Progressive Adventism
Encyclopedia
Progressive Adventists are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
who disagree with certain beliefs traditionally held by mainstream Adventism and officially by the church. They are often described as liberal Adventism by other Adventists, the term "progressive" is generally preferred as a self-description. This article describes terms such as evangelical Adventism, cultural Adventism, charismatic Adventism, and progressive Adventism and others, which are generally related but have distinctions.
Progressives typically disagree with one or more of the church's basic beliefs such as the Sabbath or "distinctive" beliefs such as the investigative judgment
, the remnant
, a future global Sunday-law, or a use of Ellen G. White
's writings. They also tend to question some of the denomination's 28 fundamental beliefs
: with debate arising on the nature of the Trinity
, the Gift of Prophecy, Creation
or observance of the seventh-day Sabbath." A major factor in its rise was as a result of Adventists going to for some studies ti many non-theological universities, which was sparked by the need for government accreditation for its educational institutions. It also has many similarities with the ecumenical emerging church
movement. Perceptions and definitions of it may differ somewhat depending on the author, although much in common is also clearly discernible.
Christians in the 1950s, which included the publication of Questions on Doctrine
. This period marked a shift in the broader Christian world's perception of Adventists, from being viewed as a sect to being more commonly accepted as a legitimate Christian denomination. The label "progressive Adventist" was created in the mid-1960s by Spectrum
magazine, according to one author.
One scholar wrote in 2001,
Ron Corson identifies four common areas of progressive belief:
's 2009 book Beyond Common Ground: Why Liberals and Conservatives Need Each Other.
and accept some aspects of evolution. Clifford Goldstein
and other Adventists have argued that evolution and Adventism are incompatible.
have also called for change in this area.)
.
shared his concern that "the great majority of our youth, and increasing numbers of older members, pastors included, reject the church’s standard of not going to the movies. To me, this is a serious matter. Many Adventists have lower viewing standards than evangelical Christians. Large numbers of our people, I fear, are being seduced by the all-pervasive media. Instead of the Bible, movies, television, and music are shaping their values and attitudes. They are becoming conformed to the world, rather than living as new beings in Christ transformed by His grace."
Clifford Goldstein has declared,
Compare "Cultural Christian
".
is commonly conservative, a minor segment of the church is charismatic
in nature. Phenomena of this nature have been present throughout Adventist history
, resulting in such things as the Holy Flesh movement
.
" or evangelical
Christians, for example most do believe in the resurrection of Jesus
. They do not hold to a "libertine
" or "anything goes" attitude which the term "liberal" sometimes implies. They also do not believe in the foundational or fundamental beliefs of the Adventist church. A small number of Adventists are actually liberal Christians
, accepting such things as homosexuality.
According to evangelical Kenneth Samples, "It should also be mentioned that, though small, there was and is a segment in Adventism which could be described as being theologically liberal" or even "very liberal". He claims it rejects Christ's vicarious substitutionary atonement
.
Ron Corson wrote,
, and have a concern for social action.
" and "Progressive Christianity
". Also compare to the "Christian/religious left
" (although this term is associated with left-wing politics
).
Other terms such as ecumenical Adventist and evangelical Adventist have been used, with presumably related meaning. (Compare the much broader movements "Ecumenism
" and "Evangelicalism
" within Christianity as a whole).
(QOD) as a result of dialog with critic Walter Martin is seen as a beginning for liberal Adventism. According to one author, the roots of evangelical Adventism can be traced to scholars who met with Martin and Barnhouse
, or earlier. "The seeds of this movement were sown within the denomination via the book QOD in 1957, and the seed-plot was watered by the public ministries of such men as R. A. Anderson, H. M. S. Richards, Sr., Edward Heppenstall
, Robert Brinsmead
, Desmond Ford
, Smuts van Rooyen, and others." This book precipitated the different factions. The movement emerged with Ford and Brinsmead as its main spokesmen. Desmond Ford apostatized from the church's viewpoint in the 1970s, with issues with church doctrine similar to A. F. Ballenger
. Many liberals left the church in this period and liberals still follow and cite his viewpoints.
According to one author, liberals are united by belief in the pre-fallen ature of Jesus (and hold he was primarily our substitute not our example), assurance of salvation, overcoming sin or perfectionism is impossible, that Jesus ascended straight to the most holy place in heaven at his ascension (although opinions varied on a pre-advent judgment
), Ellen White had the gift of prophecy but was not infallible nor should be used for doctrine.
(archives), a newsmagazine
published by Adventist Forums
, that has been the premier progressive Adventist magazine since its founding in 1969. In addition to its quarterly journal, Spectrum also runs a regularly updated website with commentary and reports on the latest news and developments within the Church and other areas. Progressive Adventists also established Adventist Today
(archives), a bimonthly magazine first published in 1993. Unlike Spectrum it is more focussed on news reporting. In 2008 Adventist Today made a renewed commitment to reporting on a greater diversity of Adventist views.
Also started by Progressives was Adventist Heritage: A Journal of Adventist History (archives), "which provided an important liberal platform" from 1974 to 1998 in roughly 18 volumes. It was supported by the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians and other groups. Gary Land was a founding editor, as was Ronald Numbers
. Jonathan M. Butler
served as editor for a decade. Published twice yearly, it was acquired by Loma Linda University.
(archives) founded by Robert Brinsmead in 1972 with a grace/gospel-centered focus. In 1978 Brinsmead changed its title to Verdict, to reflect his move away from evangelical Christianity. The material on the Present Truth Magazine website is produced by the "Gospel Friends Christian Fellowship", which they explain to be an association of evangelical Seventh-day Adventists. It does not necessarily represent Brinsmead's current views. 52 issues were apparently published.
The Good News Unlimited magazine (archives) is published by Desmond Ford's ministry of the same name. It began in 1981 as a bimonthly, switched to monthly publication in mid-2003, and continues to be published as of 2008. A related magazine is Good News for Adventists.
Adventist Professional was an Australian magazine published quarterly from 1989 to 1999 by the Association of Business and Professional Members (formerly "[...] Men") based in Sydney
, an organization of Australia and New Zealand
Adventist business and professional laypeople established in 1961. Eleven volumes were published, and Trevor Lloyd is a former editor.
The magazine Adventist Currents
(archives) was published from 1983 to 1988 in California as a response to Ford's dismissal. Three volumes totaling 11 issues were published, as well as several issues of a newsletter in 1990.
The magazine Evangelica
was published from 1980 until 1987 in 8 volumes and promoted the cause of evangelical Adventism. It was started in reaction to Desmond Ford's dismissal from the ministry.
), Faith in Context (Monte Sahlin), Spectrum Blog (Alexander Carpenter
), intersections (Ryan J. Bell), and Johnny's Cache (Johnny A. Ramirez).
John McLarty, former editor of Adventist Today and a self-described "liberal Adventist pastor", blogs at "Liberal Adventist".
was a conservative spinoff, and has more members in total from its involvement of lay people, but less scholars.) The ASRS meets annually as a part of the Society of Biblical Literature
meetings.
