place in southern Iraq between Ur and Samawa,

althoughTomdidnotknowaboutitatthetime.IraqiAirForceplaneswere

droppingbombsonbothsidesofthe railroad,attacking thedissidentArabs

inhabitingthatpartofIraq(theMarshArabs).Tomwasarrestedonsuspicion

ofbeingaJewishspy.Afterquestioninghetriedtoescapeandfindhisway

totheBritishConsulate.Hewascaught,takenbacktopoliceHeadquarters.

Questionedagain,hewasrefusedpermissiontoseetheBritishConsulateand

sentenced to death. Mercifully, when one of the judges was tempted to

believethathewasnotJewishbutBritish,hewasreleasedandejectedfrom

Iraq,andputonatrainforDamascus.Authoritiestherewereastonishedthat

hewastravellingalone.

AfterSyria,hevisitedTurkeyandGreece,wheretroublescontinuedto

follow him although not of such a dangerous character as he had todate

experienced.Hereturned intimetosittheB.D.examinations inSeptember

inNewCollege.Godwassurelyprotectinghimforapurpose.

AfterpostgraduatestudiesinSwitzerlandunderDr.KarlBarthhewas

called to teach in Auburn in theU.S.A.At twentysix hewas the youngest


31

professorinthefaculty.OpportunityarosetoteachinPrincetonbutwarwas

breakingoutwithGermanyandbeingunwillingtobeoutofthecountryina

timeofwarhereturnedtotheUK.Hisfirstdesirewastooffertobeanarmy

chaplain.Regulationsatthattimedidnotallowaminister,withoutordination

and parish experience, to be a chaplain, so he went to Oxford seeking to

completehisstudiesforadoctorateunderKarlBarthinBasle.Calledtothe

parish of Alyth in Perthshire in the springof 1940, he planned, some time

later, to volunteer to be a chaplain in the army. His plans were delayed

becauseoftheneedforanappendixoperationandsoitwasin1943thathe

joinedthearmyundertheauspicesofTheChurchofScotlandCommitteefor

Huts and Canteens. In themonths that followedGodprotected himagain

andagaininaremarkablewaythroughmanydangers.

HisfirstappointmentwasaspadreinaCombinedOperationsUnitwith

an invasion force sent by Churchill on an illfated operation to capture the

Greek islandsofCosandLerosandestablishabasefromwhichtostrikeat

the Germans occupying Greece. The British discovered in time that the

Germanshadgotwindoftheimpendinginvasionandmercifullytheoperation

wascalledoff,forotherwisecasualtieswouldhavebeenhorrific.

His next appointment was as chaplain to the 10th Indian Division,

whichincludedaBritishBrigade.Hewaswiththemforthenexttwoyearsin

Italyuntiltheendofthewar.Tomalwaysfeltthathisbestworkwasatthe

front line,where soldierswereunder thegreatest pressure andweremore

open to the Gospel. With his insistence of endeavouring to be with them,

whenever possible, in themost forwardpositions, his lifewasmiraculously

sparedmany timeswhenotherswith himwere killed orwounded.On one

occasiontheyenteredasetoffarmbuildingsbehindtheGermanlines.When

their presence was discovered, one by one the soldiers with him tried to

escape and were killed. Tom waited until dark and returned safely. On

anotheroccasionwhentheywerebeingshelledbyenemyfire,theysheltered

inaditch.Tomshelmetwastouchingthebootsofonesoldierinfrontwhile

hisbootstouchedthehelmetofthesoldierbehind.Boththesoldierinfront

andthesoldierbehindwerekilled.Hewasunscathed.Aschaplain,Tomwas

givenhis own army truck. Normally he slept in it.Onenight he chose to

sleep outside behindawall. That night aGerman shell passed through his


32

truckpenetratingwherenormallyhisheadwouldhavebeen.Timeandagain

hefelthislifewassparedasifahigherhandwasprotectinghim.Tohisown

surprise, he was never wounded, when so many around him were either

killed orwounded.He escaped,with a few small shrapnel pieces, which in

timeworkedtheirwayoutthroughtheskin.

