Iain Torrance (born 1949) is President of Princeton Theological Seminary and a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He is married to Morag Ann (née MacHugh), whom he met while they were students at the University of St Andrews, and they have a son, Hew, and a daughter, Robyn.

Early life

Torrance was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is the son of Thomas Torrance, Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1976. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and the Christian Monkton Combe School in Bath, England, then graduated MA (University of Edinburgh), BD (University of St Andrews), DPhil (Oriel College, Oxford).

President of Princeton Theological Seminary

Iain Torrance was installed as the sixth president of Princeton Theological Seminary, and Professor of Patristics, on 11 March, 2005, at a service in the Princeton University Chapel. The inauguration featured more than 64 delegates from institutions of higher education including the four ancient universities of Scotland (Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, and St. Andrews) as well as The Chapel Royal in Scotland, Yale University Divinity School, Duke University, and Howard University School of Divinity. Twelve ecclesiastical delegates, including Rick Ufford-Chase, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), attended. The service also highlighted “Christ is the World’s Redeemer,” a hymn written by John Ferguson and commissioned by Princeton Theological Seminary for the inauguration.

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Iain Torrance's tenure as Moderator was marked by a nationally reported controversy following his public comments on homosexuality in which he stated that he was "utterly untroubled" by the ordination of gay clergy. Dr Torrance thereby became the first leader to encourage gay ordination in the Church's 500-year history, a stance that marked a major shift in the Church's view and which was met with fierce opposition. Torrance subsequently used a Christmas sermon as a platform to challenge homophobia within his own church. The Reverend David W Lacy, Torrance's successor as Moderator, publicly opposed this stance, arguing that the appointment of openly gay ministers would rip the Church of Scotland apart. Torrance's views regarding gay and lesbian clergy also contrast strongly with the position held by his predecessor at Princeton Seminary, Dr Thomas W. Gillespie. It was Gillespie, as a leader in the Presbyterian Church (USA), who led the committee which determined an "Authoritative Interpretation" for the church in 1976-78. In it, the church was guided to a "third way," allowing the ordination of homosexuals, but requiring abstinence from homosexual genital behavior. This "Authoritative Interpretation" governs current policy within this largest of American Presbyterian denominations.

Academic career in theology

• President, Princeton Theological Seminary (2005-)
• Master, Christ's College, Aberdeen (2001-2004)
• Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Divinity, University of Aberdeen (2001-2004)
• Professor of Patristics and Christian Ethics, University of Aberdeen (1993-2004)
• Lecturer in New Testament and patristics, University of Birmingham (1985-1993) during which time he was on the staff of The Queen's College, an ecumenical college for training clegy.
• Co-editor of the Scottish Journal of Theology (1982-)

Ministry in Scotland

• Represented the Church of Scotland at the installation of Pope Benedict XVI (2005)
• Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (2003-4)
• Convenor, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland's Committee on Chaplains to the Forces (1998-2002).
• Army Cadet Force Chaplain (1996–2000)
• Territorial Army Chaplain (1982–1997)
• Minister, Northmavine parish, Shetland Islands,(1982-1985)

Books

• In Praise of God: Essays on Modern Reformed Liturgy (edited with Bryan Spinks; Edinburgh/Grand Rapids, 1999)
• Ethics and the Military Community (London, 1998)
• Human Genetics: A Christian Perspective (co-edited with William Storrar)
• Christology after Chalcedon (Cambridge, 1988, 1998)

The Torrance family in theology

Iain Torrance's father was the distinguished theologian Thomas F. Torrance, sometime Professor of Systematic Theology at New College, Edinburgh, who served as Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly in 1976. His cousin Alan Torrance is Professor of Systematic Theology at St Andrews University.

Awards and honors

• Emeritus Professorship, Aberdeen University.
• Honorary DD (Both St Andrews University and Aberdeen University)
• Awarded Territorial Decoration (TD) by Her Majesty the Queen (1997).
• Pride Scotia "Friend for Life" Award for "his efforts to promote equality and the inclusion of gay people in Scotland".

References