Adventist Forum
groups meet regularly around the world.
.
Adventist Today hosted meetings in Monterey
, California
in December 2005, which featured Desmond Ford as speaker.
Church, and co-sponsored by Adventist Forums and Adventist Today. Held in Monterey
, California, it is based partly on a yearly retreat concept popularized by Bill Clinton
. Desmond Ford has been invited as a speaker, but after complaints to church leadership this invitation was withdrawn.
has had positive experiences speaking on numerous Adventist university campuses. Clark Pinnock
gave very favourable reviews of Alden Thompson
's Inspiration, despite the significant attention given to Ellen White in the content, and Richard Rice's theology textbook Reign of God. Pinnock was also impressed by Richard Rice's book The Openness of God, and later was the editor for another work of the same name, contributed by authors Rice, John E. Sanders and others.
The evangelical Christian Research Institute
has offered "a hand of fellowship and encouragement" to what they describe as Evangelical Adventism.
They emphasize or appreciate those statements by Ellen White which affirm other Christians, such as the instruction to come near to ministers of other denominations, to pray with and for them.
Some authors report increased mixing of Adventists with other Christians worshiping on Sunday. For instance in North America, "It’s not uncommon to find a member in church on Sabbath morning who, on another day, joins a study group of a different denomination or no denomination."
Samuel Koranteng-Pipim
displays a strong concern about "liberal" Adventist scholars. By Alden Thompson
's count, "The footnotes label some 66 Adventist scholars, authors, administrators as being on the wrong side of the divide."
Former General Conference president Robert S. Folkenberg
wrote "Will the real evangelical Adventist please stand up?". An article in Proclamation!, a magazine produced by former Adventists critical of Adventism, criticizes progressive Adventism in particular, claiming that evangelicalism and Adventism are incompatible. The authors of Seeking a Sanctuary
have argued that a common theology keeps Adventists together. They claim religions usually remain unified by ethnicity, but this doesn't hold for Adventism which is very culturally diverse.
Former Adventist J. Mark Martin gave talks entitled, "An Evangelical Adventist?"
Andy Nash encountered some within the Adventist Today and Spectrum groups who had a liberal view of Scripture. Some rejected the Bible's position on homosexuality, or believed Adam and Eve or Daniel
were not real people. He commented,
He argues for an atmosphere of tolerance of different perspectives, as long as there is respect for the authority of the Bible.
One book claims qualities of liberal "break-off congregations" as: "1. Call your congregation something besides 'Seventh-day Adventist.'" "2. Mute and muffle distinctive Adventist doctrines." "3. And don't call the SDA Church 'the remnant.'" "4. Downplay our well-defined and long-held standards." "5. Keep the tithes and offerings in your own congregation." "6. Reduce Ellen White's role merely to 'wise old woman.'" "7. Resist any authority from the conference level or higher."
Historians have sometimes found themselves embroiled in dispute. Michael Campbell writes, Adventist "history teachers and the use of historical method became especially suspect as Adventism became more Fundamentalist during the 1920s," during which time its history teachers were "on the front line of those who were pushed out of the church"
According to Terrie Dopp Aamodt, one of the first major "purges" was at Walla Walla College in 1938.
Raymond Cottrell
, who some see as a "progressive Adventist", as he disagreed with certain traditional positions of the church, including the investigative judgment
, says that for the first hundred years in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, administrators and not scholars controlled the church's theology. He sees the 1930s and perhaps earlier as a time church administrators effectively controlled theology, and the 1950s as a time of openness. F. D. Nichol stated that the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary would not have been possible without the theologically open climate in the church during the 1950s and 60s. Cottrell says, "Anyone who attended an 'outside' [non-Adventist] university for training in such subjects as biblical languages, archeology, ancient history, and chronology was automatically considered persona non grata
["not welcome"] by every Adventist college board." Some of the first Adventist "Bible teachers" to attend non-Adventist universities were R. E. Loasby, E. C. Banks, Siegfried Horn
, W. G. C. Murdoch, E. R. Thiele, L. H. Wood, and Graham Maxwell
. They tended to avoid theology classes, for biblical languages, archaeology and so on. Benjamin G. Wilkinson
may have been the first Adventist to earn a PhD. According to Cottrell, the mid-20th century was an "era of good will and cooperation" for Adventists. R. R. Figuhr was president of the General Conference from 1954–1966, and showed much openness. Bible scholars and administrators had a good working relationship. He describes harmony amongst the scholars, which he attributes to the Bible Research Fellowship and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary. He believes that by the late 1960s, the "brief mid-century era of openness" eroded into a "closed-minded, polarized" attitude which continued till at least his time of writing (2002). Cottrell described "the decade of obscurantism
(1969–1979)", listing three "architects of obscurantism" as a "triumvirate
" consisting of General Conference President Robert H. Pierson
, Gordon M. Hyde, and Gerhard Hasel
, responsible for attempting to gain control of Adventist biblical studies. Robert H. Pierson
was General Conference president from 1966 to 1979, during which time Cottrell says he replaced the scholar–administrator dialogue with stricter administrative control, reverting to the 1930s attitudes he knew before he left the United States
as an overseas missionary. According to Cottrell, he was supported by Gordon M. Hyde and Gerhard Hasel
. Hyde attempted to promote Hasel as the church's leading theologian. Hasel did eventually become dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
at Andrews University
. Cottrell says Hasel used his position to make Drs. Sakai Kubo, Ivan Blazen, Fritz Guy
, and Larry Geraty
feel very unwelcome (see: History), and replaced them with former students who accepted his views. Fred Veltman, who was called to closely investigate "literary parallels" in Ellen White's writings, was concerned about his ongoing employment in the church, and whether the results of his study would be publicized. He wrote that General Conference President Neal C. Wilson
that both his employment was secure and that his work would not be in vain. His study is now available online from Adventist Archives. Repeated articles in Spectrum critiquing the church's structure were met with opposition.
According to Cottrell, the "prooftext
" method of Bible study, in which passages are linked but possibly out of context, was utilized by most Adventist Bible scholars since about 1940, according to one author. Since around 1970, a "historical-grammatical method" has been used by some. Cottrell describes it as a hybrid of the prooftext method and the historical method (which considers full context), and says it is used by only a limited number of scholars, but finds strong support amongst church administrators.
Cottrell says the "International Board for Ministerial Training and Endorsement", along with its various local sub-boards, is an attempt to create "the closed, obscurantist, fundamentalist church" envisioned by Pierson-Hyde-Hasel. Instead, Cottrell envisions a scholarly society with a particular nature.
In the early 1980s, the presidents of Southern Missionary College and Pacific Union College were given leave of absence, after criticisms. The 1980 Adventist Review article "Colleges in Trouble" by editor Kenneth Wood
, was seen by some as a contributing factor. Employees were fired at Southern. One significant figure was Jerry A. Gladson, a lecturer who was dismissed by the church.
