Biblical Research Institute
Encyclopedia
The Biblical Research Institute (BRI) is a service department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
with the three stated functions of research, apologetics
(defense of the church's beliefs), and service to the church. It serves as a theological
consultant to the General Conference
. It consists of four Adventist theologians working at the church headquarters in Silver Spring
, Maryland
, and is currently (as of 2010) directed by Ángel Manuel Rodríguez
. The institute also directs the Biblical Research Institute Committee (BRICOM) which consists of about forty members worldwide, and the Biblical Research Institute Science Council (BRISCO), which investigates the relationship between science and religion.
Woodrow Whidden
has described the work of the Institute as "conservative Adventist scholarship".
In 1943 church leaders established a committee to give defenses to critics of the church, including offshoot groups. This was named the Defense Literature Committee in 1952, and reorganized as the Biblical Study and Research Group in 1956.
In 1969 the Biblical Research Committee was formed from a merger between the Defense Literature Committee and the Biblical Study [and] Research Committee, which had previously worked independently. This committee did not have authority to represent the church on theological matters.
The Biblical Study and Research Committee or Biblical Study Committee had been created on September 24, 1952. To a certain extent it took the place of the Biblical Research Fellowship, which was being dissolved at the time. The Bible Research Fellowship was an unofficial society of Adventist Bible teachers. It was planned in 1940, and was materialized in 1943. L. L. Caviness was the chairman and Raymond Cottrell
its secretary throughout its lifetime of around 10 years. Both were religion lecturers at Pacific Union College
at the time. Membership rose to 250, and included all except one Adventist college-level Bible teachers worldwide. Many others were paying members, including some General Conference employees. More than 90 formal papers were presented. In 1950 General Conference president W. H. Branson
wrote letters to church leaders worldwide claiming the fellowship was a "renegade organization", signaling its demise.
As mentioned above the Biblical Research Institute was established in 1975. It has sponsored events such as seminars and Bible conferences. From 1982 to 1992 it published the Daniel and Revelation Series in response to the controversy
surrounding Desmond Ford
.
As of 2008, Ángel Manuel Rodríguez is director, with Kwabena Donkor, Ekkehardt Mueller, Gerhard Pfandl and Clinton Wahlen as associate directors.
s. BRICOM members for the 2000-2005 quinquennium included: Niels-Erik Andreasen
, John T. Baldwin, Matthew A. Bediako, Ivan T. Blazen, Keith Burton, Lael O. Caesar, Jaime Castrejon, Gordon E. Christo, JoAnn M. Davidson, Richard M. Davidson
, Ganoune Diop, Ron du Preez, Larry R. Evans, Francisco Gayoba, Daniel Heinz, Eugene Hsu, Greg A. King, Miroslav M. Kis, George R. Knight
, Robert E. Lemon, John K. McVay, Ekkehardt Mueller, Daegeuk Nam, James R. Nix
, Brempong Owusu-Antwi, Jon K. Paulien
, Jan Paulsen
, Paul B. Petersen, Roberto Pereyra, Gerhard Pfandl, George W. Reid, Angel M. Rodriguez, Artur A. Stele, Ted N. C. Wilson, Randall W. Younker, and E. Edward Zinke.
It also publishes the newsletter Reflections. This quarterly newsletter was established in 2003.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
with the three stated functions of research, apologetics
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
(defense of the church's beliefs), and service to the church. It serves as a theological
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
consultant to the General Conference
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
. It consists of four Adventist theologians working at the church headquarters in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and is currently (as of 2010) directed by Ángel Manuel Rodríguez
Ángel Manuel Rodríguez
Ángel Manuel Rodríguez is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and director of the Biblical Research Institute . His special research interests include Old Testament, Sanctuary and Atonement, and Old Testament Theology...
. The institute also directs the Biblical Research Institute Committee (BRICOM) which consists of about forty members worldwide, and the Biblical Research Institute Science Council (BRISCO), which investigates the relationship between science and religion.