WithTom,attheendofthewar,aswithsomanyothers,therearose

thequestion,WhyamIalive?Whywasmylifesparedwhensomanygood

people, and many Christians, perished? He believed that God had

wonderfullyprotectedhimandthatGodhadapurposeforhislife.Attheend

ofthewarinEuropeIreceivedaletterfromhimwhenIwasinIndiaserving

with the 14th IndianDivision. In it he expressed the thought thatGod had

preserved his life for a purpose. Following the end of thewar a chaplains

conferencehadbeenarrangedtotakeplaceinAssisiinItaly.Tomwasinvited

toparticipateasaspeaker.Hetravelledthereafewdaysearly inordernot

simplytospendtimeinpreparinghisaddressbut inordertospendtimein

prayerandthanksgivingtoGodandinordertorededicatehislifetoGodfor

thefurtheranceoftheGospel.

Tom had a vivid sense that God had some purpose in sparing him

through somany successivedangers. The Lord said to Jeremiah, Before I

formedyouinthewombIchoseyou,beforeyouwerebornIsetyouapartI

appointedyouasaprophetto thenations (Jeremiah1.5). Paul,theaged

Apostlelookingbackoverhislife,said,God...setmeapartfrombirthand

calledmebyhisgrace(Gal1.15).Tomfelttherewereechoesinhisownlife

ofwhatJeremiahandPaulhadsaidandthatwaswhyGodhadsparedhim.

His pastoral work as a chaplain at the front line, talking and

ministering to soldierswhowerewoundedanddying, hadstrengthenedhis

conviction, if itneededstrengthening,of theneed topreachChristandthe

messageof the cross. It persuadedhim,more thanever, of theweakness

andfutilityofaliberaltheology,whichhefelthadnothingorlittletoofferto

menwhoweredying.TheywantedtohearthatGodiswhatweseeinJesus,

a God who loves, is present with us in our suffering, and forgives and

redeemsus.Ofteninhis lecturestostudentshementionedthe lessonsthat

hehadlearnedasachaplainonthebattlefield.


33

HefeltthatGodshandhadbeenuponhiminthewaythathedirected

his studies at EdinburghUniversity, first in his studies for an M.A. degree

particularly in philosophy under Kemp Smith and A. E. Taylor and then in

theologyforhisB.D.degree.Certainprofessors,particularlyatNewCollege,

had an immense influence in directing his academic interests. Professor

Daniel Lamont, an evangelical and former mathematician and scientist,

deepenedhisinterestintherelationshipoftheologyandscience.ProfessorH.

R.Macintosh,inthechairofsystematictheology,helpedtogivehimasolid

biblical and Christological foundation. Both our parents also had a deep

influenceuponhim,spirituallyandtheologically,introducinghimandeachof

uswhilestillatschooltowellknownworksofsomeofthegreatReformers,

such as, Luthers commentary on Galatians and his Bondage of the Will,

Calvins Institutes and a great favorite, particularly of our mother, Robert

BrucesTheMysteryoftheLordsSupper:SermonsontheSacraments(ed.

T.F.Torrance).Tomalwayscalledourmotherthetheologianofthefamily

andourfathertheevangelist.MothergaveTomCredobyKarlBarth.That

wasTomsfirstbookbyatheologianwhocametohaveagreatinfluenceon

hislifeandtheology.H.R.MacintoshencouragedhiminreadingKarlBarths

theology.

LookingbackoverhislifeTomwasveryconsciousofthehandofGod,

sparinghislifeoverearlyadventurousyears,guidingthedirectionofhislife

andhelping andblessing hiswork asminister of theGospel as pastor and

teacher.

Followinghisdeath, severalministers,whowerehisformerstudents,

contactedmetoexpresstheirsympathy.Whattheyrememberedmostabout

Tom, evenmore thanhis theological learning,washis pastoral care. They

saidthatwhereastheywereverygratefulforallthatTomhadtaughtthem,

theywere especially grateful for what he haddone for them and for their

familiesasapastor,friendandspiritualguide.

