Reidar Aasgaard

Reidar Aasgaard is Professor of the History of Ideas at the University of Oslo since 2009. He has held various academic roles including Project Manager at the Norwegian Bible Society (2008-2009) and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo (1998-2008). His current work focuses on the intersection of antiquity, cultural history, and contemporary popular culture.

• Education
  • Dr. theol., Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo, 1999
  • Doctoral Fellowship, Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo, 1993-1998
  • Cand. theol., Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo, 1982
  • Cand. mag., Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo, 1979

Aasgaard's research spans multiple disciplines: Early Christianity (textual analysis, apocryphal writings), History of Childhood (from antiquity to modern Scandinavia), New Testament Studies (linguistic and theological analysis), and Popular Culture (particularly Bob Dylan's cultural impact). His work bridges classical philology with contemporary cultural studies.

His recent publications show a thematic focus on:

• Biblical childhood representations
• Translation methodology
• Augustinian thought
• Scandinavian hymnology
• Religious identity formation
• Popular music analysis

He leads the research group Children and Youth in a History of Ideas Perspective and has completed projects like "Tiny Voices from the Past: New Perspectives on Childhood in Early Europe" (2013-2017). Aasgaard teaches courses on Augustine, Late Antiquity, Bob Dylan, and the historical Jesus figure.