This is a potentially confusing project. Its basic contours are A.E. McGrath explaining the thought of T.F. Torrance explaining the thought of Karl Barth. Given that all three are, of course, expert academic theologians, with Barth being a giant in his field, the possibility of muddling various layers of exposition in such a rich field was a real one. However, with his usual clarity and thoroughness Professor McGrath leads us through the intellectual development of T F Torrance, the major expositor of Barth to the English speaking world, as well as a formidable theologian in his own right.
Some biographical information is of course necessary, and McGrath provides an interesting account in part one of the book. Particularly important for an intellectual biography is the second chapter, Education: Scotland and Beyond, 1927–38. Born the son of missionary parents in China the family returned to Scotland where ‘Tom’ took an arts degree and then a theology degree at Edinburgh University. Here he was influenced particularly by H R Mackintosh and Daniel Lamont in theology and Norman Kemp Smith in philosophy. The Second World War saw him in service as an army chaplain. He held pastoral charges as a Church of Scotland minister in Alyth, Perthshire then Beechgrove, Aberdeen. In 1950 he was given one of the two church history chairs at New College, Edinburgh, where he then taught until his retirement in 1979. He was also Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1976–1977.
In the second part of the work McGrath presents four main areas where Torrance made a particular contribution to theology. Firstly, the reception in Britain of Karl Barth. Key in this area are Torrance's teaching post, his founding the Scottish Journal of Theology (founded jointly with J.K.S. Reid in 1948), organising a translation of Church Dogmatics and finding a publisher in T&T Clark. Secondly, the doctrinal work on Christ and the Trinity for which Torrance is well known. Thirdly, Torrance's analysis of the role of natural theology, and fourthly, his work on the relationship between theology and natural science. In all these subjects of course, McGrath is presenting largely what Torrance made of Barth's views on these matters, but carefully distinguishes between the two. Indeed he shows that Torrance was not a slavish admirer of Barth, and his work on theology and natural science was partly to make up for a weakness in Barth's work (pp. 196–8).
Each section provides the reader with a clear guide to Torrance's thought, and are in their turn thought provoking and informative analyses. For example, the section The Place and Purpose of Natural Theology would serve as an excellent introductory analysis of the whole Reformed tradition's thinking on this subject, focussed through the thinking of Barth and Torrance's response to him. Revelation and Salvation is an equally informative guide to the history of Christology and Trinitarian theology from a Reformed perspective, with much analysis of thinkers such as Athanasius, John Calvin and Barth, as well as Torrance's own development of these subjects. Thus the book provides an informative and stimulating perspective of the classic topoi in Reformed theology, as refracted through the thinking of two of the 20th century's most influential theologians in this tradition. This is of course due to McGrath's expert knowledge in this field, as well as his clear, though discreet, admiration for Torrance throughout the book. Professor McGrath's own recent works on the natural sciences and religion are greatly influenced by Torrance and the debt is graciously acknowledged.
One also gains a sense of why Torrance is a controversial figure. His insistence on the reality and importance of dogmatics, and the basically Barthian approach which he advocated, is seen to have put him at odds with growing trends in the study of theology at tertiary level. McGrath refers briefly to some possible points of friction, particularly with regard to academic appointments at New College, especially that of John McIntyre as Principal (pp. 104–5).
Another sign of the excellence of the book is that McGrath gives us both enough insight and information for possible fault lines in Torrance's thought to become visible. Several present themselves. Is there really a ‘grand tradition’ of theology in a particularly Scottish mode? Related to this is the very large claim that the Latin theological tradition is diminished by what is termed ‘epistemological dualism.’ For Torrance this dualism was only overcome intermittently through figures such as Athanasius, John Calvin and Barth. This raises at least two difficulties: does God really provide the Church so sparsely with great doctors? Further, is this not a rather gnostic approach which makes ‘real Christianity’ the preserve of a few who emerge fitfully throughout the history of the Church? This approach may also betray a Hegelian view of history which Torrance imbibed from Hugh Ross Macdonald (p. 37), surely a far too secular presupposition for any true Barthian? The singularity of Torrance (and by extension Barth) is another question which arises. A concise definition of theology for Torrance could be the following: ‘Theology is a science made possible by the light of revelation. Theology, therefore, presupposes faith in revealed truths. Hence the proper object of theology is the inner life of God as knowable by revelation and faith. By this object theology rises above metaphysics…’ This quote comes from Reginald Marie Garrigou‐Lagrange, OP (1877–1964), a slightly older contemporary of Karl Barth (1886–1968), and one of Aquinas' great expositors. So perhaps Torrance is closer to some aspects of the Latin tradition than he himself realizes or would like to admit.
Clearly, this book is indispensable for students of Torrance. It is also of importance for students of Barth, and anyone with a general interest in 20th century Reformed theology. The volume is supplied with an excellent chronological bibliography of Torrance, which alone bears witness to his work‐rate and breadth of learning, and twenty‐one photographs covering Torrance's whole life to date.
