Torrance family

The Torrance family includes several prominent modern Scottish theologians and clergymen, primarily associated with the Church of Scotland.^[1]

The patriarch of the Torrance family of theologians is Thomas Torrance (1871–1959), a Scottish missionary to China. He was the father of Mary, Thomas F., Grace, Margaret, James, and David.

The first generation after Thomas Torrance include:

• Thomas Forsyth (T. F.) Torrance (1913–2007) – Late Church of Scotland minister and influential theologian who was Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh.^[2][3]
• James (J. B.) Torrance (1923–2003) – Late Church of Scotland minister and Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Aberdeen. Younger brother of Thomas Torrance.^[4]
• David W. Torrance (born 1924) – Church of Scotland minister and youngest son of the Torrance family.
• Ronald Wallace (1911–2006) – Late Professor of Biblical Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary. He was married to Mary.^[5] His son-in-law, George Newlands, was also an academic theologian.
• Kenneth Mackenzie (1920 - 1971), missionary in Central Africa with his wife, Margaret Torrance.

Well-known second generation theologians of the Torrance family include:

• Iain Richard Torrance (born 1949) – President and Professor of Patristics Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary and a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Son of Thomas F. Torrance.^[6]
• Alan Torrance (born 1956) – Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology at St Mary's College, the University of St Andrews. Son of James Torrance.^[7]

Theologically active members of the Torrance family's third generation are:

• Andrew Torrance - Professor of Theology and co-founder (with his father, Alan) of the Logos Institute for Analytic and Exegetical Theology at the University of St Andrews.^[8]

• David Torrance - Missionary with the Church Mission Society serving in Tanzania as a theological educator.^[9] Son of Alan Torrance.

References

1. "Torrance". roxborogh.com. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
2. "Biography of Thomas Forsyth Torrance, by Elmer Colyer, used by permission of InterVarsity Press". tftorrance.org. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
3. "Academic and Church of Scotland minister and former moderator - The Scotsman". thescotsman.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
4. "The Rev Professor James Torrance; Professor of theology in Scotland who believed the reformer John Calvin was misunderstood". The Times. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
5. "Professor Ronald Wallace - The Scotsman". thescotsman.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
6. "Princeton Theological Seminary". ptsem.edu. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
7. "torrance | School of Divinity, University of St Andrews". st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
8. "Dr Andrew Torrance". School of Divinity. University of St Andrews. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
9. "David A. Torrance". Bloomsbury. Retrieved 29 February 2024.