Woodrow Whidden
Woodrow Whidden
Woodrow Wilson Whidden II is a Seventh-day Adventist aurthor, theologian, and professor of systematic and historical theology at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies based in the Philippines.-Biography:...
has described the work of the Institute as "conservative Adventist scholarship".
History
The Biblical Research Institute was established as a service department of the church on September 25, 1975 by the General Conference. However it has historical roots in a number of other organizations.In 1943 church leaders established a committee to give defenses to critics of the church, including offshoot groups. This was named the Defense Literature Committee in 1952, and reorganized as the Biblical Study and Research Group in 1956.
In 1969 the Biblical Research Committee was formed from a merger between the Defense Literature Committee and the Biblical Study [and] Research Committee, which had previously worked independently. This committee did not have authority to represent the church on theological matters.
The Biblical Study and Research Committee or Biblical Study Committee had been created on September 24, 1952. To a certain extent it took the place of the Biblical Research Fellowship, which was being dissolved at the time. The Bible Research Fellowship was an unofficial society of Adventist Bible teachers. It was planned in 1940, and was materialized in 1943. L. L. Caviness was the chairman and Raymond Cottrell
Raymond Cottrell
Raymond Forrest Cottrell was a respected Adventist theologian, missionary, teacher, writer and editor. He was an associate editor of both the Adventist Review and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary...
its secretary throughout its lifetime of around 10 years. Both were religion lecturers at Pacific Union College
Pacific Union College
Pacific Union College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Angwin, California, United States. It is the only four-year college in Napa County, California....
at the time. Membership rose to 250, and included all except one Adventist college-level Bible teachers worldwide. Many others were paying members, including some General Conference employees. More than 90 formal papers were presented. In 1950 General Conference president W. H. Branson
William Henry Branson
William Henry Branson was a Seventh-day Adventist minister and administrator.He began denominational service as a colporteur in 1906, and as an evangelist in 1908. In 1911 he was conference president in South Carolina and then in Tennessee. By 1915 he was president of the former Southeastern Union...
wrote letters to church leaders worldwide claiming the fellowship was a "renegade organization", signaling its demise.
As mentioned above the Biblical Research Institute was established in 1975. It has sponsored events such as seminars and Bible conferences. From 1982 to 1992 it published the Daniel and Revelation Series in response to the controversy
Glacier View controversy
In the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Sanctuary Review Committee was a group of biblical scholars and administrators which met to decide the church's response to theologian Desmond Ford, who had challenged details of the church's "investigative judgment" teaching...
surrounding Desmond Ford
Desmond Ford
Desmond "Des" Ford is an evangelical Christian and an Australian theologian. He is the father of pornography gossip columnist Luke Ford....
.
Leadership
Directors:- W. E. Read (1952–1959)
- H. W. Lowe (1959–1969)
- Gordon M. Hyde (1969–1979)
- W. R. Lesher (1979–1984)
- George W. Reid (1984–2001)
- Ángel Manuel RodríguezÁngel Manuel RodríguezÁngel Manuel Rodríguez is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and director of the Biblical Research Institute . His special research interests include Old Testament, Sanctuary and Atonement, and Old Testament Theology...
, (2001–present)
As of 2008, Ángel Manuel Rodríguez is director, with Kwabena Donkor, Ekkehardt Mueller, Gerhard Pfandl and Clinton Wahlen as associate directors.
Biblical Research Institute Committee
The Biblical Research Institute Committee examines theological issues that the Seventh-day Adventist Church faces. Its members are elected at General Conference SessionGeneral Conference Session
The General Conference Session is the official world meeting of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The first session was held on May 20, 1863 with 20 delegates in attendance, and it is now held quinquennially ....
s. BRICOM members for the 2000-2005 quinquennium included: Niels-Erik Andreasen
Niels-Erik Andreasen
Niels-Erik Andreasen is professor of Old Testament studies at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and president of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. He joined the faculty in 1994.-Work:...