In the 1990s, Walla Walla College saw controversy.
Scholars have reacted against certain proposals to introduce centralized oversight of theological education, such as former General Conference president Robert Folkenberg
's "Total Commitment to God" initiative, which was voted by the Annual Council at Costa Rica
in 1996. In 1998 Folkenberg's action to establish an overseeing "Board of Ministerial and Theological Education" in every Division of the church to oversee its theological seminaries "evoked significant criticism in some areas, including North America", and was put on hold. There was concern over the document "International Coordination and Supervision of Seventh-day Adventist Ministerial and Theological Education".
According to one article, at the 2001 annual meeting of the Andrews Society for Religious Studies, "not a single person had anything good to say about this program. No one. Perhaps there was secret support for it, but no one spoke out loud expressing the slightest support". This is despite a range of people being present.
See also 2003 Conference on Religious and Theological Education, Adventist Today
article. Alden Thompson
and John Brunt at what is now Walla Walla University
, "continued to promote the virtues of reason", prompting an official investigation of the educational institution.
Debates over origins or creation/evolution have been significant. Since 2009, some criticised La Sierra University because some lecturers have allegedly affirmed biological evolution. Criticism came in 2009 from an open letter by pastor David Asscherick
, and a website "Educate Truth" founded by graduate Shane Hilde, who also collected over 5000 signatures in a petition. As of 2009, church and university leaders had declined to discipline those involved. General Conference president Jan Paulsen
made "An Appeal" supporting Creation, and also affirmed the work of Adventist lecturers. The board of trustees of the university affirmed creationism. The debate was reported in the Adventist Review in 2010. The university president responded that a student would never be disciplined for upholding Adventist beliefs, but rather for inappropriate conduct. Others said the student was not disruptive. The immediate past (and emeritus) president affirmed, "LSU continues to be a sound, loyal Seventh-day Adventist institution where victories for Christ happen every day." The local Conference president affirmed both "recent six-day creation", and strongly affirmed the university.
See the 1987 official church statement "A Statement on Theological and Academic Freedom and Accountability".
Critical:
Descriptive:
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
who disagree with certain beliefs traditionally held by mainstream Adventism and officially by the church. They are often described as liberal Adventism by other Adventists, the term "progressive" is generally preferred as a self-description. This article describes terms such as evangelical Adventism, cultural Adventism, charismatic Adventism, and progressive Adventism and others, which are generally related but have distinctions.
Progressives typically disagree with one or more of the church's basic beliefs such as the Sabbath or "distinctive" beliefs such as the investigative judgment
Investigative judgment
The investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
, the remnant
Remnant (Adventist)
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, there will be an end time remnant of believers who are faithful to God.The remnant church is a visible, historical, organized body characterized by obedience to the commandments of God and the possession of a unique end-time gospel proclamation...
, a future global Sunday-law, or a use of Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
's writings. They also tend to question some of the denomination's 28 fundamental beliefs
28 Fundamentals
The 28 Fundamentals are a core set of theological beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Traditionally, Adventists have been opposed to the formulation of creeds. It is claimed that the 28 Fundamentals are descriptors not prescriptors; that is, that they describe the official position of...
: with debate arising on the nature of the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, the Gift of Prophecy, Creation
Creation
Creation may refer to:In religion and philosophy:*Creation myth, stories of the supernatural creation of the Earth and its inhabitants*Genesis creation narrative, The Biblical account of creationIn science and technology:...
or observance of the seventh-day Sabbath." A major factor in its rise was as a result of Adventists going to for some studies ti many non-theological universities, which was sparked by the need for government accreditation for its educational institutions. It also has many similarities with the ecumenical emerging church
Emerging Church
The emerging church is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants can be described as evangelical, Protestant, Catholic, post-evangelical, anabaptist, adventist, liberal, post-liberal, reformed, charismatic,...
movement. Perceptions and definitions of it may differ somewhat depending on the author, although much in common is also clearly discernible.
History
The movement emerged from interactions with evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians in the 1950s, which included the publication of Questions on Doctrine
Questions on Doctrine
Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine is a book published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1957 to help explain Adventism to conservative Protestants and Evangelicals...
. This period marked a shift in the broader Christian world's perception of Adventists, from being viewed as a sect to being more commonly accepted as a legitimate Christian denomination. The label "progressive Adventist" was created in the mid-1960s by Spectrum
Spectrum (magazine)
Spectrum is the official publication of Adventist Forums, published four times a year. It was established "to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the...
magazine, according to one author.
One scholar wrote in 2001,
- "It is only within the last few decades that the Adventist Review has recognized editorially that there exists within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, at least in North America, 'liberals,' 'liberal churches,' 'liberal colleges/universities' and 'liberal conferences.' Depending on the author and his/her agenda, Adventist liberals are compared and/or contrasted with 'conservative Adventists,' 'historic Adventists,' 'Bible-believing (or EGWEllen G. WhiteEllen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
-believing) Adventists,' 'traditional Adventists,' 'evangelical Adventists,' 'cultural Adventists,' and/or 'ecumenical Adventists.'"
Beliefs and practices
Progressives tend to agree on some beliefs, while there is greater variation on others. According to one author, Progressive Adventism "regrets the anti-intellectual, authoritarian and obscurant tendencies that characterize a significant segment of traditional, historic Adventism, along with the attempts at creating a creed out of the "27 Fundamental Doctrines.""Ron Corson identifies four common areas of progressive belief:
- Investigative judgment. A different view of the investigative judgmentInvestigative judgmentThe investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
, or a denial of its biblical basis. - Remnant. An inclusion of other Christians in the term remnantRemnant (Adventist)In Seventh-day Adventist theology, there will be an end time remnant of believers who are faithful to God.The remnant church is a visible, historical, organized body characterized by obedience to the commandments of God and the possession of a unique end-time gospel proclamation...
. - Ellen White. A less rigid view of the Inspiration of Ellen WhiteInspiration of Ellen WhiteSeventh-day Adventists believe church co-founder Ellen G. White was inspired by God as a prophet, today understood as a manifestation of the New Testament "gift of prophecy", as described in the official beliefs of the church...
, from recognizing her fallibility to perhaps even denying her prophetic gift. - Sabbath. An emphasis on the benefits of the SabbathSabbath in Seventh-day AdventismSabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of seventh-day Christians. These believers observe Sabbath on the seventh Hebrew day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, in similar manner as in Judaism, rather than Lord's day on Sunday like a most forms of Christianity...
, but a denial that it is the "seal of God" or that Sunday keeping will ever become the mark of the beast.
Inclusive
Progressives are inclusive of other types of Adventists, and believe different beliefs and types should be welcomed as part of the community. An example is Alden ThompsonAlden Thompson
Alden Lloyd Thompson is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian theologian, author and popular speaker and seminar presenter. He is the professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University in Washington, United States...
's 2009 book Beyond Common Ground: Why Liberals and Conservatives Need Each Other.
