Abstract
This collection of essays is rooted in two convictions. First, that Austin Farrer thought about the nature of God and biblical revelation in ways that made him one of the significant voices within the Church of England during the last century. Second, that his work has implications that have not been fully explored and developed. In honouring the first (through personal recollections, observations about his character, incisiveness, imagination and his work), these scholars pursue the second. We are introduced to Farrer in a way that is generative.
The chapters examine the five main areas of Farrer’s own work. Those on biblical studies draw attention to his legacy in terms of the typological approach, with a focus on informal allusions rather than grand schemes (John Barton); a revaluation of his essay on Q (Mark Goodacre); and the place of Paul in Farrer’s own writings (Jennifer R. Strawbridge). Together, they reveal how scholarship is enlivened through appreciation of the evangelists’ literary creativity, the nature of inspiration, human engagement and the work of God’s grace.
Engagement with his philosophical theology traces the development of Farrer’s thinking from metaphysics to epistemology (Margaret Yee) and explores providence and the problem of evil, with some reflection on the place of practice and ways of finding God in the midst of suffering (Leigh Vicens). Robert MacSwain examines reformed epistemology and the ways in which Farrer’s claims connect to moral and spiritual development; and, finally, Paul DeHart considers Farrer’s first book (Finite and Infinite). Although this book had a muted initial impact, DeHart gives positive regard to Farrer’s Thomism as ‘delicate and persuasive’, with the conclusion ‘that we are all ready “inside” the experience of God’ (p. 108).
Language and symbolism are explored through engagement with Gregory Nazianzus and Coleridge. Morwenna Ludlow draws out the boundaries between inspiration and poetry – focusing on preaching and the extent to which the preacher is like/unlike an apostle or poet. Stephen Platten charts Farrer’s vision of Christian life and revelation, finite and infinite, which takes seriously creation, incarnation and the work of the Spirit.
Pneumatology runs through the chapters on doctrine. Rowan Williams critically engages with Farrer’s formulation of God revealed as a ‘society of two’, bringing into focus the tensions around how we speak of the Holy Spirit. Richard Harries explores Farrer’s conviction that God is one who saves and redeems – leaning into the universal significance in the working out of the incarnation within and beyond time. By bringing Farrer into conversation with Nikolai Berdyaev, Gregory Platten explores theosis – human incorporation into the divine. This opens up the paradox of freedom in relation to divine and human will, which is fully comprehended only in living relationship to God.
Finally, we come to prayer and preaching. Farrer’s use of stories and illustrations in sermons reflects his understanding of the relationship between scholarship, faith and institutions. Jane Shaw invites us to follow his example in authentic preaching resulting from wrestling with how to live faithfully in our context. Jeffrey Vogel considers prayer through the lens of Farrer’s eucharistic theology and his emphasis on receiving and acting – the dynamics of Christ’s sacrifice and presence and human transformation and self-offering. The cycle of sacramental repetition draws us back from moments of failure and self-sufficiency to receiving the life of God and extending it to others.
This collection is to be commended for bringing the scope of Farrer’s thought and practice to a wider audience. Each contributor seeks to present, clarify and engage with his writings in a way that retains his tone and style while taking forward a theological conversation. Pursuing the integrated theological approach modelled by Farrer is a prophetic Spirit-led agenda. As he notes, as the Holy Spirit grows in us, so we grow – ‘We break up the stony rubbish of our life again and again, to find and release the well of living water’ (The Crown of the Year, p. 36, cited on p. 215).