, John T. Baldwin, Matthew A. Bediako, Ivan T. Blazen, Keith Burton, Lael O. Caesar, Jaime Castrejon, Gordon E. Christo, JoAnn M. Davidson, Richard M. Davidson
Richard M. Davidson
Richard M. Davidson is an Old Testament scholar and Seventh-day Adventist. He has authored dozens of articles for theological journals. As of 2009, he is the chair of the Old Testament department at Andrews University, and the J. N...
, Ganoune Diop, Ron du Preez, Larry R. Evans, Francisco Gayoba, Daniel Heinz, Eugene Hsu, Greg A. King, Miroslav M. Kis, George R. Knight
George R. Knight
George Raymond Knight is a Seventh-day Adventist historian and educator. He is emeritus professor of church history at Andrews University.- Biography :Knight joined the Adventist church through the ministry of Ralph Larson...
, Robert E. Lemon, John K. McVay, Ekkehardt Mueller, Daegeuk Nam, James R. Nix
James R. Nix
James R. Nix has been director of the Ellen G. White Estate since 2000. Nix graduated in 1969 from La Sierra University with a dual major in history and theology. He later earned masters degrees in divinity and library science. In 1972 Loma Linda University hired Nix to help develop a Heritage Room...
, Brempong Owusu-Antwi, Jon K. Paulien
Jon Paulien
Jonathan K. Paulien is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian specializing in the study of books by John in the New Testament . He was the professor of New Testament Interpretation at Andrews University...
, Jan Paulsen
Jan Paulsen
Dr. Jan Paulsen was elected President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on March 1, 1999, at the age of 64...
, Paul B. Petersen, Roberto Pereyra, Gerhard Pfandl, George W. Reid, Angel M. Rodriguez, Artur A. Stele, Ted N. C. Wilson, Randall W. Younker, and E. Edward Zinke.
Publications
The Biblical Research Institute regularly publishes academic books and articles that address theological issues. These books include- Understanding Scripture: An Adventist Approach (2006)
It also publishes the newsletter Reflections. This quarterly newsletter was established in 2003.
See also
- Seventh-day Adventist theology
- The Pillars of AdventismThe Pillars of AdventismThe Pillars of Adventism are landmark doctrines for Seventh-Day Adventists; Bible doctrines that define who they are as a people of faith; doctrines that are "non-negotiables" in Adventist theology.-The Pillars of Adventism:...
- 1952 Bible Conference1952 Bible ConferenceThe 1952 Bible Conference was a Seventh-day Adventist conference in the Sligo Church in Takoma Park, Maryland from September 1–13, 1952. There were 498 people listed as attending this meeting with worldwide representation...
- Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
- 28 fundamental beliefs
- Ellen G. WhiteEllen G. WhiteEllen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
- Sabbath in Christianity
- Adventist studies
- Teachings of Ellen White#End times
- Investigative judgmentInvestigative judgmentThe investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
- Seventh-day Adventist eschatology
- Sabbath in Seventh-day AdventismSabbath in Seventh-day AdventismSabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of seventh-day Christians. These believers observe Sabbath on the seventh Hebrew day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, in similar manner as in Judaism, rather than Lord's day on Sunday like a most forms of Christianity...
- Seventh-day Adventist worshipSeventh-day Adventist worshipThis article describes worship practice in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.The Seventh-day Sabbath is seen as an important aspect of worship....
External links
- Biblical Research Institute Official website
- Description on Seventh-day Adventist Church website
- Adventist News Network Press Release regarding regional Biblical Research Committees
- "The Bible Research Fellowship: A Pioneering Seventh-day Adventist Organization in Retrospect" by Raymond CottrellRaymond CottrellRaymond Forrest Cottrell was a respected Adventist theologian, missionary, teacher, writer and editor. He was an associate editor of both the Adventist Review and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary...
. Adventist Heritage 5:1 (Summer 1978), p39–52; DjVu version PDF version (large file)