Tom also had a rich sense of humor, although he could be

confrontational when arguing points of doctrine, which he passionately

believed.Ashisbrother,Iwillalwayslookonhimfirstandforemostnotasan

academic but as a loving, caring, pastor, friend, and brother.When I had

occasion to telephone him, we sometimes talked for an hour. On these


34

occasions,orwhenvisitinghim,healmost invariablyaskedat lengthabout

eachmemberofmy family andgrandchildrenandassuredme that hewas

prayingforthem.I,withmembersofhisfamilyandothers,givethanksto

Godforhim,notonlyforallthatwelearntfromhimbutalsoforthemany

richmemoriesofhislife.

35

KENNETHWALKER,Ph.D.

MinisterofAthelstanefordwithWhitekirkandTyninghame

EastLothian,Scotland

[email protected]

ItwasduringmyearlyteenageyearsasamanseoffspringthatIfirst

becameawareofthenameofTomTorrance.ThiswaslongbeforeIhadeven

themostmeagrethoughtsofenteringtheministryletalonefindingmyself

Toms parishminister many years later.Within our family circle, in church

meetingsandprivateconversationswithecclesiasticalfriendsandministerial

colleagues,myparentswouldrefer frequentlytowhat for themwasclearly

almost ahousehold nameand certainly one that, even in thosedays,was

attaininguniversalrecognition.Inthecaseofourfamily(andmanyothers),

thenameofTorrancewasautomaticallyassociatedwith themissionfield in

China.The1920shadbecomepartofthatgreatageofmission.Theurgeto

preach theGospel to all nations had takena fervent hold ofmanyyoung

mindstowhomthecallofGodhadcomewithpowerfulinfluence.Myparents

served in China with the China Inland Mission (C.I.M.), working in the

province of Honan at around the same time as Toms parents were also

playingtheirpartinproclaimingtheGospel.TheyalsoservedwiththeC.I.M.

butinSzechwan.1

Forthismissionaryson,borninChengdu,themissionaryexploitsand

zealofhisparentsweretoleaveaprofoundeffectuponthefutureT.F.T.(as

wellasothermembersoftheemergingTorrancefamily).ThegospelofGods

grace became one of the central tenets of Toms faith and life, both as a

parishministerandasanacademic.

It is always fascinating to ponder the extraordinarymanner inwhich

Godsgraceandpurposescanbeseeninthewaysinwhichlifeoftenworks

out. After those early years in China, Tom would eventually return to

Scotland.DuringhisArtsstudiesatEdinburghUniversityhecameincontact

1 For fuller details, the reader isdirected toAlister E.McGraths exceptionalwork,T.F.Torrance:AnIntellectualBiography(T&TClark,Edinburgh,1999),6f.


36

with bothmy father andmywifes father, who also served in themission

field,thistimeinSouthAfrica.

LikeTom,bothwereintheinitialstagesofstudyfortheministry.My

first meeting with Tom Torrance was as unusual as it was unexpected. It

illustratessomethingofthehumanityinTomandthelevelofhiskeennessto

encouragefuturedivinitystudents.Duringthe late1960s, I sharedasmall

house in Edinburgh with my elder brother (who was born in China!). My

fatherhadwrittentoTomtotellhimthattheremightbeapotentialdivinity

studentintheoffing.Tomkindlywrotebacktosaythathewasdelightedto

hear of this. One dark and wild November night the doorbell rang. Who

should be standing in the doorway but Tom Torrance. He had come right

across Edinburgh to meet us and offer me his fullest support and

encouragement on the path that would lead to the giddy heights of New

College.Itwasoneofthoseunforgettablemoments.Intimethatbastionof

theological study would indeed beckon and open its portals to increasing

numbers of us who came under Toms kindly and powerful influence as a

person, as a minister of the gospel, as a theologian, and as an ongoing

pastor.

