Thorvald B. Madsen
Professor of New Testament, Ethics, and Philosophy, Dean of Doctoral Studies, Vice President of Academic Initiatives
At a Glance
Biography
Dr. Thor Madsen has been at Midwestern Seminary since 1999 and is currently Dean of Doctoral Studies and Vice President of Academic Initiatives and Professor of New Testament, Ethics, and Philosophy. Since coming to MBTS, Dr. Madsen has served in a variety of roles including Vice President of Academic Development (2003–2009). Dr. Madsen graduated from Wheaton College with the Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in philosophy. Following his studies at Wheaton, he went to Western Kentucky University for his Master of Arts degree, during which time he was also the graduate assistant for Dr. Ronald Nash. Upon graduation from WKU, Dr. Madsen spent a year in the doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With this foundation, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and followed this degree with doctoral study at the University of Aberdeen, from which he graduated with a Ph.D. in 1998.
His research at Aberdeen concentrated on the Jewish background of Paul’s moral teaching, specifically the “gift and task” structure of biblical exhortation. He currently serves as a Research Fellow in Christian Ethics for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. His articles have appeared in journals, dictionaries, online resources, and anthologies. Dr. Madsen is an avid motorcyclist, alpine skier, and shooting sports enthusiast. He is married to Li and has two sons, Paul and Timothy.
Education
B.A., Wheaton College
M.A., Western Kentucky University
M.Div., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Ph.D., University of Aberdeen
Faculty Q&A
It means that what I teach and how I teach it must have an obvious connection to local church life.
Because MBTS is a vibrant academic community that is populated with faculty and students who are here for the right reason, mainly, to serve the local church.
The most encouraging fact about the next generation of pastors and ministry leaders is that they have come to MBTS because of our commitment to the local church and because they want to learn how to serve the local church more effectively.
