-whither Adventist History? Soviet Views of Analysis ofJohn PaW IT

A Quarterly Journal of the Assodationof Volume 10, Number 3 -

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- - -- ; SPECTRUM EDITOR Gary Land Eric Anderson LaVonne Neff History History Author Roy Branson Pacific College Place, Washington RobertaJ. Moore Ronald Numbers EXECUTIVE EDITOR Journalism History of Medicine Richard Emmerson Lorna Linda University Lorna Linda, University ofWisconsio ' Judith Folkenberg Melvin K. H. Peters EDITORIAL BOARD Theology Researcher Graduate Theological Union Washington, D.C. Cleveland State University Roy Branson Ethics, Kennedy Institute Ottilie Stafford Lawrence Geraty Edward E. Robinson Georgetown University English . Old Testament Attorney SDA Theological Seminary Chicago, Illinois Molleurus Couperus Physician Fritz Guy Gerhard Svrcek-Seiler Angwin, California EDITORIAL Theology Psychiatrist SDA Theological Seminary Vienna, Austria Tom Dybdahl ASSISTANT Editor Nola-Jean Bamberry Jorgen Henrikson Betty Stirling Allentown, Walla Walla College Artist Provost Boston, University of Baltimore Richard Emmerson English CONSULTING EricA. Magnusson Helen 'Ward Thompson Walla Walla College EDITORS President Administration Avondale College, Walla Walla College Alvin L. K wiram Kjeld Andersen L. E. Trader Chemistry Physician Margaret McFarland' University of Washington Lystrup, Denmark Law Education University of Marienhoehe Gymnasium, W. Association ofAdventist Forums EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS STAFF Columbia Of Academic Affairs Legal Consultant Charles Bensonhaver COMMITTEE Leslie Pitton Bradley Litchfield Physician President Youth Director Attorney Kettering, Glenn E. Coe Central Union Conference Washington, D.C. Lake State's Attorney Lincoln, Nebraska West Hartford, Connecticut Systems Manager Walter Douglas Vice President Of Communications Don McNeill History Computer Programmer SDA Theological Seminary Lyndrey A. Niles CecIl Coffey Berrien Springs, Michigan Communications Pubhshm~. Spencerville, Howard University, Washington, D.C. Walla Wa la, Washmgton Corresponding Secretary Northern Pacific Of International Relations Sean McCarthy Lanny Fisk. Executive Secretary Undergraduate Biology Claire Hosten Molleurus Coupeurus Physician Columbia Union College Walla Walla College Attorney Takoma Park, Maryland College Place, Washington Washington, D.C. Angwin, California Of Membership Southern Treasurer David Steen Richard C. Osborn Ronald Cople REGIONAL Business Southern College History REPRESENTATIVES Collegedale, Silver Spring, Maryland Atlantic Takoma Park, Maryland Of National Programs Richard B. Lewis, J r. Southern Pacific Danielle Wuchenich Advertising Stan Aufdemberg Attorney Boston, Massachusetts Graduate Student Lorna Linda, California Medicine Central Pacific Lorna Linda, California Paul Dassenko 'Graduate Student Financial Analyst San Francisco, California SPECTRUM is a journal established to lishing of SPECTRUM depends on subscrip­ encourage Seventh-day Adventist participa­ tions, gifts from individuals and the volun­ tion in the discussion of contemporary issues tary efforts of the contributors and the staff. from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate SPECTRUM is published quarterly by the Association of the merits of diverse views,' and to foster Adventist Forums. Direct editorial correspondence to SPECTRUM, Box 431, College Place, W A 99324. In mat- Christian intellectual and cultural growth. ters of style and documentation, SPECTRUM follows The Although effort is made to ensure accurate MLA Style Sheet (rev., 1970). Manuscripts should be type- h I h' d d' . . . . d written, double spaced. Submit the original and two copies, sc 0 ars Ip an Iscnminatlng J u gment, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Due to limi- the statements of fact are the responsibility of tations of space, responses from readers may be shortened contributors, and the views individual au- before publication. thors express are not necessarily those of the In order to receive SPECTRUM, send a membership fee ($12 per year, except $14 in and in other foreign e dito ria I staff as a whole or as individuals. countries) to Association of Adventist Forums, Box 4330, The Association of Adventist Forums is a Takoma Park, Maryland 20012. Single copies may be pur­ nonsubsidized, nonprofit organization for chased for $3.50. Send correspondence concerning address r. d d bl h f changes to the same address, enclosing address labels. Pay w h ic h gilts are e ucti e in t e report 0 by checkmade.outto the As~ociation of Adventist Forums. ·.c,,,cc:-,,,,,,c,c'-cill~o'lne-~for;cpurposes'oLtaxation;. Thepub;;,-...... , .©1929;~;:Alt:rightsIeser.ved~.,:.; ...... " ...". . Litho U.S.A. 28212 In This Issue ARTICLES Volume Ten, Number Three, Published November 1979 John Paul II and the Twentieth-Century Popes Ron Walden 2 Where Are Historians Taking the Church? Benjamin McArthur 9 Can the Establish the Age of the Earth? 15 Soviet Views of Adventism Chuck Scriven 21 SPECIAL SECTION Some Thoughts on Academic Quality Helen Ward Thompson 33 Adventist English Teachers: Some Roots John o. Waller 37 Graduate Studies 'Outside' Jonathan Glenn 47 Country Garden School: Back to the Basics Dave Schwantes 49 Two Books on Adventist Education George R. Knight 53 SHORT STORY Vespers Steven Spruill 58 RESPONSES FROM READERS W. Johns , S. Pestes, 61 M. Siqueira, A. Roth, R. Brown

About This Issue ince its very begin­ We are pleased to include in this issue two S nings, the Seventh­ timely articles providing an international day Adventist Church has been committed perspective on . Ron Walden to Christian education. Ellen White wrote analyzes the writings and teachings of John extensively on the subject and today the Paul II in the context of his visit to America church supports a vast system of institutions and of twentieth-century Catholicism, and ranging from small elementary schools Chuck Scriven edits four articles published in through universities offering graduate and the which provide insight into professional degrees. In this issue, SPEC­ Communist attitudes toward Adventism. TR UM publishes a wide variety of articles Two other articles provide further perspec­ intended to provide some perspectives on tives on subjects previously discussed by Adventist education. Helen Ward Thomp­ SPECTRUM. Benjamin McArthur suggests son, a respected Adventist educator, views the serious implications of recent historical with a critical eye the academic performance studies of Adventism and Ellen White, and of the Adventist college system, and suggests Siegfried Horn analyzes the relationship be­ that a new commitment to quality education tween biblical chronologies and genealogies is necessary. By tracing the lives and in determining the age of the earth. Finally, methods of the earliest Adventist English we include a short story by a widely pub­ teachers ,John Waller next provides a histori­ lished Adventist author, Steve Spruill. cal perspective on the origins of Adventist Since the next issue will conclude the tenth education. Two articles then describe Chris­ volume of SPECTRUM, we will publish tian nondenominational education. In the three articles analyzing developments in Ad­ first, Jonathan Glenn shares his impressions ventist history, theology and science during on attending graduate school at Notre Dame, the past ten years, and another article tracing and in the second, Dave Schwantes analyzes the history of the Association of Adventist the goals of a nonchurch-supported Advent­ Forums. The issue will also include essays ist elementary school. Our special section suggesting new directions for the church in concludes with two reviews of books treat­ the future and an index to SPECTRUM. ing the history and philosophy of denomina­ .tionaL:c~RMc.at~~n, ... John Paul II and the Twentieth-Century Popes

by Ron Walden

espite an eight-day shall look at John Paul's intellectual training D. media blitz, John and the school of European philosophy with Paul II leaves America as something of a mys­ which he has identified professionally. Then, tery. He is surely an attractive figure, espe­ we will review some aspects of the history of cially by papal standards. He sings, skis, Roman popes during our century, with spe­ walks like a linebacker and has trouble keep­ cial attention to their developing positions on ing his skullcap on straight. Yet, for many church renewal and issues of peace and jus­ Americans who listened to what he said, he tice. remains an enigma. He pleased progressives John Paul II is a scholar of some stature. in and out of Roman Catholicism by attack­ Unlike other popes, he has served on the ing the values of bourgeois capitalism, but steering committees of learned societies, identified with conservatives within his published extensive technical treatises and church by stating bluntly in Philadelphia and supervised doctoral dissertations. And al­ Chicago that he opposed ordaining women though John Paul I, the short-lived "Sep­ and married men, expected priests to be un­ tember pope" with the smile, had been a waveringly loyal to the hierarchy and ada­ professor, he taught in a typical little Italian mantly rejected not only abortion and di­ seminary, whereas his namesake's university vorce, but even birth control. career has brought him into the mainstream To penetrate the apparent contradictions of modern secular intellectual life . What can inJohn Paul II requires an intellectualjourney we learn from John Paul II's publications in to the contexts that formed Karol Wojtyla's the field of philosophy and theology that character: currents within contemporary might illuminate his outlook on the world European thought and the mainstream of and his purposes as pope? twentieth-century Catholicism. First, we As a philosopher, the present pope is a phenomenologist. When it is used as a tech­ nical term in philosophy, "phenomenology" means more than just a purely descriptive Ron Walden, a graduate of La Sierra College, holds an M.Div. from Andrews University and a Ph.D. in study of some subject matter. It denotes RornanCatholic theology from Yale University. E~0_~~~£~E~C:~~~E~£~~_?~ ?f.~~?_t~1!:~_~~_al.p~g- -- - ,;;:;::;~-:0:':;::;"-:::::;;:;:;::::'-;::;'7;~,;::~;;::;:;':~ __ c~.,.~ .. ",,".~, ~._~ -:.~" '_A .• >" , •• ___,,_, ___ ~~_<. _"'_r~_~m ';:F _~_ ~~,',_- ".::~~;._~_,;' ~~'-~"~T::;_;;:':"';"~_" ,~ __ Volume 10, Number 3 3 osophy and that school's methodology. The its active particularity, and only then comes central and most influential figure in the talk of its structures or "essential" patterns. phenomenological movement was Edmund Ofcourse,John Paul is too good a Husserl, a GermanJew who began his career thinker to deny the essential rationality of as a mathematician but quickly moved on to human being, and here he decisively parts philosophical issues, which he wrote about company with the existentialists. He with a passionate intensity and at great length that human action always has a rational as­ until he died, amid the gathering shadows of pect which tempers its quality of raw deci­ the Third Reich, in 1938. One of Husserl's sion, but that reason itself does not constitute important early collaborators was a Roman the particularity of the individual person. Catholic sociologist, Max Scheler, who pub­ Rather, it is the concrete human act, which lished a major work on ethics in Husserl's synthesizes motion, emotion and intention, journal. Scheler is the writer whom the pope that makes a person who he or she is. quotes most warmly in his philosophical Because it is personal, a human act has writings. value of itself; even before it is brought into relation with rules or norms, it is a moral e can make some event. "The performance itself of the action educated guesses W by a person is a value," Cardinal Wojtyla about why the pope has found aspects of wrote. This radical union of ethics and on­ phenomenology appealing. Phenomenology tology sharply rules out legalism. Its implica­ claims to be an analysis of human conscious­ tions in practice are hard to avoid: If a human ness, and as such, it makes continual appeal act has value in itself, that value must be to concrete human experience. That· is, in protected from external coercion. People opposition to the rigid deductive approach must therefore be free to act as they see fit, or taken by some Catholic philosophers, John fundamental human dignity is injured. Paul's philosophical school tries to think with constant reference to experience and It should be no surprise, then, that Pope without the prejudices of a preconceived John Paul II has been a consistent champion theoretical formulation. Yet, phenomenol­ of religious liberty. As archbishop of ogy is not out-and-out empiricism. It does Cracow, of course, he was untiring in his operate with the conviction that there is such challenges to the government's restrictions a thing as human consciousness there to be on his church's freedom. But he also knows analyzed. For that reason, the pope has obvi­ that freedom works both ways, that the ously found it an attractive alternative to a church may not claim it for herself without thoroughgoing materialism or to certain offering it to others. One of his most forms of linguistic philosophy, which he memorable speeches at the Vatican Council seems to find less easily compatible with the was an eloquent defense of the principle that Christian doctrine of man. religious freedom must be extended to all, For him, the most distinctive and valuable even to those in error, even to atheists. aspect of a human being, - that which In sum, John Paul's philosophical posi­ makes a human being a person, - is not tions show extraordinary respect for the rationality itself, but action. His longest and unique concreteness of each human situation most original book, The Acting Person, is de­ and for the nobility of each person's groping, voted to an analysis of the conscious human even mistaken, actions ofself-definition. The act and its structure and parts. The actus details of his phenomenology of human life humanus was also a concern of Thomas and of "acting" by "persons" will, of course, Aquinas, but John Paul's approach to it is be subject to criticism, just as every philoso­ very unlike that of classical thomistic philos­ pher's proposals are. The point to notice here ophy. His insistence that it is in action alone is twofold: For the first time in centuries, the that the wholeness and distinctive individual­ pope of Rome has an independent, coherent, ity of a person emerge often sounds more like technically competent philosophy ofhis own .existentia~ism. l:IlllI!~J:lli~c.comes first, in.all al1.£!, m()r~()ver,tltatphilosoRhysugg.~sts ()r 4 Spectrum