Sabbath
Progressive Adventists emphasize some of the positive aspects of the Sabbath such as it being made for human benefit , but deny that Sunday keeping is or ever will be the mark of the beast.Origins
They tend to challenge traditional teachings such as young earth creationismYoung Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
and accept some aspects of evolution. Clifford Goldstein
Clifford Goldstein
Clifford R. Goldstein is an American author and editor. He is a leading figure in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and espouses traditional Adventist beliefs.- Biography :...
and other Adventists have argued that evolution and Adventism are incompatible.
Church structure
Progressive Adventists typically believe the present church structure is very "top heavy" with too many levels of leadership, and possibly too much hierarchical control. (Many mainstream Adventists such as George KnightGeorge R. Knight
George Raymond Knight is a Seventh-day Adventist historian and educator. He is emeritus professor of church history at Andrews University.- Biography :Knight joined the Adventist church through the ministry of Ralph Larson...
have also called for change in this area.)
Free press
Progressive Adventists typically believe in candid reporting of news and information about the church whether positive or negative. They believe in open discussion in a free press. (This view is also shared by many more mainstream Adventists such as former editors of the Australian Record James Coffin and Bruce Manners. Coffin was also on the staff of the Adventist Review.)Music
Progressive Adventists are typically open to a variety of styles of worship music in church including contemporary Christian musicContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
.
Theatre
For instance, Spectrum regularly reviews films. William G. JohnssonWilliam G. Johnsson
William G. "Bill" Johnsson is a Seventh-day Adventist editor and church leader.- Biography :Born in Australia, he earned a degree in chemical technology before attending Avondale College, where he met his wife Nolene Johnsson. Johnsson earned his Th.D. in theology from Vanderbilt University...
shared his concern that "the great majority of our youth, and increasing numbers of older members, pastors included, reject the church’s standard of not going to the movies. To me, this is a serious matter. Many Adventists have lower viewing standards than evangelical Christians. Large numbers of our people, I fear, are being seduced by the all-pervasive media. Instead of the Bible, movies, television, and music are shaping their values and attitudes. They are becoming conformed to the world, rather than living as new beings in Christ transformed by His grace."
Cultural Adventism
A similar group have been referred to as "cultural Adventists". This term may be used of the majority of Adventists who are not overly concerned with theology, such as evangelical Kenneth Samples' description of "a segment that is atheological in nature and reflects what [he] would call a cultural Adventism." It may also refer to those who feel an attachment towards the Adventist church for cultural reasons rather than strict theological conformity. Some authors have commented that the Adventist cultural is a strong binding force.Clifford Goldstein has declared,
- "A cultural Adventist? The concept's incomprehensible to me... I'm an Adventist for one reason: the beliefs, the teachings, the doctrines that this church — and this church alone — espouses. If it were not for them, I'd be gone faster than the junk food at church potluckPotluckA potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the group...
s. The Seventh-day Adventist culture had nothing to do with bringing me here. On the contrary, coming as I did from a secular JewishSecular Jewish cultureSecular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena; above all, it is the international culture of secular communities of Jewish people, but it can also include the cultural contributions of individuals who identify as secular Jews...
background, the culture was the biggest obstacle."
Compare "Cultural Christian
Cultural Christian
A cultural Christian is a secular or irreligious individual who still significantly identifies with Christian culture. The term is used, for example, by atheist Richard Dawkins in reference to himself...
".
Charismatic Adventism
While Adventist church worshipChristian worship
In Christianity, worship is adoration and contemplation of God.-Overview:Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has been primarily liturgical, characterized by prayers and hymns, with texts rooted in, or closely related to, the Scripture, particularly the Psalter;...
is commonly conservative, a minor segment of the church is charismatic
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
in nature. Phenomena of this nature have been present throughout Adventist history
History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its roots in the Millerite movement of the 1830s and 1840s, during the period of the Second Great Awakening, and was officially founded in 1863. Prominent figures in the early church included Hiram Edson, James Springer White and his wife Ellen G. White, Joseph...
, resulting in such things as the Holy Flesh movement
Holy Flesh movement
The Holy Flesh movement was a controversy within the Seventh-day Adventist Church over worship from the 1890s till 1901. It was a counterfeit revival which contained an outbreak of Pentecostal-like phenomena in the U.S. state of Indiana. The movement died out in 1901.- Beginnings :A. F. Ballenger ,...
.
Liberal Adventism
The term liberal Adventist or left-wing Adventist usually means "progressive Adventist" (the preferred self-designation; see above). This is appropriate because most progressive Adventists are still "conservativeConservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
" or evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians, for example most do believe in the resurrection of Jesus
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
. They do not hold to a "libertine
Libertine
A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...
" or "anything goes" attitude which the term "liberal" sometimes implies. They also do not believe in the foundational or fundamental beliefs of the Adventist church. A small number of Adventists are actually liberal Christians
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
, accepting such things as homosexuality.
According to evangelical Kenneth Samples, "It should also be mentioned that, though small, there was and is a segment in Adventism which could be described as being theologically liberal" or even "very liberal". He claims it rejects Christ's vicarious substitutionary atonement
Substitutionary atonement
Technically speaking, substitutionary atonement is the name given to a number of Christian models of the atonement that all regard Jesus as dying as a substitute for others, "instead of" them...
.
Ron Corson wrote,
- "[Progressive Adventists] could be termed liberal, except that the term 'liberal Christian' generally refers to those who don't believe that Christ was resurrected nor that he performed miracles, and who hold other tenets with which most Progressive SDA's would not agree. These 'liberals' are often involved in the Jesus SeminarJesus SeminarThe Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 critical scholars and laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk under the auspices of the Westar Institute....
s.
Social action
Some Adventists describe themselves as "liberal" to mean they are liberal or left-wing politicallyLeft-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, and have a concern for social action.
Other terms
Also compare to the "Evangelical leftEvangelical left
Evangelical left is a term used to describe those who are part of the Christian evangelical movement in the United States but who generally function on the left wing of that movement, either politically or theologically, or both...
" and "Progressive Christianity
Progressive Christianity
Progressive Christianity is the name given to a movement within contemporary Christianity characterized by willingness to question tradition, acceptance of human diversity with a strong emphasis on social justice or care for the poor and the oppressed and environmental stewardship of the Earth...
". Also compare to the "Christian/religious left
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
" (although this term is associated with left-wing politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
).
Other terms such as ecumenical Adventist and evangelical Adventist have been used, with presumably related meaning. (Compare the much broader movements "Ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
" and "Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
" within Christianity as a whole).
Moves toward mainstream Christianity
The 1957 publication of Questions on DoctrineQuestions on Doctrine
Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine is a book published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1957 to help explain Adventism to conservative Protestants and Evangelicals...
(QOD) as a result of dialog with critic Walter Martin is seen as a beginning for liberal Adventism. According to one author, the roots of evangelical Adventism can be traced to scholars who met with Martin and Barnhouse
Donald Barnhouse
Donald Grey Barnhouse Th.D , was an American Christian preacher, pastor, theologian, radio pioneer, and writer.-Career:...
