Care for People

When asked about the church's future goals, Paulsen said,

"My goal for the church is that we become more effective in communicating not only ideas, but care for people, so that they may discover that Seventh-day Adventists are good people to get to know."

An Essay on the Taxonomy of Doctrines

Doctrines are teachings, and anything taught is a doctrine. But the word is most familiar in a religious context, referring to the teachings of a religious leader or community.

Not all doctrines are of the same kind. They differ from one another in what they refer to, in whether or not they can be empirically verified,in their status, and in many other ways. Since awareness of these differences may help us construct or examine doctrines, this paper presents a preliminary taxonomy of the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I will refer also to other religious communities for illustration and comparison. Every set of doctrines can be classified in several ways--some binary, others with multiple categories. I have suggested nine such ways.

1. Halakah/Haggadah. This binary classification is one of the oldest, and it is the primary classification used in Judaism. Halakah is law-torah, while haggadah is story-torah. Halakah refers to the legal material in Scripture and tradition; and haggadah is everything else, all nonlegal material. Corresponding to these categories are two pairs of English words that similarly alliterate: behavior and belief, and law and lore.

In Judaism, halakah is considered far more important than haggadah.Orthopraxy (right practice) rates above orthodoxy (right beliefs)in the sense of correct opinion. Persons can be good Jews and believe almost anything, provided . . .

(Read Full Post At Adventist Today)

(8th-Day) Adventist Futurism: A Manifesto

1. Adventist Futurism builds on 7th-Day Adventism. In some ways it is a continuation of the original movement. In others it is the next phase or development. All of the richness and history of 7th-Day Adventism is admired, cherished and built upon. Some may see this as a heretical development. Some already think the same of progressive Adventism as well as Postmodern Adventism. Imagine how Methodists and other proto-Adventist influences must have felt when 7th-Day Adventism grew out of those movements.
   
2. Christ Jesus, Lord and Savior, is as important as He ever was in Proto-Adventist Futurism (7th-Day Adventism.) Additionally, all the 28 fundamentals are respected and cherished however confining they may appear to some. In some ways, the principles of Adventist Futurism are a virtual 29th fundamental. If a 28th has been added in the recent pass, no doubt one day a 29th and a 30th may also be added.
3. Emphasis is still on present truth . . .
   

(Read Full Post At NORTHERN LORD VS. SOUTHERN LORD)

Patty Cabrera: Why am I still Adventist?

We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve walked down many roads, sometimes holding hands and sometimes not. As many friends often do—good friends, even best friends—occasionally we unintentionally hurt each other by mistaking selfishness for good intentions. But in a rich friendship, more important than the hurts we experience together are the good and joy­ful things. And it is because of the “good stuff” that we remain friends. It is why we don’t give up on each other in the bad times, why we don’t trade in our friendship for an­other.

Of course there are other potentially good “friends” out there—Seventh-day Adventism is one of many forward think­ing denomination . . .

(Read Full Post At Spectrum Magazine Blog)

Richard Rice Discusses Open Theism

More than twenty years following the publication of his book “The Openness of God,” which named and launched a new school of Christian thought, Richard Rice profiled its primary themes for several dozen bright and lively university students. They were the guests on Sabbath Eve, November 9, of Julius and Iris Nam, and their sons Sherwin and Ansel, in Loma Linda, California. Trisha Famisaran moderated the discussion. Perhaps because of my interest in process theology, I was also invited to participate. Iris and a few others prepared the meal that was eagerly enjoyed by all!

Richard, Julius and I teach in the Loma Linda University School of Religion, respectively in the specialties of theology, history and ethics. Trisha, a graduate of . . .

(Read Full Post At Spectrum Magazine Blog)

Who Will Reinvent Adventism? - Spectrum Blog Post

“Let us now lay down the welcome mat for visionaries. Let pastors and older members and church leaders lay it down. Let the welcome extend to every kind and color of Adventist. Let it extend to anyone who cares enough about the Church to venture forth with a fresh idea. Let doctrinal hairsplitting, together with distrust and suspicion, come to a halt.”

(Read the Full Post At Spectrum Magazine Blog)

How Shall We Regard Ellen White?

How Shall We Regard Ellen White?: A Review of "The Red Books: Our Search for Ellen White"

by Nathan Schilt (posted on Adventist Today Blog)

Did you ever hear the tune, "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" I'm not sure just how this old English chantey made it into the musical canon of my conservative Adventist childhood. But it's there - and to my great surprise, it recently flashed across my mental screen as I was driving home from a performance of the eagerly awaited "Red Books" at Loma Linda University Church. Perhaps it was the way in which Ellen White was caricatured; perhaps it was the still ringing question - "What do we do with Ellen White?" - that started me humming the tune. But there it was...with suddenly updated lyrics: "What do you do with a sullied prophet? "Well, unlike the drunken sailor, you can't just "put 'er in a long boat til she's sober"... can you? It's a bit more complicated with prophets and prophetic writings, more like putting Humpty Dumpty together again.

