I previously reviewed two of Stephen D. Morrison's books—Karl Barth In Plain English (2017) and Jürgen Moltmann In Plain English (2018)—so I was excited to review T. F. Torrance In Plain English (2017) too. I've enjoyed T. F. Torrance In Plain English the most of Morrison's "In Plain English" series. Perhaps it is because I've read most all of the books by Karl Barth and Jürgen Moltmann, but I have not read everything by Thomas Forsyth Torrance yet. To confess, in the past I've dismissed "Tom" Torrance as a "palatable Barth for the conservative Reformed" but Morrison's T. F. Torrance in Plain English reminded me that T. F. Torrance was a scientific theologian and a true evangelist in the trenches, and encouraged me to continue reading T. F. Torrance. No doubt, all my friends who have been praising T. F. Torrance to me over the years will say, I told you so! I confess they were right all along, after I read this excellent book.

Structure of the Book

Morrison's "In Plain English" series share the same helpful structure and features. Each chapter introduces a new topic followed by a "SIDEBAR" addressing a specific relevant subject. For instance, chapter 8 "Threefold atonement" is followed by a sidebar on "Universalism and Limited Atonement". The book also contains a short introduction and biography of T. F. Torrance, and has a helpful reading guide at the end. Quotations by T. F. Torrance are plentiful throughout the book, not only by T. F. Torrance, but also from theologians about T. F. Torrance, which makes this 256 page book a handy reference. The quotations are helpful but also excessive at times, and some quotations span a full page, and the book would have been better if the quotations were abridged an integrated into the text. 

A Foreword by Dr. Marty Folsom

T. F. Torrance In Plain English begins with a foreword by my good friend and mentor Dr. Marty Folsom who is an expert on T. F. Torrance, and studied under Dr. Alan Torrance--son of T. F. Torrance's brother J. B. Torrance. (The Torrance family includes many famous theologians and ministers in the Scottish Reformed tradition, including T. F. Torrance, James B. Torrance, David W. Torrance, Ronald Wallace, Iain R. Torrance, Alan Torrance, etc.) If you are not familiar with Dr. Folsom, I highly recommend his three volume Face-to-Face series. In the foreword, Dr. Folsom praises Morrison's book: "This book echos the faithfulness of Torrance to display the splendor of the grace of God see in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ." [1] 

T. F. Torrance: A True Evangelical

Morrison begins with a short biography of T. F. Torrance (1913--2007), drawing from Alister E. McGrath's T. F. Torrance: An Intellectual Biography and describing Tom Torrance's "missionary family", and his birth on the mission field in Chengdu, China and that he aspired to be a missionary to Tibet but settled as a military chaplain. Morrison writes "Torrance narrowly escaped death on many occasions during the war. [2] This constant danger was by his own choice, however, sine he purposefully picked those positions which were nearest to the front of the battle." After the war ended in 1945, Torrance confessed to his brother David Torrance that he had survivors guilt but "he believed again and again God had given him courage and sustained him in the face of death and destruction" [3]. Afterwards, Torrance devoted himself to ecumenical work, and contributed to a "joint agreement on the doctrine of the Trinity, which he spearheaded between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Greek Orthodox Church . . . in Geneva on March 13, 1991." [4]. Torrance was a world renown theologian, and a student, friend, and expert on Karl Barth and translator of Barth's Church Dogmatics. Torrance put his theology fruitful service in the Church of Scotland, as another example of T. F. Torrance's "sheer and unwavering dedication to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ" [5] throughout his life. I agree with Morrison's conclusion that "Torrance was a true 'evangelical' theologian. His life was one long witness to the love of God for all humanity poured out from the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit." [6]

Morrison ends the biography with a full page quote from McGrath's biography describing a moving and emotional moment when Torrance came across a young soldier mortally wounded on the battle field who asked him "Padre, is God really like Jesus?" to which Torrance assured him that he was. Torrance discovered "The evangelical teaching which I had from Karl Barth was considerably reinforced on the battlefield." [7] And many years later, Torrance encountered an old lady in his Aberdeen parish that asked him the same question "Dr. Torrance, is God really like Jesus?" as she laid dying. Torrance said, "I was startled, for those were the very same words I had heard on that battle field in Italy." [8]. I really loved this story about Torrance, and if being an evangelical means being like T. F. Torrance, then yes I am an evangelical and aspire to be a true evangelical too.

T. F. Torrance: A Scientific Theologian

Tom Torrance wasn't merely a palatable Barth, because he was a scientific theologian unlike Karl Barth who strongly reputed natural revelation and rarely engaged with science. Torrance wrote many books on science, and was a PostBarthian in the sense that he developed his natural theology by going through Karl Barth's No to Natural Revelation. Barth was justified in his strong No, because of the Nazi threat he faced (and his did develop his own natural theology after the war). Barth's neglect of science in his "Doctrine of Creation" in the Church Dogmatics, Vol. 1 is disappointing. Torrance did not avoid science, but thoroughly engaged in it, and wrote many excellent scientific theology books, including Space, Time and Incarnation and Space, Time and Resurrection, and Morrison lists many more in his list of "Scientific" Books on pp. 228-229 that I recommend reading too. 

In Chapter 1: "Scientific Theology", Morrison quotes Torrance "I do not believe that the Christian Church has anything to fear from the advance of science." [9] and then Morison gives this excellent argument for Torrance's scientific theology: 

"Many today wrongfully suppose a 'war' exists between science and belief in God. Any dialogue between natural science and theology has almost entirely been reduced to apologetics. Within such a fierce cultural divide, Torrance stands out as a shining example of what a fruitful dialogue with science might actually look like in the modern world. If the Church today would follow Torrance's example, instead of militantly attacking the scientific perspective as if it were an enemy, then we might learn to see ourselves rightly as allies in a common pursuit. The Church needs to forge a new partnership with natural science, and Torrance's theology stands out as a valuable resource not often taken seriously enough." [10].

Conclusion

Stephen D. Morrison's T. F. Torrance In Plain English is my favorite of the three books in the series so far. It is a well written, page-turning, and resourceful introduction to Thomas Forsyth Torrance that instilled in me a strong desire to read more book by T. F. Torrance and books about him too. Morrison's book is my favorite so far, yet it has room for improvement, especially in editing. It would be wonderful to see more endorsements of the book (as I'm doing now) and in addition to Dr. Marty Folsom's foreword. Also, the book would benefit from editing down its copious quotations, because the longer quotes disrupt the flow of the book. I left the Morrison's book with a renewed appreciation for Tom Torrance, especially his work as a scientific theologian and a true evangelical.

Morrison's book caused me to draw many comparisons between Tom Torrance and Wolfhart Pannenberg. I've enjoyed Pannenberg because he also engages thoroughly with Karl Barth's theology, but also embraces science and a form of apologetics. Torrance does this as well, but draws upon my own Reformed tradition, unlike Pannenberg who relied upon Lutheran sources. 

Morrison has written a fourth volume of his "In Plain English" series on Friedrich Schleiermacher, that will be published in February 2019. So there's plenty of time to read T. F. Torrance In Plain English (2007), Karl Barth In Plain English (2017) and Jürgen Moltmann In Plain English (2018) in anticipating of the next installment in the series.

Sources:

1. Stephen D. Morrison, T. F. Torrance In Plain English, (Columbus: Beloved Publishing LLC, 2017), p. v.

2. Morrison. p. 3

3. Morrison. p. 4

4. Morrison. p. 4

5. Morrison. p. 5

6. Morrison. p. 9

7. Morrison. p. 5

8. Morrison. p. 5

9. Morrison. p. 7

10. Morrison. pp. 8-9