accommodates certain clear choices in theol­ A companion emphasis, discernible in the ogy and church policy as well. last sentence of this quotation, is the one the In John Paul's theology, the result of his pope places on the incarnation. Because unremitting attention as a philosopher to the became a man in , "the Church concrete human situation is a corresponding cannot abandon man, for his 'destiny,' that is emphasis of the Christian doctrine of man. to say, his election, calling, birth and death, He continually approaches the central Chris­ salvation or perdition, is so closely and un­ tian mysteries by developing a synthesis of breakably linked with Christ." And a bit traditional and contemporary teachings later the pope adds: about human experience. In his first encycli­ Man in the full truth of his existence, of cal, "Redemptor hominis," issued last his personal being and also of his commu­ nity and social being. . . this man is the primary route that the Church must travel "For the first time in centuries, in fulfilling her mission. . . . because man the pope of Rome has an indepen­ - every man without any exception whatever - has been redeemed by Christ, dent, coherent, technically and because with man - with each man competent philosophy of his own, without any exception whatever - Christ and that philosophy suggests is in a way united, even when man is un­ aware of it. certain clear choices in theol- When John Paul attempts as a philosopher ogy and church policy as well." to be an honest listener to the voices of con­ crete, active human beings, and when as a theologian he emphasizes the humanity of .March, he wrote, "We penetrate by means of God and the consequent worthiness of all the continually and rapidly increasing expe­ humanity, he does not thereby offer a new rience of the human family into the mystery ecclesiastical program for the Catholic ofJesus Christ." He then explicitly says that Church. What does set him apart is that he has even in the secular realm, God's redemptive his own independently forged intellectual grace is at work, simply because human be­ framework to accommodate the church's ings are there: teaching. The search for Pope John Paul II Against a background of the ever­ inevitably leads to an examination of the increasing historical processes, which teachings of his predecessors. seem at the present time to have results especially within the spheres of various t is important at the systems, ideological concepts of the world I outset that the his­ and regimes, Jesus Christ becomes, in a tory of the papacy not be identified with the way, newly present, in spite of all his ap­ history of the Roman Catholic . The parent absences, in spite of all the limita­ office of pope is only one among many of­ tions of the presence and of the institu­ fices in the church. If one thinks for a ­ tional activity of the Church. Jesus Christ ment about what individual Catholics do, becomes present with the power of the and what parishes and schools, dioceses and truth and the love that are expressed in him national churches, and orders of monks and with unique unrepeatable fullness. nuns actually do, it is faintly ludicrous to ... what is in question here is man in all his regard the as simply an intri­ truth, in his full magnitude. Weare not cate extension of the pope's person and pow­ dealing with the "abstract" man, but the ers. Hence, to trace the course of twentieth­ reaL" concrete," "historical" man. Weare century papal history is to trace but a part of dealing with" each" man, for each one is twentieth-century Catholic history; the included in the mystery of Redemption preoccupations of the popes have been only and with each one Christ has united him- some of the concerns of the church at large.

"-7C",=••. =.~.~!f~f~~Y~L~hE~¥S:!tSh~~._!!lJ:§E~IT: ...... _...... ;J:I2J:l{.fi~sI~.t.9J8,!m.=~f&l!!~~J}El~=¥~:~ Volume 10, Number 3 5 five popes: the vigorous and subtle Leo XII, munal, even invisible side as well, which was the saintly and pastoral Pius X, whose spirit better brought out by the biblical metaphor was crushed by the onset of World War I; of the . The phrase seemed the skillful diplomat, Benedict XV, who richer, more vital, less juridical, more ac­ guided the church during the war; Pius XI, commodating of the genuine Christianity of pope between the wars; and Pius XII, an non-Catholics, and freer of stifling elegant and austere man whose caution on clericalism than earlier ways of speaking of speaking out on issues of social justice gave the church. way to militant anticommunism in the But the shift clearly made the curia and 1950s. All of these men faced variations of some of the popes uneasy. If people start two main problems - renewal of the church emphasizing the living, affectively rich rela­ and international relations, including the tions of among themselves and political issues of peace and justice. with Christ, as the phrase "body of Christ" During our century, the self-definition of encourages them to do, they may easily turn the church has been at the heart of internal away from a forbidding churchly institution renewal. It began at the end of World War and resist the authority of its officers. The I and rallied at first around the slogan of "the tension between mystical body and visible Mystical Body of Christ." Biblical scholars church may become so great that the connec­ contributed importantly to the discussion.* It tions between them disappear. It was that is hard now to realize how profound in its danger which Pius XII meant to forestall by implications was the shift from political issuing perhaps the greatest ofhis encyclicals, metaphors to biblical images. Before our "Mystici corporis," in 1943. The pope placed century, the Catholic Church had typically his blessing on the movement and had words defined itself by analogy to a monarchical of high praise for the new vocabulary, but he state, arguing that it, too, had a right to sought to remove the threat it offered to the hierarchical government, to earthly ecclesiastical institution by simply equating sovereignty, and even to police powers and the mystical Body of Christ with the (pre­ the means of coercion. By contrast, the sumably visible) Roman Catholic Church. In "Corpus-Christi-mysticum" movement one bold stroke, he had turned a progressive emphasized that the church was not just "vis­ slogan into a conservative one. -~---, ible and palpable, like the Roman people, or the Kingdom of France, or the Republic of the Venetians," as the great seventeenth­ he role of the church century Jesuit Robert Bellarmine had T in international af­ claimed, but that it had a mysterious, com- fairs goes back at least to what came to be known as the "Roman Question." Put sim­ *The modern biblical movement began among ply, the issue concerned the pope's right to Catholics during the so-called "Modernist" crisis of the turn of the century. Its popular side has consis­ temporal sovereignty over the Patrimony of tently been supported by the popes, who have encour­ Peter, some rather extensive territory in aged private Bible reading by the and supported central Italy which the papacy ruled at least such modern translations into the vernacular as the English Confraternity Bible and Mgr. Ronald Knox's nominally from the eighth century until version. Scholars have not fared as well. Many of the 1870. It was beyond dispute the most impor­ Modernist positions condemned by the Holy Office in tant international issue on the papal agenda 1907 bore on the church's use of scripture and on the concept of revelation, and the upshot of the crisis was for the 50 years thereafter. Pius IX contrib­ that Catholic exegetes were more subject than ever to uted to making the question intractable. He the detailed control of the churchly teaching office. had been a foe of European political But the biblical scholars kept plugging away during liberalism since it had temporarily exiled him the dark years between the wars, their work enriching the movements for the renewal of the liturgy and the from Rome during the revolutions of 1848, doctrine of the church, and finally in 1943 they were and he bitterly resisted the generation-long rewarded by an epoch-making encyclical of Pius XII, campaign to unify the Italian peninsula under which cautiously affirmed "the freedom of scientific investigation in biblical matters" and serves as the a liberal monarch. In 1870, the liberals took Magna Carta of modern Catholic bil>li<:alstu~ies: Rome ~t long last; and Pius retre~tedjntQtbe _ 6 Spectrum

Vatican palace, condemning anyone as­ In general, this was the program that all the sociated with the new Italian kingdom. popes followed through Pius XII: Quiet di­ Under Pius' successor, Leo XIII, and even plomacy behind the scene~ rather than con­ more under the twentieth-century popes, the frontations; ceaseless encouragement of church transformed its struggle for the polit­ peaceful solutions to international disputes; ical right to temporal sovereignty into a effective support for the institutions of inter­ spiritual battle for independence from all national law; continued insistence that true political authority. The church needed a peace must be based on social and economic toehold of territory , the new argument went, justice. not so that it could be one kingdom among And anticommunism. When, from time to others, but so that it could be independent time, the pope found himself allied with a from all earthly kingdoms. From the point of figure or movement which later history has view of the church's mission, the loss of the shown to be villainous, the mistake was al­ was an inestimable gain. By the most always due to anticommunism. Most 1920s, the pope himself was ready to recog­ of the Vatican's unfortunate involvement in nize that. The Lateran Treaty of 1929 and its Italian politics, for example, stems from its accompanying Concordat confirmed the hostility to the Italian Communist Party. independence of the church by guaranteeing Pius XII offered tacit - and Pius XI open - the extraterritoriality and nominal support to Mussolini because he was an al­ sovereignty of the Vatican and satisfied the ternative to the Communists. Since the war, Italian state by acknowledging that the the church has consistently supported the former papal domains were part of a unified, Christian Democrats, even when their gov­ secular Italy with its capital at Rome. ernments have been weak and corrupt. N oth­ At last, in spite of themselves, the popes ing seems to make the Vatican forget the were set free from worldly concerns to be­ advantages of the Concordat so quickly as a come worldwide . Since World War I, Communist gain at the polls; then, suddenly, they may have suffered from theological the papacy again begins to act like an Italian shortsightedness, and they may have tem­ Renaissance principality. porized badly on some ecclesiastical issues, but they have provided clear and consistent he Italian scene, advocacy of morality in international affairs. though, is one ex­ Benedict XV had been a quiet but very effec­ T ample of a general rule about Catholic in­ tive supporter of the Wilsonian principles on volvement in twentieth-century politics: The which the League of Nations was founded. church has a very spotty record on the local The correspondent for The Times and national level, while internationally it has wrote after his death that he been fairly consistent in its support ofjustice was undoubtedly possessed by the for the poor and international peace. Catholic that the thing he was ordained to do in a and have often taken sides world of war was to make peace. He had with their nation's lords of violence and op­ carefully refrained during the war from pression (one remembers the miters and any action that might weaken his claim to croziers near Franco, and Cardinal Spellman be the arbitrator of conflicts. He passed no in Vietnam), but Catholics can be justly judgments on the belligerents except those proud of the international leadership of re­ protests against incontrovertible outrages cent popes. With regard to poverty resulting like the sinking of the Lusitania J the bo mb­ from the inequities of capitalism, there is a ing of churches, the slaughter of non­ succession of courageous papal documents. * combatants. But he realized that the con­ Pope Paul's eloquent United Nations speech sequences of the war were more devastat- . ing than the war itself, and that a military *These begin with Leo XIII's "Rerum novarum" peace wasa kind of cosmic sarcasm so long and run through Pius Xl's "Quadragesimo anno" to as there was neither economic nor social Paul VI's brilliant "Populorum progressio." And