, or earlier. "The seeds of this movement were sown within the denomination via the book QOD in 1957, and the seed-plot was watered by the public ministries of such men as R. A. Anderson, H. M. S. Richards, Sr., Edward Heppenstall
Edward Heppenstall
Edward E. Heppenstall was a leading Bible scholar and theologian of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A 1985 questionnaire of North American Adventist lecturers revealed Heppenstall was the Adventist writer who had most influenced them.- Biography :Heppenstall was born in 1901 at Rotherham,...
, Robert Brinsmead
Robert Brinsmead
Robert Daniel "Bob" Brinsmead is a formerly controversial figure within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1960s and 1970s, known for his diverse theological journey....
, Desmond Ford
Desmond Ford
Desmond "Des" Ford is an evangelical Christian and an Australian theologian. He is the father of pornography gossip columnist Luke Ford....
, Smuts van Rooyen, and others." This book precipitated the different factions. The movement emerged with Ford and Brinsmead as its main spokesmen. Desmond Ford apostatized from the church's viewpoint in the 1970s, with issues with church doctrine similar to A. F. Ballenger
A. F. Ballenger
A. F. Ballenger , was a Seventh-day Adventist Minister who started the "Receive Ye the Holy Ghost" movement which helped inspired the Holy Flesh movement in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and later was dismissed from the church.-Biography:...
. Many liberals left the church in this period and liberals still follow and cite his viewpoints.
According to one author, liberals are united by belief in the pre-fallen ature of Jesus (and hold he was primarily our substitute not our example), assurance of salvation, overcoming sin or perfectionism is impossible, that Jesus ascended straight to the most holy place in heaven at his ascension (although opinions varied on a pre-advent judgment
Pre-advent judgment
In Christian theology, the pre-advent judgment is a belief that the final judgment will occur before the Second Coming of Jesus....
), Ellen White had the gift of prophecy but was not infallible nor should be used for doctrine.
Operational
Progressive Adventists such as Raymond Cottrell, was responsible for much of today's independent media within the Adventist Church. These include SpectrumSpectrum (magazine)
Spectrum is the official publication of Adventist Forums, published four times a year. It was established "to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the...
(archives), a newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
published by Adventist Forums
Adventist Forums
Adventist Forums is an international non-profit organization of Seventh-day Adventists. It publishes Spectrum magazine. Its stated aim is to create community through open conversation. Local groups of the association are known as local forum chapters...
, that has been the premier progressive Adventist magazine since its founding in 1969. In addition to its quarterly journal, Spectrum also runs a regularly updated website with commentary and reports on the latest news and developments within the Church and other areas. Progressive Adventists also established Adventist Today
Adventist Today
Adventist Today is a bimonthly Christian magazine representing a progressive Seventh-day Adventist perspective. First published in 1993, it is currently edited by J. David Newman, the former editor of Ministry...
(archives), a bimonthly magazine first published in 1993. Unlike Spectrum it is more focussed on news reporting. In 2008 Adventist Today made a renewed commitment to reporting on a greater diversity of Adventist views.
Also started by Progressives was Adventist Heritage: A Journal of Adventist History (archives), "which provided an important liberal platform" from 1974 to 1998 in roughly 18 volumes. It was supported by the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians and other groups. Gary Land was a founding editor, as was Ronald Numbers
Ronald Numbers
Ronald L. Numbers is an American historian of science. He was awarded the 2008 George Sarton Medal by the History of Science Society for "a lifetime of exceptional scholarly achievement by a distinguished scholar".- Biography :...
. Jonathan M. Butler
Jonathan M. Butler
Jonathan M. Butler is an historian of religion. He was formerly employed as a lecturer by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.- Biography :Jonathan Butler completed his doctorate at the University of Chicago....
served as editor for a decade. Published twice yearly, it was acquired by Loma Linda University.
Historical
A number of Progressive Adventist publications have gone out of print. These include Present Truth MagazinePresent Truth Magazine
Present Truth Magazine is an evangelical Christian magazine, started by Robert Brinsmead, a former Seventh-day Adventist.- History :The magazine was started by Robert Brinsmead in 1972. It was a free monthly publication....
(archives) founded by Robert Brinsmead in 1972 with a grace/gospel-centered focus. In 1978 Brinsmead changed its title to Verdict, to reflect his move away from evangelical Christianity. The material on the Present Truth Magazine website is produced by the "Gospel Friends Christian Fellowship", which they explain to be an association of evangelical Seventh-day Adventists. It does not necessarily represent Brinsmead's current views. 52 issues were apparently published.
The Good News Unlimited magazine (archives) is published by Desmond Ford's ministry of the same name. It began in 1981 as a bimonthly, switched to monthly publication in mid-2003, and continues to be published as of 2008. A related magazine is Good News for Adventists.
Adventist Professional was an Australian magazine published quarterly from 1989 to 1999 by the Association of Business and Professional Members (formerly "[...] Men") based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, an organization of Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Adventist business and professional laypeople established in 1961. Eleven volumes were published, and Trevor Lloyd is a former editor.
The magazine Adventist Currents
Adventist Currents
Adventist Currents is a discontinued magazine which was published independently by progressively-minded Seventh-day Adventists from 1983 until 1988.- History :...
(archives) was published from 1983 to 1988 in California as a response to Ford's dismissal. Three volumes totaling 11 issues were published, as well as several issues of a newsletter in 1990.
The magazine Evangelica
Evangelica
Evangelica was a magazine started in 1980 following the controversial dismissal of Seventh-day Adventist theologian Desmond Ford. It was published until 1987, and had an "Evangelical Adventist" perspective.It has .- History :...
was published from 1980 until 1987 in 8 volumes and promoted the cause of evangelical Adventism. It was started in reaction to Desmond Ford's dismissal from the ministry.
Blogs
The internet is having an increasing role with various Adventist blogs which are progressive. One non-Adventist author believes "Adventism is currently in a conservative phase, and... a new liberal epoch in Adventism is due anytime from now... Maybe it has already started with [Julius Nam and his] fellow progressive bloggers—the Julius-Monte-Alex-Ryan-Johnny axis!" This presumably refers to the blogs Progressive Adventism (Julius NamJulius Nam
Julius Juhyeok Nam is an associate professor of religion at Loma Linda University School of Religion in California, and a commissioned minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He teaches Adventist history and theology. He is active in the American Academy of Religion, Adventist Society for...
), Faith in Context (Monte Sahlin), Spectrum Blog (Alexander Carpenter
Alexander Carpenter
Alexander Carpenter, Latinized as Fabricius , was the author of the Destructorium viciorum, a religious work popular in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries...
), intersections (Ryan J. Bell), and Johnny's Cache (Johnny A. Ramirez).
John McLarty, former editor of Adventist Today and a self-described "liberal Adventist pastor", blogs at "Liberal Adventist".