"Red Books: Our Search for Ellen White" provokes and stimulates, but proposes no satisfactory resolution of the question - "How shall we regard Ellen White?" Those who attend the play, anticipating a Norman Rockwell picture of a revered Adventist pioneer, will be disappointed. Unlike the advance billing, which hints at a bucolic stroll down memory lane, the actual production is for "mature" Adventists. It is, as the title suggests, more about us than about Ellen White. She is the central character, but not . . .

(Read Full Article At AdventistToday)

Bull’s and Lockhart’s Challenge to Adventist Progressives

Authors of Seeking a Sanctuary argue that a theology with clear boundaries holds the Adventist Church together.

Seeking a Sanctuary, a highly detailed sociological study of American Adventism by Malcolm Bull and Keith Lockhart, was the focus of the Adventist Forums Conference, held Sept. 28-30 in Santa Rosa, California.

Seeking a Sanctuary sustains a consistent thesis throughout 500 pages of impeccable research, arguing that Seventh-day Adventism, by withdrawing from American culture and opposing American values, paradoxically fulfills the American dream. Most controversially, its authors maintain that Adventism has not really made the transition from sect to denomination. While not Adventists themselves, Bull and Lockhart demonstrated a clear affection for the church they have chosen to study.

Lockhart started the conversation by describing what he sees as the “Golden Age” of Seventh-day Adventism, the fundamentalist era of the 1920s-1950s. He argues that the books published, institutions formed, and media outlets started in this era have . . .

(Read Full Article At AdventistToday)

Discussion Two: Adventist Culture

February 15, 2008 Discussion Questions:

• To what degree is Adventist identity rooted in the lifestyle that the church promotes, as opposed to the doctrines that the church teaches?

• What do you believe is the current trend regarding the Adventist view of sexuality?

• What role do Adventists have in politics, if any?

• How does the Adventist church relate to other denominations?

• What is the significance of the Adventist Church's focus on time instead of space?

• How has the church related to the arts, both in the world and in the church?
  

Discussion One: "What Is An Adventist?"

February 01, 2008 Discussion Questions

Some questions to ponder:

• What does is mean to be a Seventh-day Adventist?
  

• On what basis do you (or do you not) consider yourself a Seventh-day Adventist?

• What is Truth to Adventists and how is it ascertianed?

• Can the meaning of the Bible be acurately and adequately grasped through reason, and will Spirit-led believers consistently arrive at the same conclusions?
  

Welcome to Adventist Forum

It is a true privilege for Southern Adventist University to have an Adventist Forum on campus this semester. Under the leadership of Advisor Dr. Lisa C. Diller and President Ms. Allison Gerard this semester is sure to have an engaging and thoughtful series of discussions.

Adventist Forum of Southern Adventist University has chosen the book Seeking A Sanctuary: Seventh-day Adventism and the American Dream written by Mr. Malcolm Bull and Mr. Keith Lockhart. There are six meetings planned for this semester covering a significant portion of the book and an array of topics from ‘Culture: Living Adventist,’ current controversies in the church, church history & sources of authority, ‘Identity: Who is an Adventist?’ and much more.

Each “General Forum Meeting” will have a discussion leader. This person will outline the chapters to be discussed (with each topic) a week before the scheduled meeting. She or he will also lead out in the discussion and keep the conversation flowing from one topic to the next. Ms. Shaunda Helm has volunteered to lead out the first General Forum Meeting covering the introduction and chapters one and two. She has outlined chapters one and two. Her outline can be downloaded from the link of outlines.

Additionally, the Forum meetings will be videotaped for online reference by Forum members and those not able to attend meetings. Those videos can be viewed on this web blog. Our meetings will begin promptly at 12:00 noon and end at 1:00 PM. Members are encouraged to come as their schedule permits.

Should a member not be able to make a meeting she/he may e-mail questions/comments to Adventist.Forum@gmail.com for the group to consider in discussion at the General Forum Meeting. It is expected that each member of the Forum shall conduct themselves in a manner that respects the opinions of other members; Adventist Forum aims for dialogue and not debate – a genuine understanding of the many opinions contiguous to the issues being discussed rather than consensus of opinion.

Most importantly, Adventist Forum of Southern Adventist University seeks to foster a better understanding of our collective Adventist heritage through our reading and discussion of Seeking a Sanctuary. We invite everyone – students, faculty, staff, and members of the community – who wishes to become greater informed about Adventism to join our meetings.

I look forward to reading this book, sharing my thoughts, and listening and considering your thoughts as we dialogue together to understand and celebrate our common heritage.

Cordially,

Raymond D. Thompson, Jr.
Secretary, Adventist Forum