.c •.••.. , •• ..c~,.. ~"' ...... ,_~.:.. .••_.Pf.~~f.:~.,_~_._ ...... ' c~iE~}"~,~I)~<:U~~~~L-.~3g,~J~1l;;'~:,:,~~~~~1~,~~~c~~~;:'~c;. . .. . Volume 10, Number 3 7 stands in line with 75 years of papal people, gathered by God's providence to peacemaking. undertake an often stumbling pilgrimage The was known through time, equipped with certain gifts for "turning the church around" on the issues and services. Among these services, or of church renewal, as well as peace and jus­ "ministries," are the priesthood, the episco­ tice. Yet, as we have just seen, the Council's pacy and the papacy. But these offices exist positions on all these matters had important for the sake of the people, and not the other precedents. Vatican II was epoch-making not way around. In the Dogmatic Constitution because it created new progressive doctrines on the Church the chapter on the comes first, and the chapter on the struc­ ture of the churches comes afterwards. "Against this historical back­ In the Council's other masterpiece, the ground, John Paul II has no Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, a corollary shift of emphasis surprises to offer. The occurs. Here, not only does the hierarchy majority of cardinals wanted exist for the sake of Go d's people and not the to elect a whole-hearted reverse, but also the church itself exists for the sake of the world, and not the reverse. supporter of Vatican II, and Just as the clergy serves the church instead of they got one." commanding it, so, too, the church serves the world instead of commanding it. These pro­ found changes in Catholicism's definition of out of thin air, but because it selected trends itself and its mission were not unprece­ from an ambiguously rich and varied past dented. We have seen how nearly a century and put an official stamp of approval on of papal history had prepared for the second them. Vatican Council. The Council's central achievement was to reformulate the church's vision of its own gainst this historical nature and mission. By the time Vatican II A background, John opened in 1961, Catholic progressives had Paul II has no surprises to offer. The majority found a new slogan to supplement the "Mys­ of cardinals wanted to elect a whole-hearted tical Body of Christ" in their theories of the supporter of Vatican II, and they got one. church. It was another biblical image, this The new pope agrees with his immediate time found in the Old Testament's "Pilgrim predecessors. Like Pope John and Pope Paul, People of God. " At a critical moment during he is somewhat anticapitalist on social issues, the Council, Pope John XXIII dramatically though anti-Marxist as well. In the spirit of interrupted the proceedings in order to insure Vatican II, he appears eager to find new, that this new vision of the church would more collegial patterns of governing the prevail. When official church. But in matters of sexuality (married highlights the people of the church instead of priests, of women, birth control, its institutional structures, then a profound abortion, homosexuality), issues the Council shift of emphasis has taken place. A "Coper­ did not treat in detail, he takes the traditional nican revolution" has occurred. That is just line, just as John and Paul did. His speech to what happened at Vatican II. the bishops in Chicago left no doubt about With the aid of Pope John XXIII, the pro­ that. On the issues, he offers nothing new. gressive majority of bishops at the Council Yet, John Paul II's accession to the See of rewrote the Catholic doctrine of the church. and his actions since then have They decisively subordinated the older, de­ stirred an excitement that not even John fensive emphasis on the church's changeless­ XXIII evoked. "John Paul, Superstar!" ness and rigid institutional perfection screams Time magazine. Why? I think it is (guaranteed by a privileged clergy and espe­ due to two matters of style: The pope .IS cially the P9peL to ~anew emphasis on a Polish, artd he is :"~C~~~.'~~='~~'~c0~~~~~ •• ~~=~==~c~~c~c 8 Spectrum Both ofthese facts are more serious than they together by what the Vatican quaintly calls seem at first, and both of them bear a relation "the instruments of social communication," to the increasingly international character of that is, the media. And John Paul is a medIa the Catholic Church. The Christian church star, the first pope truly to understand televi­ has always claimed to be "catholic;" that is, sion. Pope Paul never realized that if you worldwide. But only since the nineteenth speak of your "great joy" but your face is century has Christianity become truly uni­ pinched, the television will mercilessly show versal. And only since the pontificate ofJohn your grimace, not your joy. John Paul, on XXIII has that universality become evident the other hand, is a natural on television. He in the governance of the Roman Catholic can work the crowds, intone a slogan and Church. When all the world's bishops as­ exploit a symbol with the skill of a Kennedy. sembled in St. Peter's for the Vatican Council On his American tour, he deftly chose the in 1961, it was a shock to notice how few· of holy places of the and them were Italians and how many of them the archtypical centers of American ethnic were not even white! Of all the accomplish­ groups and made just the right remark, just ments of Pope John's successor, Paul XI, the appropriate gesture, at each. He shrewdly perhaps the most decisive was his interna­ saved his hard words for the end of his tour, tionalization of the College of Cardinals. The after the television and newspapers had made conclaves that elected John Paul I and John him beloved. Paul II were comprised almost entirely of We have said that all this amounts to a Paul's appointees; and they were the first in difference of style, not of substance. John over half a millenium not to be dominated by Paul II has said nothing that his three im­ Italians, and the first since classical times to mediate predecessors have not said. But this be so influenced by non-Europeans. In the pope has personal qualities and media skills lifetime of most of the readers of this journal, that do set him apart from all other popes. He therefore has, and can increase, a large fund the Roman Catholic Church has become of goodwill from masses of people. He has genuinely internationalized. the self-possession and intelligence to know Just as the election of a Pole represents how he wants to spend that support. In the internationalization, the youthfulrless of modern world, a difference of style is a dif­ John Paul is a sign of its recent date. It is as if ference of substance. The substantial style of the Cardinals wanted to acknowledge that John Paul II will undoubtedly continue to the world had recently become a "global vil­ attract worldwide attention. After observing lage," thoroughly international and unified, his American tour, it can safely be predicted with a premium on youth and vigor. For that Pope John Paul II intends his enormous them, John Paul's style has significance. appeal to draw people in the direction set by Of course, the "global village" is brought his twentieth century predecessors.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

McCormick, Anne O'Hare. 1957 Vatican Journal 1921-1954. New York: Farrar, Teresa Tymieniecka. Dordrecht: D. Reidel Straus and Cudahy. Publishing Company. Wojtyla, Karol (Pope John Paul II). 1979 Redeemer oj Man, Encyclical "Redemptor 1979 The Acting Person. Analecta Husserliana, 10. hominis." Washington: Catholic Trans. by Andrzej Potocki. Ed. by Anna- Conference. , .q Where Are Historians Taking the Church?

------by Benjamin McArthur

e are witnessing the she discussed. At issue, then, is the nature of W first great age of Ad­ her inspiration and thus her authority in the ventist historical revisionism. Although church. My purpose is not to arouse pas­ there has been but a scattered handful of arti­ sions, but to shed some light on the impulse cles, unpublished papers and a single book to revise the tradition that has defined Ellen thus far, their impact has been felt far beyond White and Adventism first by considering their number.* Ronald Numbers' Prophetess some of the sociological factors at work, and of Health has particularly aroused passionate second, by suggesting what the new schol- debate. This paper will not be a critique of arship's impact on the Adventist Church will ., these works, however; there is no intention be. I of discussing the merits or shortcomings of The dilemma of the Adventist historian their arguments. I will assume a familiarity fits into the wider problem of the intellectual with them on the part of my readers. But to in the church. A movement that was origi- briefly summarize what I see as the unifying nally peopled by folk of modest means and argument running throughout these works, I education has grown into an institution would say that their authors all share the composed of many who are highly educated belief that the cultural milieu in which Ellen and whose field of specialization leads them White lived and worked to a large degree into areas ripe for doctrinal conflict. One shaped her writings on history, , thinks immediately ofthose Adventists in the health and, by implication, every other topic physical sciences, such as geology, whose research has important implications for the *Besides the work of Numbers, I am thinking of articles in SPECTRUM by William Peterson, Gary church's view on creation and the age of the Land, Eric Anderson, Donald Casebolt and Jonathan earth. Here, the evolutionary presupposi- Butler. tions Adventists must work with in their discipline conflict with church dogma. This Benjamin McArthur, a graduate of Andrews Uni- conflict between science and is one with j versity, holds his Ph.D. from the University of I Chicago. He teaches American history at Southern which Adventist laymen have long been J .Missi°J:l

devotional benefit today, but they offer the analogy fails here, for among American Ad­ modern reader no inspired revelation con­ ventists, a reliance on the Spirit of Prophecy cerning history or health or any topic about for definitive answers on all religious ques­ which we can know more than she. This tions has been engrained through generations reformulation of the meaning of Mrs. and is a characteristic trait. White's inspiration has the attraction of re­ taining her status as a of the church ore appropriate than (albeit one reduced in authority), while re­ M a comparison with moving the ground for conflict with the non-American Adventists may be a glance at historical-critical method. Yet, such a tactic the nineteenth-century Jewish experience, removes the propositional heart of her writ­ where the impact of the historical-critical ings, reducing them to either pages of his tor­ method on the Jewish tradition suggests pos­ ical interest for students of nineteenth­ sible results of Adventist historians' tamper­ century religion or, as mentioned, eloquent ing with tradition. The Jewish community devotional messages. was very similar to the Adventist Church in But most Adventists continue to read its strict adherence to extrabiblical tradition; Ellen White in the belief that they are learning in its case, the commentaries of the Talmud. the true facts of the , that her For centuries, from generation to generation counsels on health owed nothing to contem­ the traditions were passed on, with additions poraries and were based on eternal principles, and reinterpretations, but always with a firm and that her statements on the eschatalogical belief that the unfolding truth came from role of the Catholic Church transcend their God himself, thus possessing a binding au­ 1880s' origin, to name three issues of conten­ thority. This set of religious norms encom­ tion. The belief that Mrs. White provides us passed far more than strictly doctrinal mat­ with timeless and irrefutable knowledge of ters. Like the writings of Ellen White for the Adventist community, they set down the total way of life. The historical community of the Jews was made possible by this devo­ "Literalist readings of Mrs. tion to their tradition. White are so much a part of In the early nineteenth century, the Jewish Adventist belief that any change people experienced the same revolution of historical consciousness that Adventists are could only come with great beginning to experience now. In what was difficulty, possibly at the called "the science of ," Jewish cost of schism." scholars like Leopold Zunz and Solomon Steinheim undertook historical and philolog- ical investigations of various aspects of Jewish history. Their assumptions and heaven and earth goes to the core of Advent- methods resembled those of modern Advent- ism, for it seems to offer the greatest evi- ist scholars: first, in their endeavor to main- dence that we are God's chosen church. Her tain total objectivity in their research, free body ofwritings form the central tradition of from any prejudicial theological preconcep- the American Adventist Church, supplying tions; and second, in their consciousness of the very definition of Adventism for a large the distance between the world they studied percentage of the church's members. Wide- and themselves. Their guiding assumption, spread doubt about her writings' inspiration, and one also shared by Adventist re- therefore, would transform the church, re- visionists, was that however else the tradi- quiring the creation of a new tradition. Some tion might be understood, it must be studied may question this judgment, pointing to the historically, by examining the temporal con- Adventist Church in other parts of the world ditions framing the origin of every practice where Ellen White's messages playa less vital and belief. This approach had a secularizing role witho ut inhibiting piety or growth. But effe<:;t. QnJ~wish.Jr;!iJ.itj9-DJJ~'''~_'' ~_n"";"~:"-':_:"":' _;";;"__ ~~.'_""-;;'_'~"'_:::'~_~'~_~~""_'"_"_F __~_:"~' __ '_~_;;"'~ _ ""-'.,..rv,,",,~F»'_.~' __ O-';";;~;''';';''~_~;:~''''-;'_:';_:';;;:'''~' ___ ; __ '_,- 7;.. :~.::::;-.::;:T:';:_·;:'~.:-_~.~:::.~.:::'::;_'=';:"-;:';:_:.~;;:';;:::::';:~;:': ::':=-_:'::' __:;-";:~;;.;:;;:'--:':::;:;;::;;';::;:';;:::":;;:':;~;'~~~~~':::J;":_"'_'~'_~'_~";~" ___ F"~;__ ~:""~~_" -. --. Volume 10, Number 3 13 tradition's normative authority, for it could ventist Church, and that reVISIonism may no longer be seen in the same way as God's lead to healthier, ifless extensive, application revelation. of her gift. This may be true. But I would With tradition no longer capable of serving question the feasibility of such a middle as a binding force for the major segment of ground. If one is going to have a prophet, the Judaism, the Jewish community faced the risk of misuse probably cannot be fully re­ prospect of losing its identity. Through the moved. Again, it comes down to whether rest of the nineteenth century, certain Jewish one wishes to retain the normative authority scholars, notably Nachman Krochmal and of Mrs. White's writings and accept the occa­ Heinrich Graetz, took up the task ofisolating sional abuse with which we are all familiar, the essence of immutable Judaism and or to state categorically that her writings separating that from the impermanent prod­ must stand the scrutiny of historical investi­ ucts of historical development (again, similar gation before they will be accepted. The ob­ to the hopes of some Adventist historians). jection may be raised here that I am positing a But the Jewish thinkers never again achieved false dichotomy, that it is not necessarily an a consensual basis for a new Judaic tradition, all or nothing proposition. Why cannot we, and their community splintered into the var­ based on reasonable investigation, determine ious parts that we know today. The nearest those writings grounded in nineteenth­ approximation to a unified tradition came century understanding that no longer apply with the Zionist movement of the late today, and those that bear the mark of nineteenth century, but even the new hope of prophetic inspiration and continue to compel a homeland failed to revive the vibrant tradi­ respect? But this solution, I believe, would tion they once knew. inevitably cast a pall of tentativeness on all of I would certainly not lay all the blame for Mrs. White's writings, which is inimical to the fragmentation of the Jewish community the very notion of prophetic utterance. on a handful of scholars; the powerful tug of I am not in any way questioning the faith assimilation into gentile society, which itself or good intentions of those historians in­ encouraged the historical revisionism, was volved in the revisionistic enterprise. They the primary force at work. Moreover, paral­ are responding not only to the demands of lels between the Jewish and Adventist expe­ their profession, but also to the strain of ra­ rience can easily be overdrawn. Neverthe­ tionalism that runs deep in the Adventist less, the impact of the historical-critical mentality. Our tradition has always stressed method on the Jewish tradition should give that the truth can stand the closest scrutiny, Adventist historians occasion to reflect on that our belief has nothing to fear from care­ the potential effects of their own work. Like ful examination and should, in fact, be rigor­ the Jewish people of the nineteenth century, ously tested. In a sense, Adventist historians Adventists face ever greater temptations to are only carrying out that dictum to its logi­ lower the barriers of distinctiveness between cal conclusion. Nor should their attempt at themselves and the world. In the past, this an objective analysis of Mrs. White's books threat was always met by recourse to the be interpreted as a dispassionate quest. They Spirit of Prophecy, whose counsels ended care deeply about certain problems they see argument and safeguarded standards. But, if in the interpretation of her work, and their Mrs. White's writings are shown to behistor.;.. writings, at least in most cases, are an attempt ically conditioned, they will lose their tradi­ to resolve the problems. tional authority. Without the tradition to rely Perhaps a more appropriate question than on, secular challenges will be difficult to turn whether reinterpretation is a good thing is back. Adventist identity itself will be whether we have any alternative to a critical threatened. examination of our church's traditions. Have we reached that stage in church development any argue that Mrs. when the kind of theological reformulations M White's writings are our church ha~ always known must also be overused and abused in the American Ad- mat<:;hed by hiStorical self..,examinatiOIl? The 14 Spectrum

