Monday, September 07, 2009

M. L. Andreasen


M. L. Andreasen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


M.[ilian] L.[auritz] Andreasen (1876–1962), was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, pastor and author.


He was one of the church's most prominent and influential theologians during the 1930s and 1940s. Andreasen promoted the teaching known popularly as Last Generation Theology, controversial for its views on atonement and salvation. Andreasen became well known for his protests against Adventist church leaders during the last years of his life.


Contents



Biography
Andreasen served as president of the Greater New York Conference (1909 - 1910), president of Hutchinson Theological Seminary (1910 - 1918), dean of Atlantic Union College (1918 - 1922), dean of Washington Missionary College (now Columbia Union College) (1922 - 1924), president of the Minnesota Conference (1924 - 1931), president of Union College, Nebraska (1931 - 1938), and field secretary of the General Conference (1941 - 1950). He taught at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (now located at Andrews University) from 1937 - 1949, and was recognized as a leading denominational scholar on the atonement and related topics.

Theology
As far back as 1937 Andreasen presented the package that took the implications of the Adventist faith to what he perceived to be their logical conclusion. His dispute with the church was over the theology of the atonement and humanity of Christ that was expressed in the 1957 book Questions on Doctrine (QOD). Andreasen argued that the book established a sinister change in Seventh-day Adventist theology. In his book, The Sanctuary Service, Andreasen had pulled this all together in the closing chapter, The Final Generation. Andreasen urged that QOD not be published, and argued extensively with church leaders to correct the ideas they eventually placed into print. Eventually QOD was published and Andreasen went public in identifying what he saw as problematic aspects of the book.
The church revoked his ministerial credentials in 1961, but reinstated him posthumously in 1962.[1]
Many "historic Adventists" and advocates of Last Generation Theology regard Andreasen as a significant figure in their theological heritage.

Books
Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet (Review & Herald, 1928)
Man, Here and Hereafter (Pacific Press, 1937)
The Sanctuary Service (Review & Herald, 1937)
The Faith of Jesus and the Commandments of God (Review & Herald, 1939)
The Sabbath, Which Day and Why? (Review & Herald, 1942)
A Faith to Live By (Review & Herald, 1943)
Following the Master (Southern Publishing Association, 1947)
The Book of Hebrews (Review & Herald, 1948)
The Faith of Jesus (Review & Herald, 1949)
God's Holy Day (Review & Herald, 1949)
A Day from Eden (Review & Herald, 1951)
Saints and Sinners (Review & Herald, 1951)
What Can a Man Believe? (Review & Herald, 1951)
Prayer (Pacific Press, 1957)
Letters to the Churches (Hudson Printing Company, 1959)
Andreasen was also one of the contributors to the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary.

External links
Without fear or favor by Virginia Steinweg, a biography of Andreasen

M. L. Andreasen Papers, an index from the Center for Adventist Research

References
^ Questions on Doctrine (Annotated by George R. Knight), Andrews University Press, 2003

Reactions to the Seventh-day Adventist Evangelical Conferences and Questions on Doctrine 1955-1971, PhD thesis by Julius Nam (chapter 4 describes the interactions between Andreasen and church leaders)

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