Conferences
Numerous Adventist conferences and meetings have a progressive flavor. Possibly see also the International Conference on Innovation.Adventist Society for Religious Studies
The Adventist Society for Religious Studies (ASRS) is the more progressive of the two main Adventist theological societies. (The other, the Adventist Theological SocietyAdventist Theological Society
The Adventist Theological Society is an international nonprofit organization of Seventh-day Adventist scholars and lay-people. The society holds its annual meeting in connection with the Evangelical Theological Society. It describes its theology as "balanced and conservative Adventist theology"...
was a conservative spinoff, and has more members in total from its involvement of lay people, but less scholars.) The ASRS meets annually as a part of the Society of Biblical Literature
Society of Biblical Literature
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded 1880, is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies , with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical Scholarship"...
meetings.
Adventist Forums Conference
Adventist Forums hosts an annual conference.Adventist Forum
Adventist Forums
Adventist Forums is an international non-profit organization of Seventh-day Adventists. It publishes Spectrum magazine. Its stated aim is to create community through open conversation. Local groups of the association are known as local forum chapters...
groups meet regularly around the world.
Adventist Today Conference
The first camp meeting was held in 1998 in RiversideRiverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
.
Adventist Today hosted meetings in Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in December 2005, which featured Desmond Ford as speaker.
Spiritual Renaissance Retreat
The Spiritual Renaissance Retreat is an annual event hosted by John and Joan Hughson of Pacific Union CollegePacific Union College
Pacific Union College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Angwin, California, United States. It is the only four-year college in Napa County, California....
Church, and co-sponsored by Adventist Forums and Adventist Today. Held in Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, California, it is based partly on a yearly retreat concept popularized by Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Desmond Ford has been invited as a speaker, but after complaints to church leadership this invitation was withdrawn.
Relations with other Christians
Progressive Adventists display an open and inclusive attitude towards other Christians and other beliefs. Other Christians have often had positive experiences interacting with progressive Adventists. Tony CampoloTony Campolo
Dr. Anthony "Tony" Campolo is an American pastor, author, sociologist, and public speaker known for challenging evangelical Christians by illustrating how their faith can offer solutions in a world of complexity. With his liberal political and social attitudes, he has been a major proponent for...
has had positive experiences speaking on numerous Adventist university campuses. Clark Pinnock
Clark Pinnock
Clark H. Pinnock was a Christian theologian, apologist and author. He was Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College.-Education and career:...
gave very favourable reviews of Alden Thompson
Alden Thompson
Alden Lloyd Thompson is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian theologian, author and popular speaker and seminar presenter. He is the professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University in Washington, United States...
's Inspiration, despite the significant attention given to Ellen White in the content, and Richard Rice's theology textbook Reign of God. Pinnock was also impressed by Richard Rice's book The Openness of God, and later was the editor for another work of the same name, contributed by authors Rice, John E. Sanders and others.
The evangelical Christian Research Institute
Christian Research Institute
The Christian Research Institute is an Evangelical Christian apologetics ministry. It was established in October 1960 in the state of New Jersey by Walter Martin . In 1974 Martin relocated the ministry to San Juan Capistrano, California. The ministry's office was relocated in the 1990s near Rancho...
has offered "a hand of fellowship and encouragement" to what they describe as Evangelical Adventism.
They emphasize or appreciate those statements by Ellen White which affirm other Christians, such as the instruction to come near to ministers of other denominations, to pray with and for them.
Some authors report increased mixing of Adventists with other Christians worshiping on Sunday. For instance in North America, "It’s not uncommon to find a member in church on Sabbath morning who, on another day, joins a study group of a different denomination or no denomination."
Criticism
Clifford Goldstein has criticized cultural Adventists and the Adventist left, as described above. He had a blog on the Adventist Today website for nearly one year. See particularly the blogs, "Will the Real 'Thinking' Adventist Please Stand Up?" part one and part two. He applies an Ellen White to liberal Adventists, "We have far more to fear from within than from without."Samuel Koranteng-Pipim
Samuel Koranteng-Pipim
Samuel Koranteng Pipim is a US-based Ghanaian author, speaker, and theologian. Trained in engineering and systematic theology, he based his office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where, up until 2011, he ministered to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Michigan. He has authored and...
displays a strong concern about "liberal" Adventist scholars. By Alden Thompson
Alden Thompson
Alden Lloyd Thompson is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian theologian, author and popular speaker and seminar presenter. He is the professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University in Washington, United States...
's count, "The footnotes label some 66 Adventist scholars, authors, administrators as being on the wrong side of the divide."
Former General Conference president Robert S. Folkenberg
Robert S. Folkenberg
Robert Stanley Folkenberg, , served as General Conference president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1990 through to his resignation in 1999...
wrote "Will the real evangelical Adventist please stand up?". An article in Proclamation!, a magazine produced by former Adventists critical of Adventism, criticizes progressive Adventism in particular, claiming that evangelicalism and Adventism are incompatible. The authors of Seeking a Sanctuary
Seeking a Sanctuary
Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-day Adventism and the American Dream is a book about the Seventh-day Adventist Church coauthored by Malcolm Bull and Keith Lockhart...
have argued that a common theology keeps Adventists together. They claim religions usually remain unified by ethnicity, but this doesn't hold for Adventism which is very culturally diverse.
Former Adventist J. Mark Martin gave talks entitled, "An Evangelical Adventist?"
Andy Nash encountered some within the Adventist Today and Spectrum groups who had a liberal view of Scripture. Some rejected the Bible's position on homosexuality, or believed Adam and Eve or Daniel
Daniel
Daniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
were not real people. He commented,
- "Do you see the irony here? At times, this movement has struggled to make room for those who took a high view of Scripture, who grappled with the biblical text but arrived at different conclusions. Yet today we have “thought leaders” willing to set aside major teachings of Scripture altogether."
He argues for an atmosphere of tolerance of different perspectives, as long as there is respect for the authority of the Bible.
One book claims qualities of liberal "break-off congregations" as: "1. Call your congregation something besides 'Seventh-day Adventist.'" "2. Mute and muffle distinctive Adventist doctrines." "3. And don't call the SDA Church 'the remnant.'" "4. Downplay our well-defined and long-held standards." "5. Keep the tithes and offerings in your own congregation." "6. Reduce Ellen White's role merely to 'wise old woman.'" "7. Resist any authority from the conference level or higher."
University controversies
At times there has been intense discussion between church educators, and church administrators and lay people. Progressives believe in academic freedom for the church's theologians and scientists. The church administrators are known as generally more conservative, which has led to differences of opinion with academics, who are known as generally more liberal. The Spectrum editors have said, "Every ten years or so another witch hunt occurs" in Adventist higher education.Historians have sometimes found themselves embroiled in dispute. Michael Campbell writes, Adventist "history teachers and the use of historical method became especially suspect as Adventism became more Fundamentalist during the 1920s," during which time its history teachers were "on the front line of those who were pushed out of the church"
According to Terrie Dopp Aamodt, one of the first major "purges" was at Walla Walla College in 1938.