General Conference's commIssIOning of Adventists with particular acuteness because Richard Schwarz to write a denominational of the belief that there should be no disjunc­ history textbook, a history intended to be tion between faith and reason. nonapologetic, indicates that such needs are The point should be made once again that felt among church leadership. Although the the revisionistic history may make no lasting presuppositions and conclusions of leader­ impact on the church's view of the Spirit of ship may be far from those of the revisionist Prophecy. Prevailing attitudes may be more historians, both church leaders and historians resilient than some might think, and one share a sense of the importance of having should avoid the fallacy of inevitability . Yet, analyzed the church's history in a complete the experiences of other cultures that have and intellectually respectable manner; both suffered the pangs of modernization suggest want a tradition fully congruent with histori­ that these issues rarely go away of their ac­ cal truth. But once the Pandora's box of his­ cord nor are they easily resolved. Tradition tory has been opened, there can be no recall­ and secular learning have proved incompati­ ing the disturbing facts that will escape. They ble bedfellows. There may be no way to can change a church's historical understand­ avoid the kinds of questions being posed by ing of itself, and a change of that type is very Adventist historians. If so, there will almost difficult to reverse. surely follow a change in our understanding, In essence, the church is experiencing a and subsequently, in the authority of the clash of values. The older value of traditional prophetic gift. The challenge of such a authority is being challenged by those of the change is clear. It could, on the one hand, academy, which stress an intellectual ap­ enervate the Adventist community. But tak­ proach to problem solving and believe that ing a more hopeul view, it could also result in all truths should be thoroughly tested. There a rethinking and renewal of the Adventist are no clear sides in the issue, for everyone faith. It could encourage a faith based not concerned has a degree ofloyalty to both sets upon prescriptive authority but upon reflec­ of values. But can the church hold both? This tive consideration of what the Christian life dilemma, common to nations and institu­ demands in the morally complex situations tions undergoing modernization, afflicts of day-to-day life. Can the Bible Establish The Age of the Earth?

by Siegfried H. Horn

he question "Can the year of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pilate T Bible establish the was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of age of the earth?" suggests that the Bible, Galilee, Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and besides fulfilling many purposes, is also a Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, source book of historical chronology. This and Annas and Caiaphas high priests in means that we expect the Bible to provide us Jerusalem (Luke 3:1-2). with data of a chronological nature in order Yet, while such explicit statements of a to obtain dates for biblical events and perhaps chronological nature as the ones quoted do even for some secular events. In the search exist in the Bible, not all biblical events can be for such data in the Bible, we are not disap­ securely dated, and there are differences in the pointed, because Bible texts do exist which certainty of dates derived from the available are quite explicit in this respect and contain data. Let us review some. specific chronological information. First Millennium B.C. For example, Jeremiah dates the destruc­ tion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in Only one biblical event is absolutely and terms of two independent dating schemes, securely dated to the day, the month and the namely, in the eleventh year of the reign of year, and that is the conquest ofJerusalem by Zedekiah, king of Judah, and also in the Nebuchadnezzar under the reign of· King nineteenth year of the reign ofN ebuchadnez­ Jehoiachin - March 16, 597 B.C. For this zar, king of OeL 52:5, 12). Even date, we have biblical statements (2 Kings more explicit is Luke's chronological state­ 24:10-17) and the Babylonian chronicles.! ment that the beginning ofJohn the Baptist's Other events can be dated with almost equal ministry took place in the fifteenth regnal certainty, such as the surrender ofJerusalem by KingJehoiakim to Nebuchadnezzar when Daniel went into exile in 605 B.C., or Siegfried Horn, who took his Ph.D. in Near East­ Nehemiah's return from Persia to Jerusalem ern Studies at the University of Chicago, is the former in 444 B.C. chairman of the Old Testament department and dean Some biblical events can be dated with a of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University. He is the editor of the Adventist reasonable certainty, namely, with a margin Bible Di.~tjo-'1;ary, ...... of errqf thatex.c:ee~Lo}l~ yeaL The 16 Spectrum

return of Ezra is an example, an event which monuments, namely, Shishak, Tirhakah, took place either in 458 or 457 B.C. If the Necho and Hophra. Several Assyrian kings author of the book of Ezra used the Persian appear in the Bible, namely, Tiglathpileser, calendar in writing his report, the date of his Shalmaneser, Sargon, and return to Jerusalem would be 458 B.C. On Esarhaddon, as well as the Babylonian kings the other hand, if Ezra used the Jewish calen­ Merodach Baladan, Nebuchadnezzar, Evil dar, the date would be 457 B.C. Most mod­ Merodach, Belshazzar, and the Persian kings ern Bible commentators use the former date; Cyrus, Darius, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes. we Adventists have always defended the lat­ We are well acquainted with all ofthe'se kings ter. Fortunately, we have a basis for the date from contemporary hieroglyphic or of our preference, since literary and ar­ sources. chaeological evidence shows that Nehemiah, Furthermore, we also have evidence that as well as the Jews in Egypt during the post­ comes from the opposite direction. This evi­ exilic period, used the Jewish and not the dence is provided by Assyrian records which Persian calendar. 2 mention the Israelite kings Omri, Ahab, Even a more recent event such as the death Jehu, Menahem, Pekah and Hoshea, as well of Christ is difficult to date with absolute as the kings of Judah, Jehoash, Jehoahaz, certainty. The available evidence points to Azariah, Hezekiah and Manasseh, while either A.D. 30 or 31. 3 We Adventists prefer Babylonian records refer to Jehoiachin by the date A.D. 31, because it fits the prophecy name and to the last king ofJudah, Zedekiah, of Daniel 9 better than does the year A.D. 30; without preserving his name. Since the Assy­ for the same reason, we defend 457 B.C. for rian, Babylonian and Persian chronologies Ezra's return and reject the year 458. are well established by means of astronomi­ There are other biblical events which can cal checks, it is obvious that all these cross be dated within a margin of possible error references and correlations between biblical that does not exceed a few years. For exam­ and nonbiblical data provide us with a bibli­ pie, the year 966 B. C. for the beginning of cal chronology for the first millennium B.C. the building of the Jerusalem Temple by Sol­ that is quite reliable, and which can contain omon is defended in the Seventh-day Adventist only very small and inconsequential errors. Bible Commentary 4 on the basis of E. R. One point I want to make clear before Thiele's work,s with which I fully agree in leaving the period of biblical chronology that respect. But, some scholars have dated which deals with the first millennium B.C., this event a few years later, although no one and that is the fact that even for the dates of differs from our date by more than ten years. this later period we are depending on secular While not all biblical scholars agree with re­ chronological schemes to anchor our biblical gard to the actual year in which Solomon data. Whereas the biblical evidence indicates began his building activity, all agree that it that there were 345 years between Solomon's happened within a span of ten years of the death and the destruction of Jerusalem by date quoted above. Hence, a medial date of Nebuchadnezzar, we would not be able to about 960 B.C. can be considered as correct. date either the former event nor the latter on the basis of biblical data alone. It is only with o far I have men­ the help of the Assyrian and Babylonian rec­ stioned only events of ords that we can provide the dates 931 B.C. the first millennium B.C. and of the first for the death of Solomon and 586 B. C. for century of the Christian era, because for this the end of the Kingdom of Judah. period, we are on more or less solid ground Also, for the dating of postexilic events as far as chronological dates are concerned. such as those described in the books of Ezra We also have secular sources with which we and Nehemiah, we depend on secular can correlate biblical data. For the events sources. These events are dated in the Bible in from Solomon to Nehemiah, some Egyptian terms of the years of the reigns of Cyrus, kings are mentioned by name in the biblical Darius, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes, whose records which are well known from the we can establish only on the Volume 10, Number 3 17 basis of secular records. Let us never forget The main reason for such disagreements is that without secular sources we would not be the fact that we do not have a correlation able to date any biblical event in terms of a between biblical and secular events. The continuous era such as the B.C. or A.D. Bible mentions not one king of Egypt or scheme or any other. We would, for exam­ Mesopotamia by name who has been iden­ pIe, not know from the historical records of tified with certainty, and the secular records the Bible that a period of about 400 years of the second millennium B.C. do not men­ passed between Nehemiah's time and that of tion any individual known from the Bible. Jesus Christ. No historical biblical evidence Egyptian kings are referred to regularly as could show us how many years elapsed be­ "pharaohs," but pharaoh is not a personal tween Darius II, the last king mentioned in name, and Mesopotamian kings mentioned the Old Testament, and the Emperor Au­ by name such as Amraphel of Shinar or gustus or King Herod, the first rulers men- Chedorlaomer of Elam are not yet identifi­ able from the available records. It is, there­ fore, not surprising that scholars differ widely with regard to dates of such biblical "It is important to remember events of the second millennium B. C. as the Exodus. However, if we leave aside the ar­ that a biblical chronology guments of those who do not accept clear cannot stand on its own feet "chronological statements" in the Bible, but and can be established for the accept such statements as a base for our dates, we can date some important biblical events of historical periods only with the the second millennium B.C., such as the help of nonbiblical material." Exodus to 1445 B.C. or Abraham's call to leave Haran to-1875 B.C. These earlier dates can be based on well-established dates oflater periods, such as the beginning of the building tioned in the , if we did not of the Jerusalem Temple by Solomon in 966 have secular source material. It is important B.C. to remember that a biblical chronology can­ not stand on its own feet and can be estab­ ence, the Exodus lished for the historical periods only with the H date is obtained by help of nonbiblical material. By saying this, I using 1 Kings 6: 1, which tells us that Sol­ am fully aware of the fact that we Adventists omon began to build his Temple in the 480th believe that prophetic statements, such as year after the Exodus, whereas the earlier those of Daniel 9:24-27, can bridge historical date is arrived at on the basis of Paul's state­ gaps in the Bible, but such prophetic passages ment that the Law of Sinai was given 430 depend on interpretation to make sense and, years after God entered into a covenant with therefore, are left out of this historical discus­ Abraham (Gal. 3:16-17), which helps us to SIOn. understand a few ambiguous texts ofthe Pen­ tateuch, such as Genesis 15:13 and Exodus Second Millennium B.C. 12:40-41. Since the date of Solomon's Tem- Whereas we have thus a biblical chronol- pIe building is reasonably well established as ogy covering the first millennium B.C. 966 B.C., we easily reach the year 1445 B.C. which is quite well established and about for the Exodus by counting back 480 years, which there are hardly any disagreements and by going back another 430 years we among biblical historians, this picture reach the year 1875 B.C. for the year in changes suddenly when we go back into the which Abraham was called. 'jl second millennium B.C., where we en- These dates are as far back as we can go on " counter great differences in the view of bib- the basis of chronological biblical sources. 1 lical scholars, depending on their accep- Before leaving this period of Old Testament 1 ta~c~~.. ~~~~~J~:~~~~~.~;:.~f~i~H5~1~~~~:.:~~~_ .. ~~.~~~ __ ~~.~._~~~~~~f:K:=~:~~~_~:.~e ~~~~rJ:?~~r.:~.~,~~i~~}~~.~ ... ~_.... ~_.~ ... :::~.~::~_~ ___ .~ ..

