Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\nReview by Christy Thornton<\/p>\n
Kate Tyler\u2019s new book The Ecclesiology of Thomas F. Torrance: Koinonia and the Church <\/em>provides Torrance studies with a much-needed monograph focused specifically on his eccesology. Her book accurately, and concisely recounts Torrance\u2019s understanding of the church, brings his Trinitarian Ecclesiology into conversation with key academic voices, and shows its practical relevance.<\/p>\nTyler introduces Torrance\u2019s ecclesiology in the context of his Trinitarian theology. She introduces his commitments ontologically to God\u2019s ontorelational, perichoretic koinonia<\/em>, and epistemological to a stratified model of knowledge. She recounts the three stages of the church for Torrance\u2014the preparatory form (Israel), the new form (Jesus Christ), and final, eternal form (glorified church at Christ\u2019s return), expounding the significance for Torrance that the church is community between the times. She lands her exposition by showing Torrance\u2019s dual understanding of koinonia <\/em>as vertical, internal to the Godhead, but also, horizontal, in the church\u2019s mutual participation in Christ, through whom by the power of the Spirit Christians participate in the koinonia <\/em>of the Trinity. In doing so, Tyler reveals the soteriological significance undergirding Torrance\u2019s ecclesiology.<\/p>\nTyler laudably maintains Torrance\u2019s intentional effort to locate theological articulation in the context of the church\u2019s life and mission. Occasionally, Torrance interpreters are tempted to divorce Torrance\u2019s theological work from its practical application in the mission of the church. Tyler does an excellent job showing how Torrance applies Trinitarian ecclesiology to his work in the ecumenical movement. He argues for the unity of the church both by virtue of Christians\u2019 shared union with Christ, and unity with one another as co-laborers in the ministry of reconciliation. By Tyler\u2019s intentionality on this point, she shows herself a careful exegete of Torrance\u2019s writings.<\/p>\n
Tyler also highlights the practical significance of Torrance\u2019s ecclesiology by highlighting his role in the Church of Scotland and the Ecumenical movement. While biographical backgrounds are common in texts like this one, Tyler devotes a later chapter in the book on how Torrance\u2019s doctrinal articulation informed his service in and to the church catholic, and the Church of Scotland. Her inclusion of Torrance\u2019s service honors his legacy not only as an academic theologian, but also, and perhaps more importantly for Torrance personally, as a churchman.<\/p>\n
Finally, Tyler brings Torrance\u2019s ecclesiology into conversation with three significant 20th<\/sup>\/21st<\/sup> century theologians. She compares and contrasts Torrance\u2019s ecclesiology compares to Kathryn Tanner, J\u00fcrgen Moltmann, and John Zizioulas. With Tanner, Tyler finds a similar Christocentric similarity with Torrance, while noting Tanner\u2019s reticence to use perichoresis <\/em>and koinonia <\/em>as regulative ecclesiological motifs, as opposed to Torrance who depends on them. For Moltmann, she notes Torrance vehemently rejects the necessity of creation for God in se<\/em>, which many theologians have accused Moltmann of affirming. Applying Moltmann\u2019s Trinitarian theology to the church, Tyler notes he differs from Torrance through his focus on liberation and hope. With Zizioulas, Tanner does fine job recounting the personal connection between Torrance and Zizioulas as well as the division in their doctrine. In particular, she notes their divergence on their understanding of the divine monarchia<\/em>, and Torrance\u2019s intentionality to maintain Christ as mediator, which restrains him from seeing the communion of the Godhead and communion of the church as parallel realities.<\/p>\nCertainly, Tyler\u2019s work is welcomed addition to Torrance\u2019s secondary literature. She carefully interprets Torrance\u2019s complex works with nuance and concision. Though, in locating the central motif of Torrance\u2019s ecclesiology as Koinonia <\/em>without Torrance\u2019s equal focus as \u201cBody of Christ\u201d, the framework from her argument leaves open the door for dividing Torrance\u2019s consistent commitment to theology as both Trinitarian and Christocentric. Because of Tyler\u2019s careful exposition, she generally avoids this pitfall, and appropriately integrates Torrance\u2019s consistent Christological commitments in the context of his Trinitarian focus. Without doubt, this volume will prove helpful for Torrance scholars in the coming years.<\/p>\nChristy Thornton is Assistant to the Director of PhD Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kate Tyler The Ecclesiology of Thomas F. Torrance: Koinonia and the Church Minneapolis: Fortress, 2019. Available at Amazon.com Review by Christy Thornton Kate Tyler\u2019s new book The Ecclesiology of Thomas F. Torrance: Koinonia and the Church provides Torrance studies with a much-needed monograph focused specifically on his eccesology. Her book accurately, and concisely recounts Torrance\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":15186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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