Sadly, for somedivinity studentswhohad taken courses inChristian

DogmaticsunderTom,theexperiencewasnotahappyone.Theycameaway

disgruntledandunhappy.TothemTomseemedfartooerudite,excessive in

wordsandtoothersperhapsevenarrogant.CertainlyTomdidnotstandfools

gladlyandthatwastrueinrelationtoanystudentwhopretendedthatthey

knew more theology than he did! Given that, any student knew to tread

carefully. But to those who were humble enough to listen and learn and

broaden their knowledge and, more so, willing to question their

preconceptions theTorrance influencebecameallembracing.Perhaps it is

worthy of note that, under Tom Torrance, the Department of Christian

Dogmaticswasoneofthesixdepartmentsinthosedayswhereeverylecture

began with prayer. In those far away days at New College, the study of

theologythroughthelensofChristianDogmaticswasnotsimplyanacademic

exercise:everythingwasseentobecenteredintherevelationofGodslove

inJesusChrist.Theology,Christology,Pneumatology,theTrinity,scienceand


37

theologyandsomuchmorewereunderstoodasbeingsimplyandprofoundly

relatedinandtothegospelofGodsgraceinJesusChrist.

Tom the learned but understanding academic was also Tom the

churchman.Tuckedawayinadeskdrawerisatelegram.Itwassentonthe

dateofmyinductionandordination,interalia:...prayerfulgoodwishesfor

the new ministry. Margaret and Tom Torrance. Soon, as someone

dramaticallyputit,TomTorrancewillbesittingatyourfeetratherthanthe

otherway round!Butwhataprospect.Peopleused toaskwhat itmustbe

like to have ones former theological professor as a member of the

congregationatWhitekirk.Hereagainshoneoutthedepthofhisowngrace

andhumility.Tomwasnevercriticalofmyministryorofmysermons,asfar

asIwasaware.Idorememberafewoccasionswhenweshookhandsatthe

churchdoorasthecongregationleftaftertheservice.LookuptheGreek,

hewouldsmileasheunderscoredasubtletheologicalpoint.Tomwasalways

gracious,alwayshelpful,alwaysencouraging.Heneverfailedtoofferaword

ofappreciation.Thankyouforpreachingthegospel,hewouldbeam.Or,It

wassogood tohearthedoctrineofunconditionalgrace.Or, Wonderful to

heartheTrinityexpoundedtoday.Itsnotdoneoftenenoughthesedays.

Tom never lost the call of the true pastor either in academia or in

parishlifewhichhealsoservedsowell.InhisroleasProfessorofChristian

Dogmatics Tom attracted numerous students to come to New College. He

influencedlargenumbersoffutureministersinScotlandandothercountries.

T.F.,asweaffectionatelyreferredtohim,wasoneofthosespecialmenwho,

in those days, had come out of parishministry and been appointed to an

academic post where they were able to impart their years of parish

experience to students keen to enter the Ministry. His pastoral and

theological influencewithin theChurchofScotland alsobecame legendary:

his many Reports to General Assemblies his year as Moderator of the

GeneralAssembly(197677)and,themagnetisminthecontentandmanner

inwhichheaddressedtheKirkonarangeofprofoundtopics.

Morerecently,duringTomslastyearsonthisearth,visitsweremade

to thenursinghomewherehe received such fond care.Wewouldshare in

scriptural readings (Authorized Version usually!) and prayer. I once took

along a young divinity student tomeetwith Tom.We prayed together and


38

immediatelyafterwardsTomrevealedhiskeenpowersofobservationashe

spoke kindly to the youngerman: Doyoualwayspraywith yourhands in

yourpockets?OneachvisitwereadfromhiswellthumbedDailyLight.His

copiesofscriptureoncereadbyhisownmotherandfatherwereparticularly

special to him. We shared also in Holy Communion which he always

appreciated. Toms was a sacramental ministry and a sacramental faith.

Sometimesthegreatmanwouldsitinachair.Sometimeshewouldlieonhis

bed.Onthese latteroccasionswithhiseyesclosedhe lookedtobeasleep.

Butastheprayersandwordsofresponsecontinued,Tomwouldjoininfreely

andgladly: two pastors sharing in the blessed Sacrament of Christs Body

andBlood.

DuringthoselastdaysTomshumanity,graceandgospelcentredfaith

neverabated.Somuchsothat,byGodsgrace,Tomwasbeingcaredforbya

Chinesenursewhomhesoughttoimpartsomethingofthatsamegospelhis

parents had proclaimed many years before! Tom rejoiced in the profound

truthoftheresurrection.Helookedforwardtothetimewhenhewouldleave

thisworldandgototheFather.Hiswishwasgrantedearlyinthemorningof

AdventSunday2007.Henowrejoiceswithallthesaintsinglory.

