The Surprising God

This post concludes a series overviewing  Trinitarian Grace and Participation: An Entry into the Theology of T. F. Torrance  by Geordie W. Ziegler. For the first post in the series,  click here . Last time we looked at Thomas F. Torrance's foundational understanding that grace is the self-giving of the life and love of the Triune God . This time we'll explore TFT's understanding that the grace of God is a movement that proceeds from the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. As noted by Geordie Ziegler, TFT taught that the triune God exists eternally in the fullness of his life and love. The extension of this triune life and love beyond itself is a creative act, a mission whose sole purpose is to share God's life and love with that which is other than God.... In creation, God establishes an all-embracing framework of Grace within which and through which he shares with human beings the fellowship of his love. (Kindle, loc. 628) For TFT (pictured above and below)

This post is the first in a two-part series overviewing  Trinitarian Grace and Participation: An Entry into the Theology of T. F. Torrance  by Geordie W. Ziegler. For the second post, click here . Due to complexity of thought and technical language, the writings of Thomas F. Torrance are, for many, difficult to understand. Geordie Ziegler's goal for  Trinitarian Grace and Participation  is to help readers see beyond these obstacles to the core of Torrance's teaching -- that core being the grace of God in Christ . As Ziegler emphasizes, Torrance (TFT, hereinafter) saw grace as the "interior logic" of all doctrines of the historic Christian faith: Grace for Torrance is nothing less than the self-giving of God for our salvation. This self-giving of God is an activity of the whole Trinity which moves from the Father through the Son in the Spirit, and in the Spirit through the Son to the Father.  The ultimate purpose of this motion of Grace is fellowship with human