1 J 18 Spectrum

term "chronological statements." A state­ Many students of the Bible have in this way ment such as the one found in 1 Kings 6:1, for centuries built up a biblical chronology which gives us the number of years that had which has provided them with dates for the elapsed since the Exodus had taken place at events preceding Abraham's time. The most the time Solomon began to build the famous of these chronologies is that of the Jerusalem Temple, is clearly a chronological Archbishop James Ussher, published 1650- statement, regardless of whether it is accept­ 1658, and incorporated into the margins of able or not, whether it is considered to be true the King James Bible from 1679 until recent or false, accurate or exaggerated. Also times. Jeremiah's statement, referred to above, that However, the matter is not so easy as it Jerusalem was destroyed in the nineteenth rna y seem at first sight. The English Bible year of N e buchadnezzar' s reign is a figures of Genesis 5 and 11 are based on the chronological statement. It is very important Hebrew Massoretic Bible manuscripts, and to understand this term and use it accurately, these show great differences with the other because it is sometimes used by students of ancient versions of the Bible, namely, the the Bible for data to which it does not apply, Septuagint (the earliest Greek version of the as will be seen below. Old Testament, referred to as the LXX) and the Samaritan Pentateuch, as well as with the Periods Before Abraham data given by Josephus. 6 In the LXX, 15 of This leads me to a very important observa­ the 20 patriarchs from Adam to Abraham tion. While there are numerous "chronologi­ have different ages at the time of the birth of cal statements" in the Bible pertaining to the their sons than in the Hebrew texts, so that an periods from Abraham down through the adding of these figures leads to 3,394 years ages, not a single" chronological statement" instead of 2,008 years. The Samaritan Pen­ can be found in the entire Bible which helps tateuch shows ten differences with the He- us to date any of the earlier events, whether it be the building of the Tower of Babel, the "There is no biblical basis for confusion of tongues, the Flood, or Crea­ tion. For the time preceding Abraham, no any date ... for a biblical events recorded in the Bible are connected event preceding the birth of with any dates, secular kings, or any other Abraham. If an Adventist wants chronological peg on which we can hang the to believe that Creation took biblical stories. What we have for the pre-Abrahamic place about 4,000 B.C., he should periods in the Bible are two genealogical not claim that he bases his belief lists, one from Adam to Noah, and a second on a biblical chronology .... " one from Noah to Abraham (Genesis 5 and 11). These two lists provide us with names of20 men, usually referred to as patriarchs, from brew text and leads to 2,249 years instead of Adam to Abraham. Of each of these pa­ 2,008 years from Creation to Abraham. triarchs, the age at the time of the birth of his Josephus' account differs in 13 instances and first son is presented, as well as his age at time reaches a total number of3,237 years instead of death. For example, the list says that of2,008 years for the period from Creation to Adam was 130 years old when Seth was Abraham. born, and that he had reached the age of930 years when he died (Gen. 5:3, 5). By adding T his raises the ques- up the ages of the 20 patriarchs at the time of tion: Which of the the birth of each one's first son from Adam's four ancient sources is the most reliable? Our creation to Abraham's birth, one reaches, ac- first choice would be the Hebrew text, be­ cording to our English Bible, the sum of cause we know that the Jews copied and 2,008 years. We could then conclude that Ab- transmitted the text conscientiously and with ... ~ ...... _...... ~...... E~b~~EL~~~~E~

Protestant Bible translations have for several occupy himself "with myths and endless centuries been based on the Hebrew Mas­ genealogies which promote speculations soretic text. However, let us not forget that rather than the divine training that is in faith" the LXX translation is based on Hebrew (RSV), and in his letter to Titus, Paul rates manuscripts which no longer exist (except genealogies on the same level as "stupid con­ for some of the Dead Sea scroll fragments) troversies," "dissensions, and quarrels over and which preceded those now in existence the law, for they are unprofitable and futile" by centuries. Furthermore, we must be very (Tit. 3:9, RSV). It is for this reason that in all cautious to condemn the LXX version out of my ministry of more than four decades, I hand, since the New Testament writers, with have avoided getting drawn into discussions very few exceptions, used the LXX, even in on biblical genealogies. Because of the dif­ texts where they differed from the Hebrew ficulties connected with the genealogical data Bible (cf. Acts 7:14 with Genesis 46:27, or of the Bible, I have always refused to date any Matthew 21:16 with Psalm 8:2). It is not my event that precedes Abraham's birth. purpose to defend the LXX against the Mas­ It may be argued that there is nothing in soretic text over another when they differ, the Bible which is unprofitable or that is pre­ since the authenticity of both is so well at­ served without a purpose. I would agree. tested through the use of inspired writers. Consequently, one can reason that the Another difficulty in dealing with genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 which are in genealogies is the fact that they seldom seem the Bible must have a value and should teach to be complete. Let us not confuse accuracy us something. This is true. But I still main­ with completeness. I do not say that the tain that we do not fully understand them, genealogical lists are inaccurate; in fact, I be­ and with regard to this lack of understand­ lieve that each individual statement in a ing, we are in good company, namely in the genealogical list can be accurate, although the company of the apostle Paul. More than half whole list may be incomplete. If one com­ of the first book of Chronicles consists of pares any two genealogies given in the Bible, genealogies and lists of names. Their inclu­ one of the two is usually shorter than the sion must either have been of value for the other. For example, Ezra's genealogy of his people of the past, or must be of value for the

-.-.------~- own ancestry reaching back to Aaron leaves future, but their present importance is dif­ ~ ;, out several generations (cf. Ezra 7: 1-5 with 1 ficult to ascertain. Even Ellen White quotes 'f------.--.~.- ~-. Chron. 6:3-15) and the list of David's de­ from the first ten chapters of 1 Chronicles scendants on the throne ofJudah as presented only a few times; once from chapter 5, twice in Matthew 1 :6-11 lacks several kings, as a from chapter 2, and three times from chapter comparison with 1 Chronicles 3:10-16 10, but never in her voluminous writings shows. Even the two existing biblical lists of quotes even once from the seven chapters, 1, the genealogies between Noah and Abraham 3,4,6,7,8 and 9. are not identical, as a comparison between In conclusion, I do maintain that there is no Luke 3 and Genesis 11 shows. Luke in his list biblical basis for any date in the B. C. scale for presents a Cainan (ch. 3:36) who does not a biblical event preceding the birth of Abra­ appear in the list of Genesis 11. In the light of ham. If an Adventist wants to believe that these difficulties it must, therefore, be con­ Creation took place about 4,000 B.C., he sidered possible that the genealogical lists of should not claim that he bases his belief on a Genesis 5 and 11 may be incomplete. It is a biblical chronology, for he bases it, in reality, simple fact that we are still far removed from on a combination of biblical and secular understanding ancient Israelite genealogies. chronologies for the last 4,000 years, up to The apostle Paul seems to have realized the about 2000 B.C., and on the Hebrew text of difficulties connected with the ancient genealogical data for the preceding 2,000 genealogies, because in his writings he warns· years. It would be much better to say that he i two of his fellow ministers to avoid discus­ sions that deal with genealogies. In 1 T imo t~¥:~~}:~:.'~:~~~_~<::()t:t!l~:~ls:'])J:l!.~~~Yl!:

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. D. J. Wiseman, Chronicles of Chaldaean Kings death and Rehoboam's accession in 931 B.C. (see p. (626-556 B. C.) in the (London, 1956). 54). However, the early years of Solomon's reign can 2. Siegfried H. Horn and Lynn H. Wood, The easily be computed by applying the rules of Thiele's Chronology oj Ezra 7, 2nd ed. (Washington, D.C., chronology to Solomon. Since that king had come to 1970). the throne 40 years earlier, thus in 971 B.C. when his 3. See the discussion of the evidence in the Seventh­ accession year started, his fourth regnal year began in day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 255-265. the autumn of 967 and ended in the autumn of 966 4. See ibid., vol. 2, pp. 134-135,749. B.C. The month Zif, in which the Temple building 5. Edwin R. Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the began, is a spring month, which leads us to the conclu­ Hebrew Kings, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1965). sion that the Temple building began in the spring of Thiele's chronological work is concerned only with 966 B.C. the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. For this 6. See the SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, pp. 248 reason, his scheme begins at the time of Solomon's and 289 for tabulations of the data mentioned here. Soviet Views of Adventism: A Communist Analysis

