The Life And Work of Professor Thomas F. Torrance Preface The various issues of the Reformed Review usually have a theme. Rarely are they devoted to individuals unless they are venerable church "fathers" such as Luther or Calvin. The only exceptions have been a special iss ue dedicated to a retiring professor from Western Seminary and an issue on contemporary Dutch theology with a focus on the theology of the late A. A. Van Ruler (Winter, 1973). T his iss ue represents another exception·, for it is devoted to a living theolo­ gian, the Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Torrance, emeritus professor of C hristi an dog­ matics at New College, the theological faculty of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. T he reasons for this are four-fold: Professor Torrance is the leading Reformed theologian today in the Anglo-Saxon world and is one of the most brilliant and seminal thinkers of our time. In addition to a ll of his contribu­ tions to patristic and Reformation studies as well as many theological works, he is making a unique contribution to the important question of the rel ati on of theological science to the natural sciences. Secondly, his relation to Western Seminary is a special one in that two of o ur professors studied under him while doing their doctoral studies at the University of Edinburgh, namely Professors Donald J . Bruggink and Chris­ topher B. Kaiser, the latter having also taught at New College after receiving his doctorate. Another of Professor Torrance's highly es teemed former students is Dr. Robert J. Palma, professor of C hristi an theology at Hope College. Dr. Palm a has spent his recent sabbatical year as a visiting scholar at Western Seminary and spent part of that time writing the essay which is the focal piece in this issue. It is probably the most thorough discussion of Torrance's theology yet written. A fourth reason for this special issue is the fa ct that Professor Torrance spent a week on Western's and Hope's campuses in March, 198 1, and agreed to d o a special interview with President J o hn Hesselin k, a fri end of his for many years. Professor Torrance indicated that he had never done an interview of this kind before, so this represents a unique contribution to li ving theologi­ cal history. (Recently he himse lf edited the typed ve rsion of this interview, so it has been updated in a few places. ) The interview also serves as an illuminating introduction to the life, work, and vision of Professor Torrance. For those who are not familiar with Tor­ rance's volu minous writings this should prove helpful, for Torrance is admit­ tedly a theological heavyweight eve n among hi s peers in the theological academy. Torrance's accomplishments are legio n and his honors many, including be­ in g elected Moderator of the C hurch of Scotland in 1976-77. Only one more honor need be mentio ned in o rd er to give some indicati o n of hi s international stature. In 1978 he was awarded the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress 111 Reli gion, the eq uivalent of the Nobel Prize in the religion fi eld' 47 THE EPISTLES TO THE A MOMENT OF TRUTH · sus SON OF MAN ~g!flts;i~w~r•LEMON, AND The Confession of the Dutch Reformed DnrmWas Lfodnrs 2 ~ll' use and 111e.ming 11f thl' tl'rm Son 11f ,\ l.m , New I nternational Commentary on the ~~ft~~~CJ~IJ.'t1;:i~ 11nd DJ. Smit 1\ hid1 is li11111d i11 thl· Nn' ·1i: lot.11nl'nt .1lm11st New Testament by /.'.f'. Brm:e In 1lw fa ll n f 1yll ?, lhl· S111 11h t\lrk.m Dutd1 l'.Wlusiwh· in 1he G11 spds, has hern 1he t:.lllSl' 11f This sr.:t:ond repl:KetnL'llt \'olt1ml· in 1hl' Rdi1rnm l 1\liss ion Clum:h ( DRi\IC) took !Ill· l' 11dl l'1' ~ l'tincrow rs\' 111 this l"l' 1H11 r.·. 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S7.95 In his i111r1Kltll'li1111 tc1 Jewish :I J'Mll'aly p1it: litera­ 1 9 SIGNS OF THE KINGDOM ture, ( ~ 11lin s ~k l itll'S a1 1 a1}(1t:;1l\'\)Sl' and cx:un· :: ~ :~~~~~~~~=~ .tlik~t~ ~ fr \~f: ,t · $ inL'.S the 111;1i11 drnr.ll'tcrisri.:s of this li1 aarurc. by D.J. Clines. 1'01pcr, S7. 95 ~a~ ft ~1~k~1~1~~~k-~~~{~~lf{r~~; j:! t~lji ~1 11 I li l> Sl'\·tit111 ·b\'·Sct:1 it1n c11nm1c111ar.· 11n Danid 1 1 11 1 provi des a s1ri1.:1ur.11 anal\'sis (\'crsC-lw-wrsc) 1 AND :z THESSALONIANS ~. ::~~i~~~ 1 1~ l~: !:~~i~~ ~~\ al~~-~;~ • ~ 1~~~fi.~ ~- N ~l'll rl' in 11f L',i.:h St'l'l i1111 , ;1 s well as'discussion 1lfi1s 'I)'ndale New Testament Commentaries ea rl y 20th·l'l'lllt1 ry Swiss rdigious sot: iali sm gl·nre. Sl'lling. and i111entio11 . lndudcs bibliog­ (amm ·enw1111h:11par.1lldnl1hc sot:ial gospd r.1phil·s .md gloss .1ry. 1'.1pcr, S1+.95 'i6~~i~1~~h~'<t c1fthl· Rn ·iscd Standard Vl·r· mm·cmem in Amcrii:.1 ). Pa1 >1.:r. S7.95 sion, 1h is hucst rcplaccmcrll volrnuc in llw ·15·11 · ISAIAH 56·66<THE NEW ISRAEL dnlf :;cries is a n:rsc-b, .. vcrsc commcntarv LEFEVRE International T heological Commentary whid1 disl:USSl'S lJlll'slions c1f th l' ml·:mini; and Pioneer of Ecclcsia.~tka l Renewal imcrpretation o l 1 and 2 ThL·ssalonian s. ?i1~J~;~~ ~;f;n~:'~{:fd1 li> ll11ws K11ighr's J1;1pc: r. S+.<J5 I:~ ~1i:fi~:1'Z1~;:~~~~~~~~:i:.'i~eif:;fill1C:> r1hc e.1rlic:r ITC v11 lumc on Isaiah +0-55, liM.:usc:s 1111 lite and \\'1>rk t>fone 1ifth1.: feading sl:ht>lars11f ls.1ia h t6-66. wl1 id1n1mpk1es 1he whok lsaian BON HOEFFER AND SOUTH 1hl· 1s1h and 16th ccn 111 rics, Philip Edgn1mbc 1 1 l-l 11 ghcs has drawn ()11 lh l· 11 rigi 11al \\'11 rks :ind :: he Dialogue ~~ ;:;~\ ;~.';;,!Gt ~ri;~it! ~:1 :~~~~~~'.i :l:~~~~-~;s,\~~ 1 ~~!;!,~ft,_TJ;~~~~i n lc1tcrs11f Jan1ues LdC\'rc d'E1:iplcs and his .:1111- redl.'mp1ion ofall .:reatin11. Papcr, Ss. <JS In 1hiss1imulating bt)(1k , John W. dcGrndl\' 1 1x 1i 111 s 11111 th r.: rck\'a nt:c of Dic1rit:h U11nht1Cf. l~~~~;~~~\~ ·:i :~))~~!~ ~ ~1 1\~ )i~ ~ :: f~le ~~, ~~ i~~~~~::ll ;~~- Prices suhjec1 IO change. ri:r's 1houglu io the lifo of1 hcc hurchin Smuh !lC\\' ;11 mon-mcm in France and his infh1cllt:l' on thl· lhought of1hc Reformers.