“The intellectual adventures of a believer”

The Bible says to love God with all your heart, mind and strength. Perhaps the mind doesn’t always get due emphasis. This lecture will address the life of the mind and the life of faith, and how to nurture both.

Dr Niels-Erik Andreasen, who has now retired after 22 years as President of Andrews University, will reflect on stages in his pilgrimage of faith as a Seventh-day Adventist traveller from Europe to the United States and the world. In what ways have ideas coming from outside theology influenced his faith?

He will range from Socrates in the Phedo, through the ancient dramatists, classical architecture, the visual arts (Rembrandt’s portraits of Jesus), music by Beethoven (Missa Solemnis) and maybe Brahms, Abraham Kuyper’s concept of the lordship of Christ in the world, and so on.

These people belong to God’s world, too, and God spoke to them in His ways, just as He spoke to us by His prophets. If we listen, we learn more about God, and experience faith in Him. Dr Niels-Erik Andreasen’s point: at this time in our church history, we cannot shield our faith from culture but must find support for it within our culture.

Presented by Sydney Adventist Forum with Avondale College of Higher Education.

Ella Hughes Chapel, Avondale College of Higher Education (Lake Macquarie campus), Saturday, September 16, 3.30 pm.

Freewill offering.

Biography

Born in Denmark in 1941 and educated there, Dr Niels-Erik Andreasen matriculated in mathematics and science before undertaking a Bachelor of Arts at Newbold College in England. His postgraduate study included a Bachelor of Divinity from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews and a PhD on the topic of the Hebrew Bible from Vanderbilt University. Dr Andreasen taught at Pacific Union College, Avondale College and Loma Linda University and served as President at Walla Walla University before accepting the presidency at Andrews. He has published three books as well as articles, essays and reviews. He is married to Demetra and they have one son and two grandchildren.