Feature by Emily Kurtz

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Features | Send mail to The Voice Multnomah student delves into theological studies Halden Doerge, who has been working in the bookstore since August of 2002, aids students in finding books and notes for their classes. -Emily Kurtz,photo Multnomah student Halden Doerge spends most of his time pursuing knowledge. He has a chronic interest in theology that has led him down new avenues at Multnomah. Last year, as he registered for classes, Doerge realized he only had a few classes to complete before graduating. He talked with Dr. Paul Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper about starting seminary while finishing his bachelor's degree. He then petitioned the registrar. "It just rolled right through," Doerge said. He can now take three to six seminary credits every semester until he graduates. Last semester, he took Contemporary Theology and Ethics. Along with 14 college credits this semester, he also is taking an Apologetics Seminar. To help support himself, Doerge works 20 hours a week at Mult-nomah's bookstore, Windows Booksellers. He has worked there since August of 2002. In the spring of 2003, Doerge and Dr. Metzger began the Research Seminar in Theology and Culture. The seminar meets monthly for professors and students to present papers on theology and culture. "One of the desires we had going into it was that a [theological] journal might be published," Doerge said. Through the connections Windows Booksellers has with Wipf and Stock Publishers, Doerge was able to mention the idea to Jim Tedrick from Wipf and Stock. "He said they'd definitely be receptive to the journal," Doerge said. Once Doerge told Dr. Metzger about his conversation with Mr. Tedrick, Doerge said, "Everything kicked into high gear." Now Doerge is the managerial team head of the journal, "Cultural Encounters." "I'm kind of the first and last line of defense," he said. He ensures that submitted articles are properly formatted and sends them to editors. If an article is accepted, Doerge must then have it proofread and prepared for publishing. "He's involved in a lot of the logistical stuff and conceptualizing," Dr. Harper said, who also is involved with "Cultural Encounters." Doerge is Dr. Harper's grader and lab instructor for Bible Study Methods. He took a couple of classes with Dr. Harper and enjoys academic research. Doerge was a good fit because of his background, and because of the close involvement they have with the journal, Dr. Harper said. "Mostly our relationship is talking about theological stuff, and a lot of that we would do [no matter what] because we're interested in it anyway," Dr. Harper said. Outside of Multnomah, Doerge said he spends quite a bit of time in personal studies. He enjoys reading books that aren't a part of his school curriculum. "I'm constantly pursuing other stuff in theology, church life and practice, discipling, poetry and politics," he said. Doerge has a GPA of 3.75 in the college and 4.0 in the seminary but still said: "I wish I had the self-control to not read outside books and just concentrate on studies. I'd do better in classes, but I probably wouldn't learn as much." When writing research papers, Doerge said he is his own walking database of information. "[Doerge] is obviously very bright," Dr. Harper said. "He is unusually well-read for a person of his age. He has strong opinions and is not shy about expressing those opinions and taking on even those who have a lot more years behind them in [studying theology]. "Sometimes he is a curiosity for others because it is quite unusual for somebody of his age to have the kind of intellectual ability plus the kind of background in reading and in the field that he has. Sometimes I think students wonder 'How did he learn all this stuff?'" Doerge's interest in theology began at a young age. "When I was growing up, my dad would read the Bible to us every night," he said. "That's how I learned a lot of stuff about the Bible." As a homeschooler, once he learned to read, he read the Bible for himself often, he said. Doerge grew up going to church with his parents and five younger siblings. Born in Colorado, Doerge and his family moved to Minnesota when he was 2 and then to Forest Grove, Ore., when he was 8. He lived in Forest Grove until moving to Portland to attend Multnomah. His family now lives in Texas. Doerge sees them once or twice a year. "I've really changed from having God be a kind of sovereign and unfeeling ruler over everything to a God who's dynamic and relational and really invested in us and in the church," Doerge said. Doerge first met Dr. Harper and Dr. Metzger at Credo in the summer of 2000. Dr. Harper's initial impression of Doerge was that he was many years ahead of his time. "It was obvious to me that Halden had spent a lot of his time in his growing-up years just immersing himself in this stuff," Dr. Harper said. "Scholarship and thought and theology and history was what he loved doing because that's all he talked about." When Doerge began working at the bookstore, Mike and Hilda Munk who run the bookstore told him about their church, Church of the Servant King in Portland. He now attends the church, which is composed mostly of people in their 30s and 40s and meets in a house. "Everybody lives really close together, kind of in the same neighborhood," Doerge said. He and nine other church members live together in a house. His housemates include three married couples, two children and a single woman. The congregation of about 20 people meets on Sunday nights for gathered worship and often meets on Tuesday nights for classes. Doerge said over the summer he studied Mark with other church members, and they just finished a study on Ruth. "We're starting up one on Exodus," he said. Once he graduates in May, Doerge wants to get his Master of Divinity in Theological Studies from Multnomah Biblical Seminary and then get his doctorate in theology and culture and teach on the college or seminary level. "Halden is already engaging the world of scholarship as an undergraduate student and doing it profitably," Dr. Harper said. "And I think Halden is the kind of person that can make a significant contribution to Christian scholarship, especially regarding the relationship of the church in relationship to culture." Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Features | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2004 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.