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LaRondelle, Hans Karl, 1929-2011

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: April 18, 1929 to March 7, 2011

Biographical

Hans K. LaRondelle, was a leading Seventh-day Adventist theologian and scholar during the 2nd half of the 20th century. He was born in the Netherlands in 1929. Although a Roman Catholic, he received a Protestant education from the age of eight, and later began an earnest search for God and an understanding of the Bible. At the age of 20, he read himself into the Adventist Church through conviction and the studying of Ellen G. White’s book, The Great Controversy. During this time, he was a law student at Leyden State University in Holland.

From then on, LaRondelle began to prepare himself for the ministry. He dropped his law studies and began a theological course at Utrecht State University in Holland and later continued his course work at the Reformed Free University in Amsterdam. It was here that he received a doctor of theology degree in systematic theology in 1971. LaRondelle served as a pastor, evangelist, youth leader, and teacher for the Seventhday Adventist Church in the Netherlands from 1953–1966.

LaRondelle began his teaching career at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in 1967, retiring 25 years later in 1991 with the title of professor of theology, emeritus. Hundreds of Adventist pastors who completed their studies in the 60s, 70s and 80s sat under his teaching. Colleagues, friends, and students of LaRondelle remember him as “a true soldier of the cross,” “one of the best systematic theologians in our church,” “a wonderful friend and colleague,” and someone who “could communicate his work to the everyday church member....”

An avid writer, he authored dozens of articles in church-related publications as well as ten books and chapters in many others. In February 2010, he was honored with the publication of a Festschrift, a book of essays noting his scholarship, titled, Christ, salvation, and the eschaton : essays in honor of Hans K. LaRondelle, edited by Daniel Heinz, Jirí Moskala, and Peter van Bemmelen.

Hans K. LaRondelle went to rest on March 7, 2011, in Sarasota, Fla., after fighting a two-month battle with anaplastic thyroid cancer. He was 81 years old.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Hans K. LaRondelle Papers

 Collection
Identifier:  Collection 304
Content Description The LaRondelle Papers contain a sampling of his correspondence through the years. It is doubtful this represents the full body of his correspondence. Presumably, the rest has been lost. There is a large assemblage of his writings. Two binders [box 1 folder 32 a & b] purported to be the sum of his writings. Establishment of this fact was outside the scope of this work. There are many other copies of his writings beyond these binders in the collection. There is a partial bibliography in the...
Dates: 1909 - 2010

Hans K. LaRondelle Papers

 Accession
Identifier: Collection 304