A Passion for Christ: Vision that Ignites Ministry

by Thomas F. Torrance

Book by Torrance, Thomas Forsyth, Torrance, James B., Torrance, David V.

Genres: Theology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Thomas Forsyth Torrance, MBE FRSE (30 August 1913 – 2 December 2007), commonly referred to as T. F. Torrance, was a Scottish Protestant theologian. Torrance served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh in the University of Edinburgh. He is best known for his pioneering work in the study of science and theology, but he is equally respected for his work in 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 Swiss theologian Karl Barth, as well as John Calvin's New Testament Commentaries. He was also a member of the famed Torrance family of theologians.
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.[1] 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 13 March 1991.[2] 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).

Reviews

[Stephen Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alt. title: The Torrance's Greatest Hits.

On a serious note though, I did enjoy this short overview of their theology, and the brief biography towards the end. David's chapters were interesting as he was the only brother I've not read before. A great introduction to their life, influence, and contributions to theology.

[David Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of essays by the three Torrance brothers is both short but hefty in scope. They help to give an introduction to a theology that is decidedly Trinitarian but also Christological, in that Christ acts as our substitute in all things: faith, prayer, salvation, etc. There is a lot to think about here, but at times I wonder if they minimize Scriptural teachings about the wrath of God (they would think that Christ has negated it by his sacrifice) and the need for Christian obedience (they would think that Christ's righteousness ultimately stands in for us). As such while there is a lot of good here, there is also some that needs to be interpreted with caution.

I found especially helpful David Torrance's chapters on marriage and sexuality and ministry especially helpful; they seem much more practical than some of the other writings while holding to a Trinitarian/Christological approach.

[Andrew Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two different views and practices of worship, and we must be sure which view we take. Is it something we do in church on Sunday? Jesus taught us how to do it and gave us an example of it. We are therefore the only priesthood making our offering and sacrifice. There is no necessity for a mediator so it is Unitarian, human centered and non-sacramental. The practice is watching a minister do his thing while we do our thing that some call `legal worship' while the early church fathers called it `Arian' or `Pelgain.' This first view is powerfully American to the core bringing a political Declaration of Independence into worship with a spiritual bill of rights. This can create weariness in us.

The second view of worship participates in the communion of the Jesus and the Father. What Jesus has done for us and continues to do for us is manifest in our worship as the bread we break is representative of his body and the cup his blood. We receive our sonship through adoption because of the work Jesus did by laying down his life, burial, resurrection and ascension. When we pray for anything from personal, local, regional, national or international requests, we also participate in the intercession of Jesus. We are never independent in our humanity before God. Therefore this view is Trinitarian and sacramental. Although we are a priesthood of believers, this cannot exist without the High Priesthood of Jesus. We must not substitute his priesthood, sacrifice, merits and intercession in ourselves. God has accepted the work of Jesus and accepts us through and in this but not independent of it. This will release joy in us.

How would I summarize this to a friend? The joy of worship is entirely a response to the response Jesus made on our behalf. It is not something we simply do on a Sunday but the response of joy, assurance and security. As Israel had a High Priest to represent God to humanity, and humanity to God, we have Jesus who, in his own person, became the one on behalf of many. Israel was created from one man, Abraham, to be a priesthood, a holy nation and a worshipping people as the recipient of God's grace. They were called out of Egypt which was deeply embedded into their practice of worship. We were also called out of darkness to worship him in light. The High Priest was bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. He was one of them. Jesus is God's son but he became one of us, of our bone and flesh to represent us. As the Israelite High Priest wore the name of Israel on his chest and shoulders so Jesus has borne our names on the cross and bares them now before God. We are a chosen people acceptable because of what Jesus did and is now doing. Jesus said, "I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." (John 20:17). When the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies all of Israel was entering through him.

This builds rich God-human relationship and transforms human relationships. Our worship is the God-human movement of grace given to us in and through Jesus. Grace summons us to respond in faith but this is not a response of human-God but of responding to Jesus' response on our behalf. If the response was simply human-God without Jesus then it does not give justice to the meaning of grace. Jesus came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Even now we cannot worship by ourselves. We need to participate in and through Jesus to experience full grace. The beauty of worship is that we can become with `others' in Christ what we are already with Jesus as our Savior. Even in repentance we must not say, `If I repent then God will forgive me.' This places a condition on unconditional grace. God's grace is never dependent on what we do but what Jesus did on the cross and is doing as High Priest and Mediator. Repentance is a response to grace by faith. Therefore, our relationships to others should be powerfully influenced by the inclusion, acceptance and embrace of God towards us. I believe this is what John Calvin intended in his opposition to `legal worship.' If I fall out with a friend but go to him and say, `I forgive you' am I not implying he is guilty? My friend may react feeling condemned refusing to submit to the verdict I am implying. It looks like grace but it is not. It does not change his heart and rejects the forgiveness offered. But what if my friend came back to me and confessed he was wrong? Would he not imply his guilt, acceptance of my forgiveness and a change of heart?

Jesus' incarnation, life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, intercession and return were God's expression of love and at the same time judgment and condemnation. The guilty verdict was announced on Jesus making him the perfect response to God. He does not tell us we are forgiven and throw us back on ourselves to respond. We are summoned to repent but as a response to Jesus' great response. Again, this should open up our changed hearts to include, embrace and accept `others.'

[G Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sheer delight... read, re-read it, then read it again slowly... A small volume packed with edification and nourishment...