Ronald Wallace (1911–2006) was a

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and Professor of

Biblical Theology Because scholars have tended to use the term in different ways, Biblical theology has been notoriously difficult to define. Description Although most speak of biblical theology as a particular method or emphasis within biblical studies, some scho ...

Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geo ...

. He was also a member of the Torrance family of theologians.

Career overview

Brora Brora ( , gd, Brùra) is a village in the east of Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. Origin of the name The name ''Brora'' is derived from Old Norse and means "river with a bridge". History Brora is a small industrial village, ha ...

, Minister without Charge * 1940 Minister, Pollock Church,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

's Huts and Canteens * 1951 Minister, St Kentigern's Church,

Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...

* 1958 Minister, Lothian Road Church,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

* 1964 Professor of Biblical Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary,

Decatur, Georgia Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in ...

* 1977 Near East School of Theology,

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Education

His secondary education took place at the Royal High School. At sixteen he matriculated at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and studied a degree in civil engineering. He proceeded to the Faculty of Arts. Studies in Divinity followed; he was a pupil of H.R. Mackintosh and William Manson. While Minister of St Kentigern's in

he gained his PhD on

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...

's Doctrine of the Word and Sacraments.

Family and theological connections

In July 1937 he married Mary Moulin Torrance, the sister of Thomas F. Torrance. They had a son, David, and two daughters: Elizabeth and Heather. Wallace's nephews include theologians

Iain Torrance Iain Richard Torrance, (born 13 January 1949) is a retired Church of Scotland minister, theologian and academic. He is Pro-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, Honorary Professor of Early Christian Doctrine and Ethics at the University o ...

and

Alan Torrance Alan Torrance (born 1956) is professor of systematic theology at St Mary's College of the University of St Andrews. Previously he lectured at King's College London from 1993–1998, where he was also Director of the Research Institute in Systematic ...

; moreover, his son-in-law

George Newlands George McLeod Newlands is a Scottish theologian widely published in the fields of modern systematic theology, Christology, emancipatory theology, and the history of Christian thought. He is Emeritus Professor of Divinity at the University of Gl ...

is also an academic theologian.

Sources

*Torrance, I.R. (1 March 2006) "Obituary: Professor Ronald Wallace" ''The Scotsman'' 1911 births 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Scottish scholars and academics Scottish Christian theologians Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 2006 deaths Columbia Theological Seminary faculty People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh People from Brora {{Christianity-bio-stub