Raymond Cottrell
Raymond Cottrell
Raymond Forrest Cottrell was a respected Adventist theologian, missionary, teacher, writer and editor. He was an associate editor of both the Adventist Review and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary...
, who some see as a "progressive Adventist", as he disagreed with certain traditional positions of the church, including the investigative judgment
Investigative judgment
The investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
, says that for the first hundred years in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, administrators and not scholars controlled the church's theology. He sees the 1930s and perhaps earlier as a time church administrators effectively controlled theology, and the 1950s as a time of openness. F. D. Nichol stated that the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary would not have been possible without the theologically open climate in the church during the 1950s and 60s. Cottrell says, "Anyone who attended an 'outside' [non-Adventist] university for training in such subjects as biblical languages, archeology, ancient history, and chronology was automatically considered persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
["not welcome"] by every Adventist college board." Some of the first Adventist "Bible teachers" to attend non-Adventist universities were R. E. Loasby, E. C. Banks, Siegfried Horn
Siegfried Horn
Siegfried Herbert Horn was a Seventh-day Adventist archaeologist and Bible scholar. He is perhaps best known for his numerous books and articles and for his excavations at Tell Hesban in Jordan. He was Professor of History of Antiquity at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien...
, W. G. C. Murdoch, E. R. Thiele, L. H. Wood, and Graham Maxwell
Graham Maxwell
Arthur Graham Crowder Maxwell , often abbreviated as A. Graham Maxwell, was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and the emeritus professor of New Testament studies at Loma Linda University...
. They tended to avoid theology classes, for biblical languages, archaeology and so on. Benjamin G. Wilkinson
Benjamin G. Wilkinson
Dr. Benjamin George Wilkinson was a Seventh-day Adventist missionary, educator, theologian and the Dean of Theology at the Seventh-day Adventist Washington Missionary College which is located in Takoma Park, Maryland, near Washington, D.C.-Biography:Wilkinson is an obscure figure today, and is...
may have been the first Adventist to earn a PhD. According to Cottrell, the mid-20th century was an "era of good will and cooperation" for Adventists. R. R. Figuhr was president of the General Conference from 1954–1966, and showed much openness. Bible scholars and administrators had a good working relationship. He describes harmony amongst the scholars, which he attributes to the Bible Research Fellowship and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary. He believes that by the late 1960s, the "brief mid-century era of openness" eroded into a "closed-minded, polarized" attitude which continued till at least his time of writing (2002). Cottrell described "the decade of obscurantism
Obscurantism
Obscurantism is the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or the full details of some matter from becoming known. There are two, common, historical and intellectual, denotations: 1) restricting knowledge—opposition to the spread of knowledge, a policy of withholding knowledge from the...
(1969–1979)", listing three "architects of obscurantism" as a "triumvirate
Triumvirate
A triumvirate is a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals, each a triumvir . The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case...
" consisting of General Conference President Robert H. Pierson
Robert H. Pierson
Robert Howard Pierson was a president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 1935 he went to work in Bombay, India. In 1939, while in India, he was ordained as a minister of the Adventist church...
, Gordon M. Hyde, and Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Franz Hasel was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology as well as Dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. His best known works are Old Testament Theology: Basic Issues in the Current Debate and New...
, responsible for attempting to gain control of Adventist biblical studies. Robert H. Pierson
Robert H. Pierson
Robert Howard Pierson was a president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 1935 he went to work in Bombay, India. In 1939, while in India, he was ordained as a minister of the Adventist church...
was General Conference president from 1966 to 1979, during which time Cottrell says he replaced the scholar–administrator dialogue with stricter administrative control, reverting to the 1930s attitudes he knew before he left the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as an overseas missionary. According to Cottrell, he was supported by Gordon M. Hyde and Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Franz Hasel was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology as well as Dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. His best known works are Old Testament Theology: Basic Issues in the Current Debate and New...
. Hyde attempted to promote Hasel as the church's leading theologian. Hasel did eventually become dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary is the seminary located at Andrews University in Michigan, the Seventh-day Adventist Church's flagship university...
at Andrews University
Andrews University
Andrews University is a Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College in Battle Creek, Michigan, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists, and is the flagship university of the Seventh-day...
. Cottrell says Hasel used his position to make Drs. Sakai Kubo, Ivan Blazen, Fritz Guy
Fritz Guy
Fritz Guy is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and Research Professor of Philosophical Theology at La Sierra University in Riverside, California. He has worked as a college and university professor, an academic administrator, and a church pastor...
, and Larry Geraty
Larry Geraty
Lawrence "Larry" T. Geraty is an American academic who served as the second President of La Sierra University in Riverside, California. He completed his undergraduate education at Pacific Union College in California's Napa Valley and received a doctorate in biblical studies from Harvard University...
feel very unwelcome (see: History), and replaced them with former students who accepted his views. Fred Veltman, who was called to closely investigate "literary parallels" in Ellen White's writings, was concerned about his ongoing employment in the church, and whether the results of his study would be publicized. He wrote that General Conference President Neal C. Wilson
Neal C. Wilson
Neal C. Wilson, served as General Conference president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1979 through to 1990. Wilson was head of the North American Division when elected on January 3, 1979, to take the place of the ailing former General Conference president Robert Pierson, who had resigned...
that both his employment was secure and that his work would not be in vain. His study is now available online from Adventist Archives. Repeated articles in Spectrum critiquing the church's structure were met with opposition.
According to Cottrell, the "prooftext
Prooftext
Prooftexting is the practice of using isolated quotations from a document to establish a proposition. Using discrete quotations is generally seen as decontextualised...
" method of Bible study, in which passages are linked but possibly out of context, was utilized by most Adventist Bible scholars since about 1940, according to one author. Since around 1970, a "historical-grammatical method" has been used by some. Cottrell describes it as a hybrid of the prooftext method and the historical method (which considers full context), and says it is used by only a limited number of scholars, but finds strong support amongst church administrators.
Cottrell says the "International Board for Ministerial Training and Endorsement", along with its various local sub-boards, is an attempt to create "the closed, obscurantist, fundamentalist church" envisioned by Pierson-Hyde-Hasel. Instead, Cottrell envisions a scholarly society with a particular nature.
In the early 1980s, the presidents of Southern Missionary College and Pacific Union College were given leave of absence, after criticisms. The 1980 Adventist Review article "Colleges in Trouble" by editor Kenneth Wood
Kenneth H. Wood
Kenneth H. Wood, Jr. was a Seventh-day Adventist minister, author, editor, and administrator. Since 1980 he served as chairman of the Ellen G. White Estate board of trustees. By virtue of this position he also served as an ex officio member of the General Conference Executive Committee.- Life and...
, was seen by some as a contributing factor. Employees were fired at Southern. One significant figure was Jerry A. Gladson, a lecturer who was dismissed by the church.