39

ROBERTT.WALKER,M.A.,B.D.

UniversityofEdinburgh,OfficeofLifelongLearning

Edinburgh,Scotland

[email protected]

Memories of TF are many, varied and vivid his energy, learning,

memory, intellectandaboveallhiswarmth,profoundtheologicalvisionand

personalfaith.Myearliestmemoriesofhimwereofsomeoneexcitingwhom

myparentslookedforwardtoseeingandwhoalwaysaskedabouteachofus.

ItwaswhenIcametostudytheologyunderhiminNewCollegethatIcame

toappreciatetheunique intellectualandtheologicalabilitiesoftheperson I

hadknownas UncleTom.Thenagain, itwasonly in the frequentvisits to

himattheendofhislifethatIhadtheprivilegeofcomingtoknowhimina

muchmorepersonalway.

Severalcharacteristicsofhislifeandpersonalitystandoutatonce:

a) his energy TF (as he was popularly known at New College to

distinguishhimfromhisbrotherJB)neverletthegrassgrowunderhisfeet

andalwaysseemedtogetthingsdoneatbreakneckspeed.Theenergyofhis

character and mind found vivid expression in his lectures and left his

studentsexhilaratedandenthusedbythewayheconnectedtheologicalideas

andby the new vistas and horizons he opened up. Although known as an

academic, inmanywayshewasprimarilynotsoandonlybecamesuchout

ofnecessity,aspartofhisChristiancalling.When,forexample,hereturned

fromwarservice,sleepingintentsandtravelingwithhisdivision,hesaidto

hismother,Imnotcutouttobeanacademic,mother.Imamanofaction!

b) his learning he read voluminously andwould absorb and retain

ideas. In both church and university he soon became recognized as

somethingofapolymath,athomeinseveralfields,notonlyintheologyitself

butinphilosophyandscience,particularlyinthefieldofscienceandtheology

forwhichhelaterbecamesowellknown.

c)hiswarmthandpastoralconcernTFwasamanofgreatpersonal

warmth and pastoral concern who notwithstanding a demanding schedule

would invariably find time for students in difficulties or in need of pastoral


40

care and who listened intensely to them and their questions. I remember

beingstruckbythecommentofthewifeofaseniorScottishchurchmanthat

unlike her husbands peers, Tom Torrance always treated her as an equal.

PersonallyItooinvariablyfoundhimtobequickandhelpfulinrespondingto

questionsorinsendingmebooksorarticleshethoughtIwouldfinduseful.

d)thecenterednessofhisthoughtTFwouldnaturallyfocusonwhat

hefelttobethecentralquestions,thecriticalpointsintheologicaldisputes.

In debates, be they in the Church of Scotlands General Assembly or at

academicconferences,hecouldbe relied upontoenliven thediscussionby

focusing on the defining issues and providing a theological assessment of

theseand their ramifications,alwaysdirectingustothedogmaticcenterof

theChristianfaithinafreshandfruitfulway.

e)his commitment to thechurch TFwascommitted toservingthe

parishministry(hisownyearsintheparishwereamongthehappiestofhis

life)andtotherenewalofthechurchthroughtheologyandevangelism.One

of theaimsofhis lectureswastoseek toprovidestudentswitha theology

that would aid their teaching and preaching in theministry and he would

often illustrate a point hewasmaking from his own parish experience. In

Preaching Christ Today (dedicated to Billy Graham whose missions in

Scotlandhehadalwayssupported)hespeaksof therenewaloftheologyin

theteachingandpreachingofthechurchinScotlandandadds That isthe

end to which my own life has been dedicated. This commitment was

recognizedbytheChurchofScotlandselectionofhimasModerator197677.

f) his forthrightness the combination of his own drive, insight and

focus on the central issues of theology, together perhapswith his Scottish

Presbyterianbackgroundandupbringing,meantthatTFspokedirectlyandto

thepoint.Hecould thereforebe ratherblunt,onoccasionunnecessarilyso,

buthealwaysspokethetruthashesawit.Inhisdesiretogettothetruthof

the matter, he could unintentionally leave people behind and fail to carry

themwithhim.Withmorepatienceforthosewhodidnotsharehisinsights,

and awillingness to play a longer game, he could perhaps have achieved

evengreater influence.Theveryenergy,academicbrillianceandtheological

passionwhichmadehimwhathewasandenabledhimtoachievetheoutput


41

he did alsomade him less patient at times and too forthright. Theological

treasuresinearthenvessels.

