Authors:Thomas Rasmussen Abstract: In contemporary society John H. Kellogg is more known for his medical inventions, than he is for the book The Living Temple, which was published in 1903. However, within Adventism the name Kellogg denotes crisis and controversy. The thesis of this paper is that Ellen White responded to the Kellogg’s publication in three ways: personally—to John Kellogg; prophetically—to the Seventh-day Adventist Church; and publicly—with the book The Ministry of Healing, which was published two years later in 1905. It is the public response that is of primary interest to this paper. Ellen White wrote many personal letters to Kellogg leading up to and following, his publication. She wrote letters of concern and warning to parents, ministers, teachers, and church leaders. In none of her letters did she hold back. It was important that members knew what the theories in Kellogg’s book represented, and why it could be so damaging to the mission of the Church. Kellogg is not mentioned in The Ministry of Healing, although his pantheistic theories are directly addressed. His book is not mentioned, but when you compare her book to his, it is evident that she is responding. For example, he begins with “The Mystery of Life,” she begins with “The True Medical Missionary.” The fact that Kellogg had been the leader in the medical field among Seventh-day Adventists, and the degree of the controversy, gives credibility to the assertion that she would be concerned enough to respond, and that her response would concern medical mission work. By analyzing her responses, what can we learn from how she publicly dealt with Kellogg’s book' PubDate: Tue, 18 Jun 2019 20:29:06 PDT
Authors:Silvia Bacchiocchi Abstract: This study seeks to show how the Lord’s Supper lost its relational and historical (past-present-future) covenant focus and instead became fixed on the Platonic now of mystical contemplation, displacing the eschatological hope of Christ’s physical return with the real presence of Christ in the eucharist. This resulted from the Hellenistic interpretation of reality in general and of Christian rituals in particular. The first section explores the nature of God and the Old Testament covenant, followed by the covenant’s continuity in the New Testament through the Lord’s Supper. The second portion analyzes the Didache’s Jewish-Christian perspective of the Lord’s Supper and contrasts it with the Hellenistic-Christian stance of Justin Martyr and Ignatius of Antioch in order to show that the former held a symbolic (biblical) view of the Lord’s Supper, while the latter began to introduce the Greek philosophical view of Christ’s real presence in the eucharist. PubDate: Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:00:56 PST
Authors:Esteban J. Hidalgo Abstract: This article traces the history of the interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:4 from its original context, through the dawning of early Christianity in the Second Temple period up to the twilight of the late medieval period. The reader will appreciate the persistent centrality of an unchanging doctrine and simultaneously discern fluidity in its meaning and application in both Jewish and Christian perspectives. Proportionally, the focus is placed on how early Christian writers hermeneutically accommodated the doctrine of the Trinity in the oneness of God as stated in the Shema. PubDate: Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:00:52 PST
Authors:Bruce Bauer Abstract: This paper suggests that fear, unwillingness to talk about witchcraft issues, ignorance concerning the protecting power of God, embrace of a powerless Christianity, a weak grounding in the Word of God and several other factors and conditions have permitted witchcraft and occult practices to exist among members in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Several practical steps are then listed that can be taken to reduce such practices. PubDate: Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:00:48 PST
Authors:Christopher R. Mwashinga Abstract: In recent decades, Christianity has experienced two major phenomena as a religion: its decline in the global North (Europe and North America) and its rise in the global South (Africa, Asia, and South America). The Seventh-day Adventist Church as a denomination has experienced similar trends. The global South has become the home to the majority of Adventists in the world and the global North is now home to only a minority. Studies show that this southward movement in Christian and Adventist demographics may continue for several decades. Studies also indicate a steady growth of other world religions on the continent of Africa, including Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. This development poses several challenges to Christianity in general and Adventism in particular, especially the challenge of how to cope with the influx of new converts, most of whom are young, poor, orphaned, uneducated, and unemployed. The conclusion of this study suggests that there is need for fresh thinking and better strategizing in order to respond responsibly to the challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the global South phenomenon and its side effects. PubDate: Mon, 09 Jan 2017 13:11:41 PST
Authors:Adriani M. Rodrigues Abstract: In order to protect the church from the misuse of scripture promoted by heretical movements, early church fathers advanced hermeneutical mechanisms of control to guide biblical interpretation, which included forms of authoritative hermeneutics. The present investigation describes and briefly analyzes occurrences of these forms in Irenaeus and Tertullian, focusing on the concepts of the rule of truth/faith and church authority. The conclusion of the article highlights inadequacies of authoritative hermeneutics. PubDate: Mon, 09 Jan 2017 13:11:38 PST
