November 4, 2022: Thomas H. McCall, "God stakes his own being: Torrance and McCormack on God and evil after Barth"
AAR Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Thomas H. McCall, Tennent Professor of Theology at Asbury Theological Seminary, will deliver our annual lecture: "The Finality of the Cross Reconsidered: Thomas F. Torrance and the Barthian Legacy on the Soteriological Problem of Evil"
Abstract: Thomas F. Torrance makes the striking statement that "universalism and limited atonement are twin heresies," and he follows this claim with the even more striking declaration that attempts at "logico-causal explanations" of the efficacy of Christ's work are nothing less than "blasphemy." In this lecture, I first contextualize Torrance's statement by locating it within his broader understanding of sin and atonement as well as the theological legacy of Karl Barth. I then compare Torrance's position with the arguments and conclusions of some contemporary biblical scholars and theologians who extend Barth's legacy in a decidedly universalist direction. Finally, I offer an analysis and evaluation of the debate, and I argue that Torrance's overall position remains defensible.
Previous to his position at Asbury Theological Seminary, he served as Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and as Professorial Fellow in Analytic and Exegetical Theology at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of several books on hamartiology, Christology, and the doctrine of the Trinity, most recently Analytic Christology and Theological Interpretation of the New Testament..
Friday, November 4 — join us for the live recording.
On the day of the meeting, the Zoom info and link will be posted in the right margin of this page.
- Business meeting at noon Central Daylight Time US (5pm UK)
- Lecture at 1pm Central Daylight Time US (6pm UK). After the lecture there will be a time for Q&A. This video will be posted here on the Fellowship website.
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