Iain Torrance facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iain Torrance
Moderator of the General Assembly
Torrance in 2011
Church	Church of Scotland
In Office	2003 to 2004
Predecessor	Finlay Macdonald
Successor	Alison Elliot
Other posts	Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland (2013–19) Dean of the Thistle (2014–19)
Orders
Ordination	23 January 1982
Personal details
Birth name	Iain Richard Torrance
Born	(1949-01-13) 13 January 1949 (age 76) Aberdeen, Scotland
Nationality	British
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Spouse	Morag Ann Torrance ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	2
Occupation	Retired academic

Sir Iain Richard Torrance (born 13 January 1949) is a retired Church of Scotland minister, theologian (someone who studies religion), and academic (a university professor). He holds many important roles. He is the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen and an Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh. He is also the President and Professor Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary in the USA. Sir Iain served as an Extra Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland.

He was also the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, and the Dean of the Order of the Thistle. He is married to Morag Ann, and they have two children.

Early Life and Education

Iain Torrance was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. His father, Thomas F. Torrance, was also a well-known theologian and served as Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1976.

Iain went to school at the Edinburgh Academy and Monkton Combe School in Bath. He then studied at several universities, earning degrees from the University of Edinburgh, the University of St Andrews, and Oriel College, Oxford. His special research at Oxford was about ancient Christian writings.

Service in the Church and Army

After finishing his studies, Torrance became a minister. He was ordained on 23 January 1982 by the Church of Scotland. His first church was in Northmavine Parish in the Shetland Islands. This area is known for its beautiful cliffs.

In July 1982, he also joined the Royal Army Chaplains' Department in the British Army. He served as a chaplain, providing spiritual support to soldiers. He was promoted several times and received an award in 1995 for his long service in the reserves. He left the Army in 2000.

Academic Career and Leadership

After serving in Northmavine, Torrance moved to The Queen's College in Birmingham in 1985. There, he taught about the New Testament. In 1989, he became a lecturer at the University of Birmingham. He also joined an international group that talked about different Christian churches.

In 1993, he moved to the University of Aberdeen. He became a professor and then the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Divinity in 2001. That same year, he was appointed a Chaplain-in-Ordinary to Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland.

Moderator of the Church of Scotland

Sir Iain served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2003 to 2004. This is a very important leadership role in the Church of Scotland. During his time as Moderator, he encouraged open discussions within the church. He believed that different viewpoints could exist together in a lively church.

He also spoke out about the case of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a man imprisoned for the Lockerbie bombing. Sir Iain asked the British Prime Minister to look into concerns about the verdict.

During his year in office, he traveled widely. He was the first Moderator to visit churches in China. He also visited British soldiers in Iraq and a peacekeeping force in Eritrea. He preached in southern Sudan. After his term, he was known as the Very Reverend Professor Iain Torrance.

President of Princeton Theological Seminary

In July 2004, Iain Torrance became the sixth president of Princeton Theological Seminary in the United States. He was officially installed in March 2005. Many important people from universities and churches attended his inauguration.

At Princeton, he worked to improve the academic programs and finances. He helped with the renovation of the seminary library and the rebuilding of student housing. He also supported discussions between different religions. He retired from this role in December 2012.

Later Roles and Review

In July 2013, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Torrance as the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland. In July 2014, she also made him the Dean of the Order of the Thistle. He retired from these positions in July 2019.

In 2021, he led an independent review for the Scottish Episcopal Church. His report looked into problems in the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. He found that there were issues of bullying and problems with how the diocese was run. He suggested changes to improve the situation.

Academic Positions Held

• Co-editor of the Scottish Journal of Theology (1982–2015)
• Lecturer in New Testament, Queen's College, Birmingham (1985–1989)
• Lecturer in New Testament and patristics, University of Birmingham (1989–1993)
• Lecturer in Divinity, University of Aberdeen (1993–1997)
• Senior Lecturer in Divinity, University of Aberdeen (1997–1999)
• Professor of Patristics and Christian Ethics, University of Aberdeen (1999–2004)
• Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Divinity, University of Aberdeen (2001–2004)
• Master, Christ's College, Aberdeen (2001–2004)
• President, Princeton Theological Seminary (2004–2012)
• Honorary Professor of Early Christian Doctrine and Ethics, University of Edinburgh (since 2013)
• Pro-Chancellor, University of Aberdeen (since 2013)
• Convener of the Church of Scotland's Theological Forum (2013–2017)

Awards and Honours

Sir Iain has received many awards and honours for his work:

• Awarded Efficiency Decoration (Territorial) (TD), 1995
• Chaplain-in-Ordinary to Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland, 2001 to 2019
• Professor emeritus, Aberdeen University, 2004
• Received the "Friend for Life" Award from Pride Scotia in 2004 for his efforts to promote fairness and inclusion.
• Honorary DD degrees from the University of St Andrews and Aberdeen University (2005), and the University of Edinburgh (2012).
• Honorary DTheol from Debrecen Reformed Theological University, Debrecen (2006).
• Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) in 2007.
• Honorary LHD from King College, Bristol, Tennessee (2007).
• Honorary Distinguished Alumnus, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2012.
• Received the James I. McCord Award for his contributions to scholarship (2012).
• Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, July 2013 to July 2019.
• Dean of the Order of the Thistle, August 2014 to July 2019.
• Appointed Officer of the Order of St John, 2015.
• Appointed a Knight Bachelor in 2018 for his services to education and theology. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
• Appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in July 2019.

	Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order	2019
	Knight Bachelor	2018
	Officer of the Order of St John	2015
	Efficiency Decoration (Territorial)	1995

His Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms of Iain R. Torrance

Sir Iain Torrance has a special coat of arms. It was first designed in 1974. The staff behind the shield shows his role as Dean of the Chapel Royal. The badge is for the Dean of the Order of the Thistle.

In 2016, he was given "supporters" for his coat of arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Supporters are a high honour, usually given to very important people. This award recognized his great service to universities, the Church of Scotland, and the Crown. The two dachshunds on his coat of arms are named Maud and Cassiopea. They were often seen around Princeton Theological Seminary when he was president there!

The Torrance Family in Theology

Iain Torrance comes from a family of theologians. His father, Thomas F. Torrance, was a famous theologian and also served as Moderator of the Church of Scotland. His cousin, Alan Torrance, is a professor of theology at St Andrews University. His uncle, James B. Torrance, was also a professor of theology.

Images for kids

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  Sir Iain in Iraq with Colonel Jonny Gray