Alden Thompson

BA (1965), Walla Walla College; MA (1966) and BDiv (1967 = MDiv), Andrews University; PhD (1975), University of Edinburgh

Alden Thompson is currently professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University. He has been a faculty member at WWC since 1970. From 1972 to 1974, he was on college-sponsored doctoral study leave at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In 1980-81 he was an exchange teacher at Marienhöhe Seminary in Darmstadt, Germany. After serving as WWC academic vice president for four years (1986-90), he returned to full-time teaching in the School of Theology.

An ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Thompson is a graduate of Walla Walla College (BA 1965) and Andrews University (MA 1966; BDiv 1967). Before joining the faculty at WWC, he pastored in Southeastern California (1967-1970). He received his doctorate in Old Testament and Judaic Studies from the University of Edinburgh in 1975. His dissertation, Responsibility for Evil in the Theodicy of IV Ezra was published by Scholars Press in 1977.

He is in frequent demand as a speaker and seminar presenter. His primary interests are the Bible, especially the Old Testament, Ellen White studies, "Inspiration," and Adventist History. He has written extensively for Adventist publications. His five-part "Sinai to Golgotha" series was published in The Adventist Review (December 1981). The Review also published a four-part series, "Adventists and Inspiration" (September 1985) which resulted in the invitation to write Inspiration: Hard Questions, Honest Answers (Review and Herald, 1991), which was subsequently translated into German (1998) and Dutch (2002). His most recent book, containing a significant autobiographical element, focuses on the role of Ellen White in his own experience: Escape from the Flames: How Ellen White grew from fear to joy and helped me do it too (Pacific Press, 2005). His first semi-popular book, written for the general Christian market, Who's Afraid of the Old Testament God? (Paternoster, 1988; Zondervan, 1989). is again in print (Pacesetters, 2000, 2003) and is available through the Adventist Book Center and www.Amazon.com. Thompson is also a frequent participant and study guide editor for "Probe," a weekly 15-minute dialogue commentary on the Sabbath School Lesson, produced by KGTS, the WWC radio station, and the School of Theology. Study guide and audio are available at www.wallawalla.edu/probe. Many of Thompson’s articles and papers can be accessed at his web site, www.aldenthompson.com.

In 1965 Thompson married Wanda Hoffman, a nurse (BS, WWC, 1965) turned artist (BA, fine arts, WWC, 1993). They have two daughters, both with undergraduate degrees from WWC. Karin (BM, cello performance, 1991) and her husband, Tom Wehtje, live in Massachusetts. Since 2000 she has been teaching in the music department at Atlantic Union College. Her PhD in musicology is from the University of Maryland (2001). Krista (BA, History and English, 1992) completed an MA in the social sciences from the University of Amsterdam in 1997. She and her husband, Steve Smith, live in northern Italy at Bassano del Grappa. Steve is sales and marketing director for Sportful, a small Italian sportswear firm. Krista does free-lance editing and translating via the internet.