In the 1990s, Walla Walla College saw controversy.
Scholars have reacted against certain proposals to introduce centralized oversight of theological education, such as former General Conference president Robert Folkenberg
Robert S. Folkenberg
Robert Stanley Folkenberg, , served as General Conference president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1990 through to his resignation in 1999...
's "Total Commitment to God" initiative, which was voted by the Annual Council at Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in 1996. In 1998 Folkenberg's action to establish an overseeing "Board of Ministerial and Theological Education" in every Division of the church to oversee its theological seminaries "evoked significant criticism in some areas, including North America", and was put on hold. There was concern over the document "International Coordination and Supervision of Seventh-day Adventist Ministerial and Theological Education".
According to one article, at the 2001 annual meeting of the Andrews Society for Religious Studies, "not a single person had anything good to say about this program. No one. Perhaps there was secret support for it, but no one spoke out loud expressing the slightest support". This is despite a range of people being present.
See also 2003 Conference on Religious and Theological Education, Adventist Today
Adventist Today
Adventist Today is a bimonthly Christian magazine representing a progressive Seventh-day Adventist perspective. First published in 1993, it is currently edited by J. David Newman, the former editor of Ministry...
article. Alden Thompson
Alden Thompson
Alden Lloyd Thompson is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian theologian, author and popular speaker and seminar presenter. He is the professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University in Washington, United States...
and John Brunt at what is now Walla Walla University
Walla Walla University
Walla Walla University is a University offering liberal arts, professional, and technical programs located in College Place, Washington, just a few miles from Walla Walla. The current President is John McVay. It was founded in 1892 and is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.The...
, "continued to promote the virtues of reason", prompting an official investigation of the educational institution.
Debates over origins or creation/evolution have been significant. Since 2009, some criticised La Sierra University because some lecturers have allegedly affirmed biological evolution. Criticism came in 2009 from an open letter by pastor David Asscherick
David Asscherick
David Asscherick is the co-founder and director of ARISE Institute. He is the former pastor of the Troy Seventh-day Adventist Church in Troy, Michigan. He has been featured on 3ABN and Hope Channel and has been a regular presenter at the annual Generation of Youth for Christ conferences.He is a...
, and a website "Educate Truth" founded by graduate Shane Hilde, who also collected over 5000 signatures in a petition. As of 2009, church and university leaders had declined to discipline those involved. General Conference president Jan Paulsen
Jan Paulsen
Dr. Jan Paulsen was elected President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on March 1, 1999, at the age of 64...
made "An Appeal" supporting Creation, and also affirmed the work of Adventist lecturers. The board of trustees of the university affirmed creationism. The debate was reported in the Adventist Review in 2010. The university president responded that a student would never be disciplined for upholding Adventist beliefs, but rather for inappropriate conduct. Others said the student was not disruptive. The immediate past (and emeritus) president affirmed, "LSU continues to be a sound, loyal Seventh-day Adventist institution where victories for Christ happen every day." The local Conference president affirmed both "recent six-day creation", and strongly affirmed the university.
See the 1987 official church statement "A Statement on Theological and Academic Freedom and Accountability".
See also
- Adventist studies
- Adventist TodayAdventist TodayAdventist Today is a bimonthly Christian magazine representing a progressive Seventh-day Adventist perspective. First published in 1993, it is currently edited by J. David Newman, the former editor of Ministry...
- Charismatic AdventismCharismatic AdventismCharismatic Adventists are a segment of Seventh-day Adventist Church that is closely related to "Progressive Adventism", a liberal movement within the church.- Music :...
- Historic AdventismHistoric AdventismHistoric Adventism is an informal designation for conservative individuals and organizations affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church who seek to preserve certain traditional beliefs and practices of the church. As a general rule, Historic Adventists feel that the church leadership has...
- Progressive ChristianityProgressive ChristianityProgressive Christianity is the name given to a movement within contemporary Christianity characterized by willingness to question tradition, acceptance of human diversity with a strong emphasis on social justice or care for the poor and the oppressed and environmental stewardship of the Earth...
- Seventh-day Adventist educationSeventh-day Adventist educationThe Seventh-day Adventist educational system is the second-largest Christian school system in the world, after the Roman Catholic system ....
- Seventh-day Adventist theology
- Spectrum (magazine)Spectrum (magazine)Spectrum is the official publication of Adventist Forums, published four times a year. It was established "to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the...
External links
Progressive:- The Spectrum Blog, by Spectrum magazine
- Adventist Today magazine
- Adventist TodayAdventist TodayAdventist Today is a bimonthly Christian magazine representing a progressive Seventh-day Adventist perspective. First published in 1993, it is currently edited by J. David Newman, the former editor of Ministry...
articles from the Jan/Feb 1994 edition. "The Faces of Adventism Across America (introduction) by James Walters- "Progressive Adventism: Dragging the Church Forward" by Madelynn Jones-Haldemann
- See also J. David Newman, "How Much Diversity Can We Stand?" (DjVuDjVuDjVu is a computer file format designed primarily to store scanned documents, especially those containing a combination of text, line drawings, and photographs. It uses technologies such as image layer separation of text and background/images, progressive loading, arithmetic coding, and lossy...
format). MinistryMinistry (magazine)Ministry: International Journal for Pastors is an international monthly magazine for Christian ministers, with a circulation of approximately 100,000. It is published by the Ministerial Association , an official body of the worldwide Adventist church. It is aimed at pastors and ministers of the...
67:4 (April 1994), p5,26
- See also J. David Newman, "How Much Diversity Can We Stand?" (DjVu
- "Progressive Adventism: Dragging the Church Forward" by Madelynn Jones-Haldemann
- "Progressive Adventism: A Nonfundamentalist Vision" by Ervin Taylor in Adventist TodayAdventist TodayAdventist Today is a bimonthly Christian magazine representing a progressive Seventh-day Adventist perspective. First published in 1993, it is currently edited by J. David Newman, the former editor of Ministry...
Sep/Oct 2001 - "Progressive Adventism" by Madelynn Jones-Haldeman in Adventist Today
- "The (Adventist) Church Emerging" by Ryan Bell. Spectrum blog
- Milton HookMilton HookMilton Raymond Hook is a Seventh-day Adventist religion educator, author and church historian. He is an honorary research fellow at Avondale College, New South Wales, Australia.- Biography :...
, "Contemporary Adventism: The Owl and the Aging Tiger". Adventist Today 15:3 (May 2007), p24. An extract of his biography of Ford - Julius Nam, "Adventism in Present Communal Progressive". Adventist Today 15:5 (September 2007), p8–10
Critical:
- "The Hypocrisy of the Adventist Left" by Clifford Goldstein (he makes some positive comments also)
- "Evangelicals and Adventists Together?" by Dennis Priebe
- Creation and Evolution
- Dr.Pipim (See Contemporary Issues Section On Left)
Descriptive:
- "Who Are the Real "Cultural Adventists"?" by James Coffin. Spectrum Blog, 15th May 2011