THE CLAIM OF HUMANITY IN CHRIST: SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION IN THE THEOLOGY OF T.F. AND J.B. TORRANCE Alexandra Sophie Radcliff A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2014 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/6603 This item is protected by original copyright The Claim of Humanity in Christ: Salvation and Sanctification in the Theology of T.F. and J.B. Torrance A thesis submitted by Alexandra Sophie Radcliff For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy To the Faculty of Divinity The University of St Andrews 2014 2 Table of Contents Declarations .............................................................................................................................. 4 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 7 PART ONE: THE TRIUNE GOD OF GRACE AND SALVATION .....................................................17 1. The Father as Covenant not Contract God: Filial over Federal .........................................18 Who over How ...........................................................................................................21 Covenant versus Contract ..........................................................................................25 Election is Grace .........................................................................................................32 Universal Atonement and Universalism ....................................................................37 God’s Sovereignty and Human Freedom ...................................................................44 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................49 2. The Vicarious Humanity of the Son: Ontological over External .......................................52 The Latin Heresy ........................................................................................................54 Christ’s Person and Work ...........................................................................................58 Vicarious Humanity ....................................................................................................63 Christ is our Righteousness ........................................................................................70 Justified by Faith ........................................................................................................77 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................85 3. Drawn to Participate by the Holy Spirit: Objective over Subjective ................................87 The Spirit of Christ .....................................................................................................88 Our Human Response ................................................................................................94 Works and Final Judgement .....................................................................................102 Knowledge and Experience ......................................................................................108 Theosis .....................................................................................................................115 Conclusion ................................................................................................................121 3 PART TWO: SANCTIFICATION AND HUMAN PARTICIPATION ...............................................124 4. Christ is our Holiness: Objective over Subjective ............................................................125 The Absence of Emphasis on the Subjective Nature of Sanctification ....................127 The Indicatives of Grace as Prior to the Imperatives of Law ...................................130 The Inseparability of Justification and Sanctification in Christ ................................133 The Holy Spirit as the Means by whom we Participate in Christ .............................137 Conclusion ................................................................................................................141 5. Growing up into Christ: Ontological over External .........................................................143 The Eschatological Reserve created by Christ’s Ascension ......................................144 The Eschatological Orientation of the Risen Humanity of Christ.............................149 Confidence in Christ .................................................................................................158 Conclusion ................................................................................................................164 6. Fixing our eyes on Jesus: Filial over Federal ....................................................................166 Incurvatus In Se ........................................................................................................167 Excurvatus Ex Se .......................................................................................................170 Transformed by the Renewing of the Mind .............................................................172 Sharing by the Spirit in the Son’s Communion with the Father ..............................176 Conclusion ................................................................................................................182 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................184 Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................191 4 Declarations I, Alexandra Radcliff, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80 000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2010 and as a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in April 2011; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2010 and 2013. Date: Signature of candidate: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date: Signature of supervisor: In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Access to printed copy and electronic publication of thesis through the University of St Andrews. Date: Signature of candidate: Signature of supervisor: 5 Abstract This thesis critically engages with the Torrances’ claim that all of humanity is in Christ. It explores how God has claimed humanity in salvation and the claim that He has placed upon humanity in sanctification. It argues that this claim upon humanity is not a cumbersome one, for God’s radically objective act of salvation is the basis for the subjective outworking of the Christian life. As we freely participate by the Spirit in the incarnate Son’s filial relationship with the Father, we grow into the ontological reality of who we are in Christ. Part One critically examines how the salvation wrought for us by the triune God of grace is filial, ontological and objective. It challenges soteriologies that have an overarching federal or external framework which lead to people being thrown back upon their own subjective endeavours to gain salvation. Part Two extends the implications of the Torrances’ soteriology to the outworking of our sanctification. It roots sanctification objectively with justification in Christ, challenging the belief that, having been justified by God, it is now our part to work out our own sanctification. Affirming humanity’s new eschatological orientation in the risen humanity of Christ, it argues for confidence in the nature of our humanity and in the outworking of sanctification. Thus it challenges external paradigms that can only offer a poor perspective on humanity