edited by Chuck Scriven

he following four ar­ cept for minor stylistic changes and exci­ T ticles appeared in sions, often quite long, for the sake of brevi­ Russia in 1978 in a publication called The ty. These latter, where longer than a phrase Journal of Science and Religion. Written from a or so, have been indicated by means of el­ Communist point of view, they describe and lipses. Where they run to more than a para­ comment upon Seventh-day Adventism in graph or so - and of the second and third Russia, for the reason, as the Preface states, articles we are actually publishing only that it is a "system of spiritual influence upon excerpts -summaries of what has been left people" the knowledge of whose out, written by the editors and printed in "peculiarities" is required for success in italic type, appear as an aid to readers. "atheistic work" among its adherents. The In reprinting the articles, the editors of articles give, of course, a primarily negative SPECTRUM do not, of course, vouch for account. The authors sometimes fire their the accuracy of the descriptive content, let salvoes without benefit of supporting alone the adequacy of the commentary upon argument-Adventist beliefjust is delusory, it. The idea is that from this sample of Soviet for example; its primary appeal just is the analysis, we may gain some insight into how promise of escape from earth's misery. They Russian Communist writers perceive the do, however, suggest empirical backing for religious movement of which we are part, their central claim -that the Adventist and in so doing learn something about Church in Russia is now in a process of crisis Communism and its relationship to Advent­ and decay. All four writers play upon this ism in the U.S.S.R. single theme. The texts of the four pieces appear as they have been translated from the Russian, ex- Preface

hey call themselves Charles Scriven, former editor of Insight and "Adventists" from SPECTRUM, is completing a doctorate at the T Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. He is the au­ the Latin "adventus," which means "arrival"

thor of The- . Demons_. - Have Had It. or "coming," .and by this very name they 22 Spectrum emphasize that the substance of their doctrine Eugenevich Snytko. His official family con­ is based on their belief in the coming ofJesus sists of a wife and two children. But Vitaly Christ. But, in contrast to devotees of other Eugenevich considers himself a member of Christian movements, they are convinced the family of the local 1S0-member that the of the Son of God to Seventh-day Adventist church, which rents earth will take place, not in the far distant the house from him. Every Sabbath - this future, but very soon, and they are con­ day begins for the "brethren" and "sisters" stantly preparing to meet Christ so that they with sunset on Friday evening, and ends will not be caught unawares. with sunset the following day - three This belief in a near second coming is only meetings are held. I, too, have come to attend the starting point of a very delicate and flexi­ the morning meeting. ble system ofspiritual influence upon people. In the lobby are a long clothes rack and an And precisely this is what helps Adventism antique organ. Church members are sitting to retain its position and, to a certain degree, in the hall on benches covered with bright even under conditions of a crisis in religion, cloth, conversing in low voices. One door to widen its ranks in some countries of the opens into the parlor where there is a table world. and a sofa; another into the assembly room. In our country there are followers of the A strip of carpet down the middle divides the notable branch within Adventism -the rows of benches, and hanging on the wall in Seventh-day Adventists. Moreover, there an age-darkened frame, "the command­ are still some local groups of the Adventist ments" contrast with the contemporary Reform Movement. Atheistic work among clocks. Alongside the pulpit is an electric mu­ adherents of these movements requires spe­ sical instrument, and places for the choir. The cific qualifications, and, firstly, demands a assembly room has seven wide windows knowledge of the peculiarities of their faith with blinds. On the ceiling there is a large and of the sometimes contradictory pro­ ventilator. cesses which today are passing through Ad­ The house has central heating. It is warm. ventist groups. With precisely thispurpose in The floor shines with its coat oflight-brown mind, the following material is published. paint. The entering "brethren" take their seats strictly in front at the right; the "sisters" arbitrarily. Before sitting down, they bow Article 1: "This Quiet Sabbath World" their heads and "talk with God." There are by V. Franyuk children present. A young man enters. He wears glasses Snow had fallen the evening before in the with yellow frames, a black suit and tie and a city of Karaganda, and from the trampled white shirt. He carries a folder in his hand. path it was evident that more than a few This is Snytko. Being the host, he goes up to people had come and gone recently along this the clock and moves the hands forward (they little alley. On both sides, small houses nes­ were behind). He becomes absorbed in talk­ tled behind fences as though in hiding. The ing with his God; then takes his place beside little street was the picture of repose and the pulpit. After praying in the same manner, tranquility. a young lady takes her place behind the musi­ On this Saturday morning, people.in cal instrument. She is the choir leader. groups or by themselves are wending their The clock strikes ten. Three men walk way toward a solidly constructed building along the carpeted strip to the pulpit, kneel with a new fence, iron gates, open shutters behind it. Everyone in the room stands up and wide windows. Behind the side gate, the after a short pause for silent prayer. When the well-kept young apple trees and small path pastors arise, the members sit down again. paved with concrete display the order and The leader of the congregation announces: neatness of a manorial seat. "Let us glorify our God with a Sabbath The host is a Vitaly song." Volume 10, Number 3 23

bserving this wor­ gregation who had asked the quirky ques­ O ship service, I dis­ tion. cover an interesting peculiarity. Seminary­ At the close of the service, the man who style, the participants pursue a theme by had led out introduced himself to me as Vas­ means of questions: ily Vasilievich Novosad, chairman of the "What was the motive for Jesus' doing all church board. I don't remember how it hap­ He did?" asks the leader ofthe congregation. pened, but in speaking with the preacher, it Two ladies stand up. "Love to his came out that he and I were colleagues in the neighbor," they answer simultaneously. past, having traveled into the North Atlantic "Who wishes to express his thoughts?" some time ago. We took pleasure in recalling asks the preacher. how cozy, in stormy weather, we found the An elderly man on one ofthe front benches channels of the , the white stands up and asks a quirkish question: slopes of Iceland and the fogs along the "There are many different , each shores of Britain. The reminiscences about guaranteeing salvation while considering the the sea aired thoughts of prayer out of V asily others delusions. Which one is right?" Vasilievich's mind, and he enthusiastically The preacher calls out asking if there is began to recall the names of different ships, and especially that of our own ship, Michael Kalytnin. "This belief in a near second Novosad is 33 years old, works as a me­ coming is only the starting chanic with escalators, is married and has point of a very delicate and two children. He grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family, but in his younger years, flexible system of spiritual he did not follow the teachings of the church. influence upon people." According to his own words, during the years he spent at sea his life was filled with sin. After several months at sea, he had a anyone who wishes to answer the question. good amount of money in his pocket, felt Some do, but neither their explanations nor solid ground under his" feet , and, as the saying those of the preacher himself satisfy the el­ goes, his soared to heaven when he was derly man, who reproachfully shakes his on land again and he began to live a life of head. Whispers are heard among the "breth- pleasure. reno " "After staying on shore for some time, The choir leader stands up on the small there was again no other choice ifI wanted to platform, and the choir enters and sings. Al­ earn some money but to go to sea again for though two of the men are unable to carry some months, and my former life repeated their bass part, and women's voices predom­ itself. Then I asked myself what purpose inate, the singing is impressive. After prayer, there was in living such a life." two ladies accompanied by a guitar present a "And did you find the answer to that eter­ religious duet. The preacher speaks on the nal question?" subject of God's commandments, that they "Oh, yes, with the help of faith I found a are life's compass. He uses an illustration purpose for my life in establishing a right from secular literature: The French author, relationship with God." Jules Verne, in his novel, The Children of The "brethren" and "sisters" had by now Captain Grant, relates an incident of when the gone to their homes until time for the eve­ compass once began to mark a wrong course, ning service. The house was empty, because someone had intentionally put a and the host, Snytko,joined us in talk. He, in piece of iron beside it, and so the ship went contrast to the former sailor, Novosad, pre­ off course. Likewise, every encroachment on ferred to talk only about the Bible. He was Christ's teaching, causes our life compass to pouring out quotations. deviate, and we get off course. This, of His way to God, Vitaly Eugenevich course, isa----- reference----. -- to the... man ...... in the - -con- Snytko said,pegan in his childhood under 24 Spectrum

the guidance of his parents. When he was 12 itself. There arises a certain spiritual dead years old, he began to think for himself, and a end. The human belief in a better future grasp of understanding came upon him. Once changes into the doomed expectation of a he asked his biology teacher after the lesson, terrible judgment. "Is nature alive?" The author continues by describing how Of course, the teacher answered that na­ Novosad and Snytko are "tormented by contradic­ ture is not an organism with functions inher­ tions, JJ and how most Adventists avoid television ent in all that is alive. "This will be gone over and the cinema. He then describes other Adventists later," he said. The thoughtful student made whom he met, including one man who asked that the logical conclusion: if nature is not alive, it his name not be published. cannot create a living cell; and furthermore, if P., a locksmith in an institution, is 34 years this is so, someone must have created it; and old and has a secondary school education. At still further, if it is unknown who, there re­ the prayer meeting, he attracted my attention mains only God. by his difficult, penetrating analysis of a The biblical explanation about the creation Bible chapter from the pulpit. Then, he took of the world was acceptable to the boy's un­ a place in the choir. When he offered prayer derstanding. When he decided to believe in from the pulpit, he wiped away his tears. I this myth, he accepted the importance and talked with him later in his shop. I already great devotional meaning of the whole Bible. knew that he was a most conscientious After finishing school, Vitaly Snytko worker. graduated from a photography course, and The story of P. is a dramatic one. In his took a job in photography with the govern­ childhood, he lived near the railway station ment. However, he was compelled to work among Adventists. At the age of nine, he fell on Sabbaths, days which every Adventist is under a wheel and lost his foot. At 18, he was obligated to devote to God, so he had to lost during a snowstorm on the steppe. In his change his work and become a builder. He despair, he promised God he would accept kept his devotion to religion during his army the faith if his life were spared. He went at service, also. random through the snowstorm and finally stumbled on a house. He has kind eyes and umanly speaking, let hands that are rough from work. He is a H it be said without typical, skillful master-dreamer. Such are disparagement, Novosad and Snytko left me always mastering something unselfishly in a certain painful feelings. Not just because they devote so much time preparing for the com­ ing judgment, and not even because they "Many of those whom I met here spend their life energy on interpretation of were drawn into this queer world pseudo-profound thoughts about ancient by a religious upbringing from legends and myths. It is also distressing to see them trying to enhance themselves before childhood, producing in them a their fellow believers by means of oppressive moral passiveness." persistency, almost consecration, in abstain­ ing from logical reasoning, arguments or compansons. skillful manner, or creating or inventing "Logic is nonessential for the true faith," something. Maybe, ifhe hadn't been caught asserts Novosad. in a snowstorm, his fate would have turned "Christ's teaching doesn't need to be re­ out quite differently. evaluated," reiterates Snytko. "It is eternal Many of those whom I met here were and unshakable." drawn into this queer world by a religious And yet they do agree that in the realities upbringing from childhood, producing in surrounding us, the human mind, intellect them a moral passiveness. As a rule, every and reason yearn to discern new things and to one of them had met some difficulties in life, the screw that which has outlived and likewise, one was.unabletowith-:- Volume 10, Number 3 25

