The Centrality of Christ in the Theology of Thomas F. Torrance

This is a book made up of three long, searching essays. Each could stand on its own as a short monograph; together they explicate unavoidable interconnected dimensions of contemporary understandings of Christ: nature, forgiveness and eternal identity. Paul Molnar, of course, knew my father Thomas F Torrance, and my father greatly respected him. These essays are not however (thankfully) the work of a fan or of a disciple, but of a person unflinchingly and constructively exploring the same fundamental issues forty years later with some classic and some new dialogue partners. The issues remain and Paul Molnar exhibits faith still seeking understanding. * Iain R. Torrance, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA * The simple three-chapter structure of this book belies the complexity and depth of the subject matter. T.F. Torrance’s theology continues to provide a stimulus for further theological thought and contextual applications, and Molnar is the perfect guide through this journey of exploration. The discussion on the relationship between the economic and immanent Trinity is masterful, and in a context of utter confusion and historical amnesia, Molnar proves to be a sure guide to rigorous and orthodox theological wisdom, showing how to righty conceive of the Being and Act of God. Few works of theology are as consistently Christological as this, and for this reason alone, Molnar’s work deserves a wide reading and reception. * Myk Habets, Laidlaw College, New Zealand * Paul Molnar is unsurpassed as an interpreter of Karl Barth and Thomas F. Torrance. His command of their writings is astonishing, while his brilliant deployment of them as a normative standard in the service of Nicene Christianity is unique on the contemporary scene. Again and again he dissects otherwise acclaimed proposals to show that on careful inspection they are far less than meets the eye. Anyone dismayed about ill-considered fads in recent theology will find Molnar's arguments in The Centrality of Christ to be a powerful antidote in the service of Christ and the gospel. * George Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA * No small part of Paul Molnar’s expertise in the theology of Thomas F. Torrance consists in his ability to set out both the distinctiveness and the constructive potential of Torrance’s reasoning. The essays in this volume are further vigorous exercises in that register: Molnar explores the ways in which a Torrance-inspired inflection of the primacy and finality of Christ might compare with a number of other approaches in modern Christology, and underscores the implications for responsible exposition of nature and grace, liberation from sin, and the humanity of the Word incarnate. Molnar’s treatment is far-reaching and sharp-edged; it is also consistently clear, astute in integration of its positive concerns, and alert to the capacities of a properly attentive systematic theology to free and to delight. This is work that further attests a substantial theological vision, and shows that its central themes concerning the God of the gospel are ones on which Christians of differing traditions ought indeed to be united. * Ivor J. Davidson, University of Aberdeen, UK *