Earlier generations of Christians were well acquainted with the famed American Bible teacher, scholar, and evangelist, R.A. Torrey. The renown of R.A. Torrey during his lifetime reached enormous heights. I have known of him for years (in fact an uncle of mine was named after him), but I've not read very widely or deeply in his writings. Today I looked on the internet and discovered a treasure trove of materials at The R.A. Torrey Archive. The website contains entire books, numerous articles, and various resources related to the man. Particularly interesting to me was an audio recording of a sermon preached by R.A. Torrey. It is the only voice recording that has survived. I listened to it (it is 27 minutes) and was struck by the depth and
substance of his sermon. He argues his case for Christian faith in the face of critics and skeptics.
Is Torrey outdated, of interest to antiquarians only? No. In fact, many of his books are still in print. As Eric M. Pazdziora, the editor of the R.A. Torrey Archive says,
Of all the classic Christian authors I've read, and there are many, Torrey strikes me as by far the most relevant to today's needs and concerns. He knew the value of an intellectually consistent faith founded on the Word of God, and was able to provide reasoned answers to many of the most difficult questions about Christianity. He anticipated many current trends and ideas in apologetics; indeed, one of his books contains a version of the "Trilemma" argument for the deity of Christ, predating C. S. Lewis's more famous statement by some 60 years. And of course his writings on the gospel, prayer, and the nature of the Christian experience will be valuable to all who desire to see their faith grounded in the Word of God.
Why
are Torrey's writings not as widely known today as they surely deserve
to be? I have no idea. But I do think it's time to start a minor
Renaissance. Perhaps this archive will be a small help; I've compiled
several of Torrey's best sermons, articles, and a few complete books
into easily viewable online files. Find one that looks interesting and
give it a try.