stand them, but readily hid in the fragile shel­ nation of desolation" is evident as scientific ter of religious faith. and technological progress gives rise to After the worship service, we went with perplexity, fear, uneasiness among nations Novosad, in an old "Volga." The snow had (struggle between classes in capitalistic coun­ begun to melt, and from the railroad tracks, tries, and national liberation movements). the noise of passing trains was heard. In the We will return to this sermon later, but back seat was seated his wife with a child in now let's take a look at the church in the city her arms. She was the one who had led the of Gorlovka, in Donets province. Here the church choir, and beside her was eight­ talk is of other things - of earthquakes and year-old laughing Vovka. Vasily Vas­ other calamities, and the voice of the ilievich's wife had studied music, but at the preacher sounds different, quite assured and insistence of her parents, became a nurse. In almost prophetic: "Men's hearts failing them Adventist families, the will of the older for fear and fainting." people is law. Yet, music remained her favor­ ite occupation. Involuntarily, I began to oth sermons, the first think of restless Vovka, whom the parents B about decay within brought to the morning worship service. the Seventh-day Adventist Church and What will her fate be? "abomination of desolation" in the world, and the second about terrible natural events and calamities, are directed toward the same Article 2: "In Expectation of the Latter end - that is, to convince the believers of Rain" Christ's soon coming. "Soon the Lord will pour out the latter rain upon His people," by D. Koretsky proclaims the preacher in Chernovtsy. "To­ day the signs of the times tell us that we are The words of the sermon echoed sadly now on the threshold of great events. There through the Seventh-day Adventist church is anxiety everywhere. The are in the city of Chernovtsy: being fulfilled before our very eyes .... Take We live in perilous times. Within the care, or you will be found at the king's dinner church there is a struggle for authority and without a wedding garment," so echoes his supremacy. Believers do not trust each colleague in Gorlovka. other any more, and it seems that the Is this just a coincidence? Of course not. words of the prophet Jeremiah are written For about one and a half centuries, Adventist especially for our time: "Take ye heed preachers have managed to find in everyday everyone of his neighbor, and trust ye not events some signs predicted in the Bible in any brother" Ger. 9:4). Satan has suc­ which show that Christ could come any day ceeded in focusing the attention of God's to our earth. During this period, the lives of people on minor questions. And even the people have changed, their world has worse, many of us are doubting the peril­ changed, even the face of our planet has ous nature of sin. There are persons who changed, but the untiring preachers still look are heading toward temptation like insane for and find their signs, just as though there people toward a beating. were not thousands of forerunners, who all We could quote more, but there is no need, turned out to be false prophets - everyone. because it is all more or less the same and And most remarkable in all this is the fact nearly in the same words. In short, the con­ that Adventist preachers, not knowing how, tent of the sermon is as follows: The and not wanting, to look at the world with­ Seventh-day Adventist Church is going out prejudice, contrive to find through a crisis and decay. Pastors are of their persuasion! A tract, "The Shaking," struggling for authority, and believers are plainly states that "perplexity" among the less devoted to the teachings of Christ and adherents of Adventism is "programmed be­ more and more taken in by the temptations forehand in God's plan of future events!" ofsecul:l,f life. In the worldalso,the "abomi- The existence of a crisis soeyident, the 26 Spectrum

process of deterioration of religious belief so amidst all our difficulties, and look for new intense, that denying it is just impossible. approaches to the task which has been given The ministry has only one way out: to appeal to us - to be the light of the world and the to the .conscience of the believers and pretend salt of the earth?" that all this was foreseen in God's plan and Following this principle, a number of that this decline itself is one of the most con­ realistic Adventist preachers admonish the vincing signs of Christ's soon coming. In­ believers to pay attention to what is going on deed, the crisis in religion cannot be settled in the world around them, to overcome their with such measures, it can only be lessened in tendency to live within their own narrow some degree. circle, and to seek to fulfill their duties to­ The author next cites what he sees as evidence ward society and the state. They think the - such as stories ofdisagreements among members, future of the church depends on finding the of decline in membership - of a "process of disin­ right solution to this problem. tegration" within Soviet Adventism. This leads This sane approach to the problem is pre­ to his short article's final paragraph. sented in the paper prepared by one of the Adventist ministers are unable to hide prominent modern Adventist leaders under these facts and processes from the believers, the title, "The Christian in Society and and, therefore, they declare that the crisis in State." The author says: the Adventist Church is "measured and pro­ We Adventists who live in the U.S.S.R. grammed by God," and over and over again have every reason to treat our socialist state they convince the believers that "very soon with warmth arid gratitude. We cannot the Lord will pour out the Latter Rain upon equate socialism and the , but the His people." principles upon which the Soviet state is built are considerably nearer to the Gos­ pel's spirit of care for man than are the Article 3: "In Search of an Exit" principles of capitalist society. We con­ sider it a great privilege to be citizens of by S. Orlov this country. The paper goes on to refer to the great The author claims that certain social changes changes which took place in our country (which he does not describe) have brought "crisis" after the October revolution. Special atten- to Seventh-day Adventism, one manifestation of tion is given to the fact that in our country the which is a "split" in the church dating to the church is separate from the state, and refer- mid-1960s. One group, said to be "the more reac- ence is made to the religious persecution tionary," is led, according to the author, by P. which was in force under the Czarist state. Matsanov, and has established "parallel com- This is a worthy answer on the part of belie v- munities of Seventh-day Adventists." The other ers who live in our country to agitators group, called "moderate," is said to have the back- abroad who day and night proclaim to the ing of the General Conference, which has tried world that in the U.S.S.R. there is no freedom without success, the author says, to reunite the of conscience and that the rights of Christians groups. The Matsanov group is now linked with and the church are not respected. the "Riform Movement, an extremely reactionary The author of the article expresses satisfac- branch ofAdventism which started during the First tion that believers can take part in work for World War in Germany." It stands for rigorous the welfare of the country in common with separation from the world. The following excerpts all citizens: "For us Seventh-day Adventists, further describe and comment upon the two groups. it is a great joy that our humble creative The credo of this more moderate branch of efforts can be united to those of the millions Adventism is shown in this statement by one of people in our country toward achieving of its leading ideologists: "What should our progress. In this way, we directly participate course be? Should we accept the complete in the common success and deplore the mis­ liquidation of Adventism and leave God's takes and problems, and feel ourselves part of true church, or hold on to what we do 1Ia.yc:, __ a.~~()9J~~Yyy:h!<::~l1pl_a:<::e.s.p~f()r:eitnota few and ""~,c~ •.•. ,~~_.n~ ___-~~';"~_~.~'~~~~';;.c...~,..:~;..,.~~"_;;.,~,,,,"-;....-:.,.,~~_._~," __~. ____n":;~_~m_~~_~~..;,;;,:~c;;.';';;"';':";";;:":':-':",:':;'::,:.;·~r;;~::;;:';;';;, :;;;:'':.~.~:';;;;';~,;:-w';,-:;;':;''~~';;;::~';'':;;:::;-:;;;·.. ;;-':':':::_~:;;_~_';';:;.;;.::::':;:;:''':''':''''':-':''':';;''''''''':';:-::::''::;:_~~_"·_· __ ;...;~."",,-_._,,"~::-~..:.~,;"_;';;':~_;"-";;'"_"""'"~',",;"""-e_e.~", Volume 10, Number 3 27

high ideals." Without any doubt, one must To the dogmatic principle, common to all not ignore these positive expressions which Adventists, of observing the Sabbath day, are based on a wise and unprejudiced view of the Reformers ascribe special significance. the objective process. These men are educat­ On this day, it is absolutely forbidden to ing the believers in a feeling of patriotism and engage in any kind of work, except prayer. an understanding of their duties to their Even the purchase of a newspaper or food, earthly motherland .... conversation on ordinary topics and visits to public places are not allowed on this day. The p to the present time believers are instructed: "Meet the Sabbath U in our country, small with prayer and singing and end it with groups of the Adventist Reform Movement hymns of praise; do not allow on this day any continue to function. They are well known worldly lesson, music, occupation or con­ for their reactionary views and the antisocial versation." On Sabbaths, children are character of their activities. Under the influ­ categorically forbidden to attend school. To ence of their fanatical leader , Adventist Re­ back this up, they are reminded of Ellen formists refuse to register their churches, White's statement: "Adventists cannot count prohibit their children from joining the on God's divine blessing if they send their Young Communist organization, and insti­ children where they cannot fulfill the fourth gate the youth not to serve in the army, and commandment. " they produce and spread literature which But all these endeavors of extremists to contains slander against our socialist regime. separate their followers from the world, can­ The ringleaders of the Reform Adventists not withstand the influence of modern times. aim at completely isolating their supporters More and more reformists are deviating from life. In a handwritten brochure, "Sep­ from their directives and involving them­ aration from the World," they state: "We are selves in different spheres of social life .... living in a worldly age when our physical relationship with the world is much closer than in former times. Automobiles, radio Article 4: "In the Captivity of and other modern devices have completely Unattainable Expectations" changed circumstances under which we live by A. Bilov and have made it much more difficult than at any time before for us to be separate from the world and maintain our pure customs." As­ The introductory paragraphs note Adventist be­ serting that radio and television transform liif in the Second Coming and the fact that several attempts have been made to predict the exact date of "Small groups of the Adventist Christ's return. Reform Movement continue to ... On March 21,1843, many thousands in North America in the United States met function. They are well known the day in fear and anguish. They had de­ for their reactionary views and voted years of preparation to becoming wit­ the antisocial character of nesses ofthe Second Coming and to rising with Jesus Christ to the 1,000 years of rule with their activities." God. Many took leave oftheir close relatives, put on white clothes and went to the tops of the apartments of believers into theaters and hills and mountains in order to be the first to other places shameful for to be in, the meet the coming Christ. But the sound of the Reform Adventists try to ward off the effect archangel's trumpet was not heard. The Sec- of mass information on the conscience of ond Coming did not take place. believers. "We must do nothing, not read, In history there have been many 1 look or speak, under any circumstances that prophecies about the Second Coming. In dif-I ~;;; a~~~:~~idden by divine precepts, "~:~~~o~Ot~~t;~;~i£l:j~~g~~=:::~~~oe~~to~l ~ ~ ~, __ ~ __ .~'m";_'~~m;' __~~~_~~~_m __~" __~ '~~~~',_~'~_'m_,C~_m'_~_;_m_~'~ __~~'_"_m_~''''_'~ __ ."_.~" ___" ___~~~ __~_. ____~"_"_m_,~_,~,C_' __'"_'_~ ___mm~_~''''' __ ''~'_~_~____ ''_j'_~'''_"_~'~ ___ '_''_'_"' 1

Ij 28 Spectrum

the world. But then for the first time a reasons of the industrial upheaval which "prophet" born on North American soil brought uncounted sufferings to millions of managed to captivate believers, not by people, quickly took up the sermons on an eloquence or emotional appeal, but by a imminent end to this world and the coming scheme of deductions pretending to be scien­ of a 1 ,OOO-year kingdom. They saw in it the tific, from "holy" texts which seemed con- opportunity of getting rid of earthly mis­ vlllcmg. erIes. The founder of Adventism was William During that period, the teaching on the Miller, a small farmer and preacher in a Bap­ imminent Second Coming had not yet at­ tist group, After many years of careful Bible tained its distinctive form; there was no talk study, he became agitated by the idea that he of establishing an organization. The early had found indications in the book of Daniel Miller movement ran within existing reli­ as to the time of the Second Coming. He gious groups. There was not even talk of a assumed verse 14 in the eighth chapter of more or less logically concordant religious Daniel, where it speaks of the evenings and doctrine. The religious zeal rested com­ mornings, meant that the Second Coming pletely on Miller's prophecy and the signs of would take place after 2,300 years. Then Mill­ the Second Coming, which in the mouth of er had only to find the starting point. Pene­ the "prophet" looked convincing to his fol­ trating into the meaning of Daniel's lowers. prophecy, he established the beginning date Naturally, the expectations proved to be as 457 B.C., when the Persian king, Ar­ false. The Second Coming did not take place taxerxes, gave permission to renew divine on March 31, 1843 as predicted by Miller, service in the temple atJerusalem. As a result, nor in subsequent years, though the it came out that Christ's Second Coming was ideologists in the movement several times to take place in 1843. brought in corrections on their computation. We will not here go into the details of In no way would they admit the unsoundness Miller's reckoning, nor into his very arbi­ of their predictions. According to one ver­ trary interpretation ofBible texts and his vio­ sion, Christ had first to cleanse the heavenly lation of the elementary rules of logic. This sanctuary. After that, he would come to has already been done in our literature [A earth in order to cleanse the earthly footnote to this paragraph appears in the sanctuary. Russian article, which reads as follows: "See However, to take away the bitterness of E. Vartoshevich and E. Borisoglebsky: the disappointed people who had believed 'They Are Awaiting the End of the World,' Miller was impossible. Most of them broke M. 1963. A Belov: 'Adventism,' M. 1973."] away from the movement, from which sev­ But to many Americans at that time, Miller's eral groups emerged, each construing differ­ calculations seemed an authentic revelation. ently the biblical predictions on the Second His call to carry the message of salvation Coming. One of these groups is connected everywhere was taken up by a great number with the name Ellen White. Essentially, she is of believers. the founder and ideologist of the Seventh­ day Adventist Church. iller's prophecy re- Ellen White (nee Harmon) was the wife of M sounded among one of the passionate adherents of . those strata of the population which espe- In preaching her ideas, she was above all else cially felt the uncertainty of the tempestuous concerned that they should sound to the be- development period of the capitalistic pro- lievers, not as her own fabrications, but as the duction method, which was accompanied by testimony of God's revelation. According to reinforced exploitation, crises of overpro- her words, everything she said was inspired duction and disruption of the middle class. by her constantly arising visions, and thus Small farmers, artisans, mechanics and was God's word passed on to the people tradesmen, not having the ability to make through His chosen person. _out what was going on or to understand the It isjl1t~r~sJ!t:lKJh'!t~l1'<=l1 W~4i~~'s visions ~ ~~ -- ---~~ -~~- ~ ~~-~~~~~-.-~---"----~---~~~----- ~~ "'·"~-''-'-_'->''''''''~.'~'~~;~;'';~~"..,-T"~~;''''';'''''~'':''''':'';'';;:;-~;':'~:''''';'';:''F:_;:'-'::';:'';;:.;;:_:::;"::::;;;:~:::;;;';;'''';;;;;::';'~~;;;:':;;;;;~':;':;;;:'''''~''T'_~_;::;-o:,;;~~;....,_~ __":-"_' __ ;'M_""",",'~' __ '~"~~'~~"~~~~~ ...... Volume 10, Number 3 29

