The Claim of Humanity in Christ: Salvation and Sanctification in the Theology of T. F. and J. B. Torrance

by Alexandra S. Radcliff, Andrew Purves (Foreword)

Today much preaching and teaching throws people back upon themselves to earn their relationship with God and to try to achieve by their own efforts the kind of person that they ought to be. In The Claim of Humanity in Christ, Alexandra Radcliff counters the Torrances' critics to show the significance of their controversial understanding of salvation for the interface between systematic and pastoral theology. Radcliff then constructively extends the implications of the Torrances' work to a liberating doctrine of sanctification. The Christian life is conceived as the free and joyful gift of sharing by the Spirit in the Son's intimate communion with the Father whereby we are turned out of ourselves to reflect the reality of who we are in Christ. "Alexandra Radcliff's impressive study of the theology of Thomas F. Torrance and James B. Torrance explores what the experience of salvation might look like for Christians when it is not viewed from within a legalistic or contractual view of divine and human relations. This is one of those rare studies that consistently demonstrates why any view of conditional salvation obscures the true force of the gospel. Such a view puts an undue burden (the burden of the law) on people who should recognize that they have been made free to live joyously as those whose humanity has been transformed in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ himself. This is an important work that helpfully opens new vistas for readers who will see the implications of a proper understanding of justification and sanctification for the Christian life." --Prof. Paul D. Molnar "The Scottish theologian Thomas F. Torrance (1913-2007) is reckoned to be one of the leading Christian thinkers of the twentieth century. But many find his work difficult to read. Dr. Alexandra Radcliff, working with the advice and guidance of Torrance's nephew, Alan Torrance, has produced a highly readable account that relates the theology of Torrance and his brother, James Torrance, to the life of the Church and the believer. She brings the Torrances' Christ-centered, Trinitarian theology to bear on contemporary spiritual life and renewal." --Prof. Thomas A. Noble "Alexandra Radcliff is a Torrance scholar, newly minted. Her book is both a careful presentation of Torrance theology (Thomas, James, and David) and a gentle critique of its reluctance to push more firmly into the nature of sanctification. As such, she makes a timely, significant, and helpful contribution to Torrance studies. The book is beautifully written and superbly organized, and should be accessible to readers who have struggled with 'TF's' language especially." --Prof. Andrew Purves "An incisive, scholarly, and lucid exploration of the Torrances' thinking on salvation and sanctification and so much more! Few theological books shed so much light on the practical relevance of the Gospel for the mission of the church. This clearly written volume is for scholars, students, and thinking evangelicals alike." --Prof. Alan J Torrance, University of St. Andrews Alexandra S. Radcliff earned her doctorate in theology as the Donald M. Baillie Scholar at the University of St. Andrews. She is assistant editor of Participatio and works at the Stony Brook School in New York.

Genres: Theology

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2016

Reviews

[Chandler Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In Christ’s death, the old human nature dies; in his resurrection, humanity is reborn to new life; in his ascension, we are raised up to heaven in him; and at Pentecost, we receive the Spirit so that we might share by the Spirit in Jesus’s perfect relationship with the Father.”

This is easily one of the best pieces of scholarship I have read yet on the theology of T. F. Torrance. This monograph has the added benefit of also exploring J. B. Torrance’s theology. This book is an adapted version of Alexandra Radcliff’s dissertation, but it is such an incredible work of pastoral and worshipful theology as well. As someone who struggles with scrupulosity, the Torrances’ theology of the Christian life is a welcome balm and remedy to the anxieties and uncertainties of legalism and moralism that can be found in some parts of the Christian church. Radcliff also sets the Torrances’ theology of the Christian life against the contemporary resurgence of Puritan and federal theology with its emphasis on repentance and sanctification as a struggle. Radcliff writes, “A holy life does not stem from an introspective concern with our sin or from attempting to follow moral rules and regulations, but from our free participation by the Spirit in Christ’s intimate relationship with the Father.” Due to the summative nature of TF Torrance’s theology, this book and its focus on his theology of the Christian life is also a great window into his whole theological vision—with TF Torrance’s characteristic concern about the Latin heresy, Christian teachings that throw people back upon themselves and their own efforts rather than outwardly in Christ, and the deficient nature of an external and merely legal view of the atonement. The Torrances’ emphasis on the vicarious humanity of Christ is on full display here. For that reason, this book would make a great companion read to TF Torrance’s The Mediation of Christ. Radcliff explains Torrance’s dense thought so clearly!

This book has also shown me how Barth and Torrance were very faithful interpreters of Calvin, rather than the Puritan and Westminster streams of reformed theology. One issue with Radcliff’s argumentation: Torrance was against understanding salvation and sanctification in logico-causal categories. Torrance emphasized the universal atonement of Christ, but outright rejected universalism clearly and explicitly due to the irrationality of sin. Yet, at the end of her book, Radcliff still suggests that Torrance’s theology leaves open universalism as a possibility despite Torrance’s repeated rejections of universalism. This was one minor issue that bugged me.

Torrance’s rather idiosyncratic interpretation of theosis in the Church Fathers: “The term theosis is indeed embarrassing, if we would think of it in ‘ontological categories.’ Indeed, man simply cannot become ‘god.’ But the Fathers were thinking in ‘personal’ terms, and the mystery of personal communion was involved at this point. Theosis means a personal encounter. It is the ultimate intercourse with God, in which the whole of human existence is, as it were, permeated by the Divine Presence.” This statement is worth critical engagement as I’m unsure about its actual faithfulness to patristic teaching.

[Rick Dugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexandra Radcliff not only makes the theology of the Torrence brothers accessible to a broader audience, but she wrestles with their major theological contributions asserting that justification, grounded in Christ's union with us in his incarnation, is primarily relational rather than legal, ontological rather than external, and objective rather than subjective. She addresses the criticisms that the brothers promote universalism and neglect subjective experiences of sanctification. All can be summarized in the statement: "The believer does not apply what Christ accomplished; the believer participates in what Christ accomplished."

Within each chapter, Radcliff presents the Torrences' theology, the objections of their critics, and a response to the critics - sometimes agreeing with them, but usually demonstrating how they misread the Torrences. This approach provides a fair and thorough understanding of the Torrences.

The Torrences' theology is grounded in the incarnation of Christ who not only reveals the Father to us, but vicariously provides the human response and sacrifice to God for us. This response is objective and effective on our behalf without any contribution from us. Our response of repentance and faith does not complete what Christ has done, but it is participation in what Christ has done and is doing.

I would have appreciated more scriptural engagement throughout the book. Not that it was entirely absent, but I occasionally found myself wondering what verses the Torrence brothers would have used to support a certain point, or how they would have interpreted verses that seemed to contradict what they were saying. And I also would be interested to explore more fully how the sufficiency and objectivity of Christ's life and sacrifice apply to mission.

[James Hay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Theology of the Torrances

The focus on the Vicarious humanity of Christ was helpful and instructive. I would have liked a greater exploration of how belief in limited atonement calls into question the nature of God revealed in the Incarnation. An exploration of how this raises questions about the economic and immanent trinity would have been helpful; especially in delineating the challenge it offers to the claim that God is truly Love, and that there is no God different to the God we see in Jesus.

[torrin cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book!!