Amongmyownmanymemories,twosetsinparticularstandout.The

first setwashis secondyeardogmatics lectures atNewCollege, Edinburgh

whichIattended in19678.Thesecondwasmyweeklyvisitstohiminthe

nursing home during the last few years of his life when he had been

incapacitatedbyastroke.Bothareindeliblyetched intomymemory.Inthe

firstheisinfulltheologicalflighthisdogmaticslecturesremainbyfarthe

most exhilarating and indeed formative intellectual influence inmy life. To

findmyself editing the same lectures was not only a privilege but also an

opportunity to repay ingratitudesomeofthedebt forall Ihad learntfrom

him.

Thesecondvividsetofmemories,ofTFinthenursinghome,isofhim

inamuchmorepersonalcapacity,when,unabletowalkwithoutsupportand

needingincreasingcare,heremainedalertandgracioustotheend.Whileit

wasimmenselysadtoseehimsoincapacitatedandbereftofsomanyofhis

usual stimuli, he retained a keen interest in family and friends or other

concerns,suchastheeditingofthelectures.Itwasalwaysaprivilegetovisit

him,tolistentohisreminiscencesandoftentoreadapsalm(Psalm103was

a common request it had been his fathers favorite) or other portion of

scripture and pray with him. His reminiscences, often in response to a

question,weremanyandvarious,aboutChina,studentdays,experiencesin

thewar,Princetonandnumerousfriendsandcolleagues.

I learnedseveraldetailsIhadnotknownbefore, forexample that in

China he had been widely known by the locals as Tao chee or Torrance

mischief,afactwhichmadehimchucklewhenremindedofit.Ialsolearntof

someofhissportinginterests.Apartfromhorseridingwhichhehadlearntin

China and skiing in Scotland and Switzerland, he hadas a student beena

member of the Hare and Hounds, the Edinburgh University Crosscountry

RunningSociety, until the incapacitating effects of a severe bout of flu led

himtotakeuphockeyinstead.Oneofmyfavoritereminiscencesofhiswas

the story of his being issued with badly fitting skis in the army for patrol

duringthewarinItaly.Whenoneoftheskiscameoffandclattereddownthe


42

hillsidealertingtheGermans,hehadtoskidownononeskiavoidingenemy

fire!

Throughouthistime inthenursinghome, Iwasconstantlystruckby

his interest in others and his Christian patience and graciousness, and I

alwayscameawayhumbled.Itisratherappropriatenotonlythatheshould

die on Advent Sunday but that having been born and brought up in a

missionary family inChina,wherehehadalwayshoped tobe amissionary

himself, he should find himself at the end of his life in Edinburgh being

attendedby aChinesenurse. She informedus that he hadbeen trying to

convertherwhenhedied!

It remains to try to sum up my deepest memories of TF, my own

assessment of his contribution to the church and what he meant to me

personally. In the attempt to estimate his contribution to the church in

general and the theological world in particular, it seems to me that the

followingfeaturesofhislifeandthoughtarecentral,thefirsttwolayingthe

basis for the following three,which togetherwith themaresummed in the

finalfeature:

i) Scripture and prayer at the root of TF as a man, a minister,

theologian and author, is an intimate knowledge of scripture and a daily

readingof itandprayer.Broughtup to readtheBiblethreechaptersaday

andfiveonSundaysandthereforerightthroughitonceayear,TFcontinued

todo soall his lifeand indeed read it twoor three timesa year.Hisdaily

studyofscripturewenthandinhandwithdailydevotionsandintercessionfor

others.Thisforhimwasthearcanediscipline,ashecalled it,whichliesat

theheartofallministryandofparticipationintheroyalpriesthoodofChrist.

