Julius Nam

Julius Juhyeok Nam (19 October 1968—) is an associate professor of religion at Loma Linda University School of Religion in California, and a commissioned minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He teaches Adventist history and theology.^[1] He is active in the American Academy of Religion, Adventist Society for Religious Studies and the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians. He formally ran ProgressiveAdventism.com.

Biography

Nam received a BA in religion from Andrews University in 1990, followed by a MA in systematic theology in 1992, from the same institution. He served as a church pastor in Korea, Michigan and Southern California.

From 2001 to 2005 he was the editor of Compass, a monthly magazine for Korean Adventist youth and young adults in North America. He taught at Pacific Union College for three years, teaching a broad range of Christian subjects. In 2005 he received a PhD in Church History/Adventist Studies in 2005, also from Andrews University. His thesis is entitled, "Reactions to Seventh-day Adventist Evangelical Conferences and Questions on Doctrine (1955–1971)"^[2] (Chapter 4 available online) and was completed under the guidance of George Knight. His thesis served as a catalyst for the October 2007 conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the publication of Questions on Doctrine.^[1]

In 2006 the Pacific Union Conference "commissioned" him to ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He chose to be commissioned, rather than ordained, as an expression of solidarity with women ministers who are currently barred from ordination in the Adventist church. Women ministers are "commissioned" instead. The same year, Nam moved to Loma Linda, California when he accepted a teaching position at the university.

Nam was one of the organizers of the 2007 Questions on Doctrine conference marking the 50th anniversary of the publication of book. The conference was largely precipitated by his doctoral thesis. The book represented major interactions between Adventists and other conservative Christians, yet has been very controversial. The conference was unique in that it gave people with widely differing views opportunity to present a paper, and "no prominent players in the controversy... were left out".^[3] It was considered a great success by the attendees, and a time of some healing of longstanding tensions. Nam presented the paper, "The Questions on Doctrine Saga: Contours and Lessons".

Nam was one of the main organizers of the "Ellen White Project", which has brought together 65 scholars of varying backgrounds to write a scholarly work, possibly to be published by Oxford University Press.

Same-sex marriage

Nam was one of the initiators of "Adventists Against Prop 8" (website), a small group which was opposed to California's 2008 "Proposition 8" which banned same-sex marriages. The group stands in contrast to the Adventist church's official position on marriage as being heterosexual only. "It's [...] a question of justice," Nam said, "as a resident of California, we should lead the way in pushing for equality."^[4]

Law school

In August 2009, Nam enrolled in the Juris Doctor program at UCLA Law, though he continues to teach on a part-time basis at Loma Linda University. He is currently serving as Editor in Chief of the UCLA Law Review.

Writings and presentations

Nam has published a series of interview with influential Adventists on his blog. Some of these have been published in magazines, including "In Japan, Adventists find Willow Creek bridge to the unchurched", an interview of Yasuki Miyamoto in Spectrum v35, Sum, p9-11,62 (Spectrum Interview, original blog); and "Looking at Adventism", an interview of Seeking a Sanctuary co-author Keith Lockhart in Record March 17, 2007, p.8–9 (original blog version).

He has written numerous research papers and presented them at many different conferences. He blogs at ProgressiveAdventism.com.

See also

• Progressive Adventism
• Loma Linda University
• Questions on Doctrine

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Presenters at the Questions on Doctrine 50th Anniversary Conference
2. ^ Juhyeok Nam (2005). Reactions to the Seventh-day Adventist Evangelical Conferences and Questions on Doctrine 1955-1971. Berrien Springs, Michigan: Andrews University. 
3. ^ Robert Johnston, professor emeritus of New Testament at Andrews University as quoted in "Conference Provides Forum for Dialogue". Andrews University news. November 12, 2007. http://www.andrews.edu/news/2007/11/qod_conference.html. Retrieved 2007-11-28. 
4. ^ "Religious rallies in California continue to target equal rights to marry for gay/lesbian couples". seaQwa.com. October 22, 2008. http://seaqwa.com/blogs/qnews/archive/2008/10/22/religious-rallies-in-california-continue-to-target-equal-rights-to-marry-for-gay-lesbian-couples.aspx. Retrieved 2008-12-08.  See also a blog by Nam

External links

• ProgressiveAdventism.com, Nam's personal blog and website
  • Writer, with a brief autobiography
• Faculty Directory entry at Loma Linda University
  • Presentations
• Nam, Juhyeok and Nam, Julius publications cataloged in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)

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Name	Nam, Julius
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Date of birth	19 October 1968
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