Hallowed be Thy name : the sanctification of all in the soteriology of Peter Taylor Forsyth
Abstract
This essay explores whether the notion of ‘hallowing’ provides a profitable lens through
which to read and evaluate the soteriology of British theologian P.T. Forsyth, and it
suggests that the hallowing of God’s name is, for Forsyth, the way whereby God both
justifies himself and claims creation for divine service. It proposes that reading Forsyth’s
corpus as essentially an exposition of the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is an invitation
to better comprehend not only his soteriology but also, by extension, his broader
theological vision and interests. Chapters One and Two are concerned with questions of
methodology, and with placing Forsyth in the social context of his day, with introducing
the theological landscape and grammar from which he expounds his notion of reality as
fundamentally moral, and with identifying some of the key but neglected voices that inform
such a vision. Chapter Three explores the principal locale wherein the first petition of the
Lord’s Prayer is answered: in Jesus Christ, whose confession of holiness ‘from sin’s side’
justifies God, destroys sin and creates a new humanity. Chapter Four examines Forsyth’s
moral anthropology – specifically, the self-recovery of holiness in the human conscience –
and considers holiness’ shape in the life of faith. Chapter Five inquires whether Forsyth’s
theology of hallowing finally requires him to embrace dogmatic universalism, and identifies
what problems might attend his failure to so do and consequently threaten to undermine
his soteriological program.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: 2021-09-21
Embargo Reason: Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Electronic version restricted until 21st September 2021
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