The International Symposium of the Institute of Adventist Studies took place at the Friedensau University, Germany, from April 23 to 26, 2018.
The 3rd International Symposium of the Institute of Adventist Studies in Friedensau started of with an Encyclopedia Authors’ Workshop. The full day event saw delegates from several European countries representing the Euro-Asian, Inter-European, and Trans-European Divisions. The delegates are currently serving as authors for the ongoing Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventist (ESDA) research project.
After a devotional that was based on Luke 1:1-2, the workshop commenced with a presentation on the philosophy and overview of ESDA project by Stefan Höschele, the EUD regional editor. In another presentation, Daniel Heinz (ESD regional editor) called for a revisioning of Adventist history in Europe where he emphasized the need for focusing more on regional studies that give credence and historical relevance to matters that have not yet been researched. The fact the Old Continent is characterized by diverse origins of Adventism, socio-political and religious issues shows that writing European Adventist history needs more than just hagiography.
Other highlights of the event included the encyclopedia writing process, progress reports from the three divisions, how to access resources, how to improve manuscripts and a tour of the European Historical Archives in Friedensau.
Participants were grateful for the workshop for it was not just an opportunity to have their research questions answered; it was a forum for networking, experiential sharing and communal fellowship.