Authors:John C. Peckham Abstract: While there is wide agreement on the importance of love to Christian ethics, just what an ethics of love includes and entails differs depending upon how Christian love is understood. Toward clarifying the relationship between love and Christian ethics, this essay briefly engages the highly influential agapist conception of love and questions its sufficiency as the basis of Christian ethics. Consideration of some apparent shortcomings of the agapist conception leads to the proposal that the continued quest for a more intentionally and distinctively biblical conception of divine love is integral to a compelling and faithfully Christian ethics of love. PubDate: Mon, 09 Jan 2017 13:11:34 PST
Authors:Denis Kaiser Abstract: Pope Leo the Great built his rationale for the supreme authority of the bishop of Rome on an existing tradition, yet with his additions he developed a theoretical rationale for later papal claims to absolute and supreme power in the ecclesiastical and secular realms. Previous bishops and church leaders had laid increasing stress on the unique role of the Apostle Peter as the founder of the Roman churches and episcopacy, the significance of the Roman bishop as Peter’s successor, and the apostolic significance of the city and episcopacy of Rome. Yet Leo’s rationale for the absolute control and power of the Roman bishop was founded on the ideas that Peter was still present and active in his successors, all ecclesiastical authority was mediated through him, Rome as a ecclesial monarchy was supposed to rule supreme above all churches, and Peter with his successors were to rule the universal church. PubDate: Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:15:56 PST
Authors:Dojcin Zivadinovic Abstract: 18th century English reformer, John Wesley is one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity. As a key theological leader behind the first religious awakening (1730-1760) in England and America, Wesley is often credited for setting the stage for the contemporary Charismatic and Pentecostal ideas. This article’s purpose is to clarify John Wesley’s attitude towards the doctrine of Spiritual Gifts and especially towards the more dynamic charismas such as the gifts of healing, the gift of prophecy, exorcism of evil spirits and speaking with tongues. Especially important for understanding Wesley’s thought is his opposition to Calvin’s cessationism, and the growing trends of rationalistic Deism, which were prominent in his time. At the same time Wesley emphatically challenged what he considered “fanatical” usage of spiritual gifts and charismas both outside and within the Methodist movement. PubDate: Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:15:53 PST
Authors:Cory Wetterlin Abstract: Throughout history there have been two major understandings of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The first is the indwelling of the transcendent timeless God within the timeless soul of a body/soul, dualistic anthropology. The second is an allinclusive view in which either everything is God, pantheism, or everything is within God, panentheism. Adventism has traditionally rejected both of these understandings. Adventism teaches a monistic anthropology, denying the indwelling of the soul and a panentheistic point of view. How then is Adventism able to define the indwelling of the Holy Spirit' In order to begin to answer this question it seems fitting to study the prophetic voice of the Adventist church and come to at least an initial interpretation of Ellen White’s understanding of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In this article an initial understanding of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will be presented through a limited in-depth chronological study of four significant sources of the writings of Ellen White, rather than a surface study of her entire works. These are excerpts from Steps to Christ, “Growing Up Into Christ” (chapter 8), a letter written to Sister Wessels, Sr., referenced in Special Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, Series A No. 9 pg. 7580, Desire of Ages, “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled” (chapter 73), and Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8 section 5. The results of this study show White’s understanding of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as an abiding in Christ through a devotional interpersonal relationship of faith demonstrated most clearly in transformation of character for the Christian believer. PubDate: Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:15:49 PST
Authors:Vanderlei Dorneles Abstract: This article analyzes the prophetic symbols of Rev 17 with the purpose of exploring the relations among the scarlet beast, the first beast of Rev 13 and the dragon of Rev 12. The parallel among the three symbols is used as a basis to suggest a relation between the restored leopard-like beast and the harlot, and between the two-horned beast and the scarlet beast in his eighth king phase. The study is done in light of the Old Testament (OT) context in which the symbols of the dragon and beasts, used by John, are related to political powers that persecuted Israel. The eighth king is distinguished from religious power and related to a specific political power in the end times. PubDate: Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:15:46 PST
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