Difficultandabstractassomeofhiswritingsappear,histheologyisgrounded

inandflowsoutofdailyreadingofthewordofGodinworshipandprayer.

ii)followingthegoalinhisreadingofscriptureand inthestructure

of his thought TF is centered around following the scopus or goal of

scripture, JesusChrist. That forhim is thenature andpurposeofChristian

dogmatics, orientated and structured, as it is, around Jesus Christ and his

further disclosure. TF is concerned in his theology to further a deeper and

morefaithfulgraspofthisscopusofscripture,theonceforallrevelationof

God in Christ. The doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of Christ who


43

reveals the Father in the Spirit are the heart of his thought. Essentially

doxologicalandheuristic, his theology is at oncedeeplybiblicalanddeeply

theological,concernedtopenetrateintowhathecalledtheinnerlogicofthe

Bible,tograsptheWordbehindthewordsandinthewordsandthereforeto

understandthescripturesintheirrelationofdepth.

TFs theology therefore operateswithwhatmightbe called an open

center,openthat is forJesusChristtomakehimself furtherknown.Inthat

sense,TFstheology issystematicbut isnotasystem.Inthenatureofthe

case for him, theology cannot be a system, for it points to and is held

together in the person of Jesus Christ in the Trinity and not in any logical

system of human devising. His theological method is the Anselmian faith

seeking understanding, faith looking for a deeper grounding in and

apprehensionofGodinChrist.Understandinghistheologymeansfollowingit

in its goal orientated direction,whichmeans that it cannot itself beneatly

systematizedsince itsunity is tobe found inGodandknowledgeofhimin

theSpiritandnotinitself.

iii)originalityandthemakingofconnectionsTFs theology ishighly

original, which does not mean first and foremost that he developed new

concepts, although he did, but that he made new connections between

known theological ideas and concepts. For him, originality was not

necessarilythinkingnewthoughtsbutmakingnewconnections.

Onthebasisofthefirsttwofeaturesofhisthoughtoutlinedabove(his

intimate dwelling upon scripture and his interpretation of it in terms of its

center inJesusChrist),TFwasable totakehisknowledgeof thehistoryof

classical theology, in particular of Athanasius, Calvin and Barth, not to

mentionAnselm,KierkegaardandH.R.Mackintosh(tonamejustafewofthe

seminal influences on him), and reshape it around Jesus Christ as the

dogmaticcentreoftheology.Itis,itseemstome,preciselybecausehisown

theologyisnotasystembutisopentoitscenterinChrist,thatthedogmatic

materialofhistoricaltheologycan,inhistheology,bereshaped,knittogether

andstructured inanewanddynamicorderaroundChrist.Theopennessof

theologyandofallitsconceptstoitstranscendentObject,orSubject,means

thattheprimaryconnectionoftheologicalconceptsisnottothemselvesorto

othertheologicalconceptsassuchbuttotheirobjectorreferent.


44

When theological concepts are realignedwith their referent they are

naturallyrealignedamongthemselves.Theologicalconceptsare inanycase

aligned naturally together in certain groupings, since it is only together,

structured in human languagearound certain leadingmetaphors, that they

act as disclosure models. Through structuring the various concepts and

doctrinesofChristiantheologyaroundthecenterinJesusChrist,TFrealigns

them in relation to him as their centre but also to oneanother. It is their

transcendent reference thatenables them tobe connected together innew

ways.

Interpretingscriptureandtheologyintermsoftheirontologicalground

inGodinChristalsoinvolvesseeingthemasawhole.Thetranscendentfocus

facilitates awider vision andmeans that rather thandwelling and thinking

within certain fixed theological concepts, or even exclusivelywithin certain

theologicaltraditions,theologicalconceptsareinterpretedintermsoftheone

reality they refer to, namely, God in Christ. Interpreted not simply out of

themselves, but regrouped and reschematized in interrelation with other

theologicalconcepts,theyfindthemselvesgivenanewandenrichedmeaning

byandintheuniquerealitytowhichtheyjointlyrefer.

