The Shack Revisited by William Paul Young
Week 9: Chapter 8 — T. F. Torrance and the Torrents of Grace
Read Chapter 8 of The Shack Revisited. Primary Bible passages: Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 4:4-7.
Previewing Week 9 of The Shack Revisited
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
Kruger now turns to his own primary theological mentor, Thomas F. Torrance, and shows how Torrance's twentieth-century retrieval of the ancient Trinitarian vision illuminates what The Shack is doing. Don't be intimidated by the name — Kruger makes Torrance accessible and even thrilling.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Who was T. F. Torrance, and why does Kruger regard him as such a pivotal figure for recovering the vision of God he is describing? What does Torrance add to or clarify from what Athanasius already said?
2.Torrance emphasized that the God we meet in Jesus Christ is the real God — not a representative or symbol of a God hidden behind the scenes who might be different. Kruger calls this the "onto-relational" God. In plain terms, what is the importance of that claim? What alternatives is it ruling out?
3.Kruger uses Torrance to argue that the grace of God is not a transaction (God doing something for us from a distance) but a participation (God including us in the Son's own relationship with the Father). Where have you most often heard grace described transactionally? What do you gain by understanding it participationally?
a.How does this change the way you think about receiving forgiveness?
b.How might it change the way you relate to people who don't yet believe?