ThestructureofTFstheologyandofhistheologicalmind,therefore,is

suchthatinendeavoringtoallowChrist(intheFatherthroughtheSpirit)to

be the open focus of theology, he sees everything else, all scripture and

doctrine, in a wide and comprehensive theological vision. The logic of

theology here can be thought of as following the pattern of Christ and as

having analogies to his ascending that he might fill all things. If he had

remained on earth, he would have been in one place at one time, but by

ascending Jesus Christ is through the Spirit present to all everywhere.

Similarly,ifChristisnotfixedonearthasitwerewithincertaindoctrines,he

becomes related to the whole of doctrine. Rather than endeavoring to

encapsulatehimin its formulations,theologyallowsJesusChristtobetheir

ascended terminus,soallowing itsconceptsanddoctrines tobeseenmuch

moreasacomprehensivewholeintheirpointingtogethertohimastheirone

and only true referent. The more theology cuts loose from thinking in

theological concepts and doctrines to thinking through them (necessarily

through but not apart from them), to the risen ascendedChrist, themore


45

theologicalconceptsanddoctrinesbecomepartofawideranddeeperwhole

heldtogetherinGodinChrist.

The result of this openness to Christ in the Trinity is thatwhile TFs

theology does find its basic shape early on in his career, it is continually

making new connections and putting theological concepts and doctrines

togetherinanewenrichedwhole.

iv) balanced vision a further consequence of TFs method and

theology, itseemstome,isthat likeCalvin,whosemethodseemsinmany

waysverysimilar(iflackinginBarthsandTFsattempttopresentthewhole

truthofChristmoredynamicallyandinspiralfashion),histheologysucceeds

inhavingacomprehensiveandbalancedvision.Theattempttorelateallof

scripture and doctrine to Jesus Christ has the effect of ironing out under

emphases and overemphases in Christian doctrine. There is of course no

such thing as a totally balanced theology all theology suffers from the

limitationsof its timeneverthelessamethodsuchas thatofCalvinorTF

does,itseemstome,providemoreofabalancedvisiontoatheologythan

wouldotherwisebethecase.

v)fruitfulnessinitsheuristicnature,inlookingtoJesusChristasthe

scopus and in connecting biblical and theological concepts and doctrines

together as refinedwindows for Christs further disclosure, TFs theology is

fruitful. The range and depth of his knowledge, not just in theology

particularlybutinphilosophyandsciencealso,thewidenessofhisvisionand

the connections of thought which he forged all make his thought

exceptionally fruitful and fertile. Even if he is not always right (and which

theologianor thinker is?),his thought is richlystimulating, illuminatingand

suggestive of new avenues. And even if following up his thought does not

alwaysleadtothesameconclusionsitisalmostalwaysveryfruitful.

ThefertilityandfruitfulnessofTFstheologyatthesametimeleavesit

opentoacertainweakness.TFshabitofseeingthingsasawhole,ofseeing

scripture and doctrine in terms of their scopus in Christ, of interpreting

theological statements not just in terms of their syntactical and historical

settingbutintermsoftherealitytheyreferto,meansthathisfocusonthe

ultimate reference of statements can lead him sometimes to jump to

conclusions in interpreting historical theologians. He can interpret their


46

theological statements in termsof therealityashesees it, inawaywhich

seemstogobeyondtheirauthorsownimmediatethoughtandsetting.TFis

sometimes accused here of being ahistorical and of making other

theologiansappeartoomuchtohavethesametheologyashehas.

TFssearchforacomprehensivetheologicalvision,hishabitofworking

very fast and his sheer volume of work and research does leave him

vulnerableonoccasiontojumpingtoinadequateorwronginterpretationsand

failingtobeashistoricallypreciseashemighthavebeen.Buthisprincipleof

interpreting the statements of historical theology in terms of the eternal

realitiesofGod(whichweknowonlyinthehistoricalbutwhichatthesame

timetranscendit)isvalid.ThescaleofwhatTFisattemptingtodo issuch

that his theologyand research is inevitably fragmentary and inadequate at

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