were repeatedly the subject of dispute even other wntmgs, in literally tens of places, among Adventists. T o\<:;onvince the believers other works are copied? One can assume that that these visions were really given from a psychically unbalanced, mystically inclined above, followers of the prophetess several woman actually fell into ecstatic states ac­ times published conclusions of doctors who companied by hallucinations of a religious had observed her during her ecstatic condi­ character. Even to this day, Seventh-day tion. The doctors concluded that "the source Adventists accept these hallucinations -to of these visions was divine." them, "visions" -as "divine signs" and refer Curiously, some unprejudiced persons to them constantly as equal to the Bible .... tried to evaluate these conclusions objec- The author briefly describes the beginnings of the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church, "One can assume that a psychic­ calling Ellen White its "founder" and remarking on its worldwide missionary work. ally unbalanced, mystically ... Already by the end of the last century, inclined woman actually fell Seventh-day Adventists were printing their into ecstatic states accompanied literature in 91 languages. Simultaneously, by hallucinations of a religious Adventist appeared in Russia, to begin with in German colonies in the south of character. " the country, and then in other places, also. Their preaching was successful among the tively. In a book published about 20 years peasantry, above all among the poorer classes ago in Stuttgart by a West German author, who tied the teaching about the soon Second Kurt Hutten, Foreseers, Dreamers, Enthusiasts, Coming in with their hope for deliverance the direct question, "Was Ellen White a from poverty, the heavy toil to which they prophetess?" is asked. After carefully analyz­ were subjected, and their unbearable exis..;. ing a great number of testimonies of neutral tence. Characteristically, it was mainlyadher­ observers and her own writings, the author rents of Russian Orthodox, who viewed points out that all conclusions on the "divine their church as a true servant of autocracy, character" of Ellen White's visions were who turned to Adventism. In 1912, 64 per­ made, as a rule, by commissions composed cent of Seventh-day Adventists had come of favorably biased individuals. Besides, the from the Orthodox Church. It is appropriate visions described by the prophetess in her in this context to recall Lenin's statement: writings were constantly changing in re­ "The struggle with the state church com­ prints, and some were simply excluded from bined with the preaching of the new purified the text in harmony with the development of religion, that is, the new clarified, refined Mrs. White's own views. poison for the oppressed masses." Contemporary Adventist authors, in re­ erhaps more impor­ viewing the history of their in Russia, Ptant, however, is the focus on the persecutions the first mis­ fact that Hutten succeeded in convicting the sionaries were subjected to by the autocracy. prophetess of plagiarism. A number of her Such cases actually took place. The main visions are simply borrowed from the works / reason for this was that at that time the Rus­ of other authors . Yet, she wrote to the be­ sian Orthodox Church did not tolerate any lievers: "When I send you testimonies, warn­ rivalry in her influence on the minds of the ings and instructions, many of you evaluate people, and was especially hostile toward them as Sister White's opinion. In this you Adventism. offend the Spirit of God. You know that the Adventist leaders tried to assure the autoc­ Lord reveals Himself through the Spirit of racy of their loyalty, and, in 1905, when Prophecy. I was able to see the past, present Czarism was compelled to allow persons and future." But howcan this be harmonized leaving the Orthodox faith to join other reli­ with the fact that in her books, Patriarchs and gions, the Seventh-day Adventists are Prophets and The Life of Paul, as well as in among those listed as loyaLto the imperial. 30 Spectrum

powers. It is interesting that in the circular to societies toward the Soviet power and comes all governors of the Russian empire, the about in their search for methods to retain Minister of the Interior, Stolypin remarked: and strengthen their positions. Similar pro­ "Seventh-day Adventist teaching resembles cesses took place also in the Baptist and the that of the and can be regarded as a Evangelical churches .... form of the latter, and, inasmuch as Baptists It is only natural that under socialist condi­ are freely permitted to profess their religious tions, Adventism is experiencing a crisis. doctrine, there are not sufficient grounds to This results in a change of traditional reli­ refuse the same privilege to Adventists." gious ideas and in a considerable change in Thus, statements about Seventh-day Ad­ the psychology of the believers. In their ventist conflicts with autocracy are clearly minds, more and more place is given to exaggerated. The leaders of the Adventist "worldly things," while the "divine" gets groups repeatedly expressed sentiments like weaker and weaker .... Under conditions of "loyal subjects of the sovereign," although, a general crisis in religion and a decline in some of them were hostile and were even piety everywhere, even Adventists, with their refined and flexible methods of spiritual influence on the people, have to search con­ stantly for special ways to maintain in their "Adventists have had success adherents the little fire offaith. All this causes where we atheists in the main anxiety to the church leaders and compels are indifferent to man and do them to action. '- not stretch out a hand to him -I n our country, there when he is in difficulties." are comparatively few Seventh-day Adventists. Outwardly, contemporary Adventist religious teaching involved in the October revolution. These retains all its traditional doctrines, including are facts which historians of Adventism pre­ belief in the 1 ,OOO-year reign of Christ and in fer to pass over in silence. the judgment of the living and dead, the con­ Time has brought changes of attitude in viction that Adventists are chosen of God to the political orientation and social doctrine of proclaim the message of salvation in all cor­ Seventh-day Adventists, and compelled ners of the globe, and the necessity of an them to reexamine some of their dogmatic inner renovation involving observance of the positions. Among Adventist ideologists, Lord's commandments in order to earn the there are passionate disputes, heated argu­ right to enter into the 1,OOO-year kingdom. ments and strongly differing viewpoints on ... Adventists also hold to the doctrine of the various problems. mortality of the soul, which, somehow, does At their fifth congress, in 1924, Seventh­ not tie in with general Christian teaching. day Adventists stated their position toward But, the peculiar interpretation of the doc­ the Soviet government as one ofloyalty as a trine concerning the soul does not in the least basic principle of political orientation. It was affect the belief in life after the grave. . . . at this congress that the split in the church A characteristic peculiarity of Seventh-day originated. Some of the members did not Adventists is the requirement of the absolute accept the stated position toward the gov­ fulfillment of the fourth commandment .... ernment, separated from the main body and In practice, the Sabbath day is used for tried to create their own organization with a strengthening the prayer exercise. Prayer bias toward extremism. They joined the so­ meetings are held and "God's Word" is called Reform Adventists, which emerged analyzed, often in the form of a Bible lesson. after the First World War in Germany. Such a Believers are admonished to begin and end split is not an unusual phenomenon for . the Sabbath with prayer and reading from the It is the result of instability and differing at- Bible. Since there are 52 Sabbaths in a year, _~ ______.~~_~ ____ !~~~des_ofdifferent social classes and religious 52 days besides others each yearared~di~at5:d ~" __~ ___ ·=_.~~_~,.,.;,;__ :."..;..;..,.,...c~..;:,.,;,.,...:--~,~,--_"~·.",~~",-,~»-~"~ __-,- __-;~;--'_':;""';:~~_"~~~"""':;;_' . .,.--:":""_~.-'--:"'::"~,~:.;~'-7_;';':;:";';;";:;-;;C:;.,;':'.~;'::~:;;""":';:.:::;;:':~;;;:';;';;';;'::_~~~~_."_"" ~ __ Volume 10, Number3 31 to strengthening the spiritual life of the fluence over people plays an essential role people. here. Now, then, one cannot fail to call attention For instance, the so-called "health re­ to the fact that the keeping of the fourth form" is especially influential. In different commandment at times leads the believer to countries of the world, Adventists have violate his civil duties. Some of them refuse opened hospitals and sanitariums which have to go to work on this day, all because of worked out a lot ohules. But, let us note that religious obligations .... the health reform was used right from the The next few paragraphs remark on tithe­ beginning for missionary purposes. The Ad­ paying, and worship . ventists turned their health institutions into centers for the spreading of their faith, and The teaching of inner renewal deserves the medical personnel into preachers of "the special attention. This is the Adventist in­ saving message." The Week of Prayer Read­ terpretation of the Christian understanding ings contain advice on diet, work and relaxa­ of self-improvement, which includes empha­ tion. Some are excerpts from medical sis on praying incessantly to grow in faith, sources, others do not come up to the level of repressing doubt, repentance and drawing contemporary medicine. Such advice repre­ nearer to Christ. Not so long ago, Adventist sents an integral part of their religious doc­ leaders demanded "self-," that is, trine. It cannot be denied that believers are denial of "worldly temptations." In the Week attracted, for instance, by advice not to use of Prayer Readings for 1961, one could read: alcohol, narcotics, and not to smoke. But the "Daily banish from your heart all that is main point is that, objectively, this concern worldly. Prepare yourself for the judgment for people's health is one of the refined means so that when He comes and all believers bow of strengthening and before Him, you, too, may stand among adherence to the Adventist faith, for, accord­ those who are ready to meet Him." ing to the design of the church's ideologists, The Week of Prayer Readings for later years it daily convinces its adherents of the special .,~ include no such frank, open summons. Life is compensations of professing this faith. .1 changing, and the believers are indifferent; Strictly speaking, this is the substance of they cannot isolate themselves from society health reform. completely, or lock themselves up in the nar­ The Seventh-day church row road of religious experience. This com­ now has 141 hospitals, 221 dispensaries, and pels contemporary preachers of Adventism many other types of medical facilities with to search for new words, new approaches to approximately 8,000 medical employees. believers. In the Week of Prayer Readings for These medical institutions have cared for 1976, we find the following: "Let us pray that about 5,000,000 sick people during the last we may conduct ourselves in the correct pat­ few years. Such concern for the believers' tern of life and be true Christians, worthy health, in the eyes of the ignorant, is a philan­ members of society and faithful citizens of thropic activity. Adventist preachers em­ our country-our earthly fatherland." phasize that the most important integral part Always emphasizing that the coming of of the Adventist message is the message of a Christ is near, preachers call upon believers healthy way of life, of which people are in to prepare to meet the "Saviour of man­ great need. kind." They constantly insist on the neces­ -I n order to accentuate sity of surrendering completely to God, and the humanism of of remembering always that we are living in Adventism, ministers today call the attention "the last days," for it is possible to miss out of the believers to problems they did not on the 1 ,OOO-year kingdom. But it is doubt­ touch upon in past decades. They talk, for ful that merely admonitions and instructions example, about peace between nations, the could have given Adventist ideologists what rights of all peoples to equality and freedom, they often succeeded in achieving. The etc. This reflects, of course, the influence of Seventh-day Adventist system ofspiritual in- the times, and contrasts with the traditional 32 Spectrum doctrine of Adventists, which has been cast those who are in difficult circumstances and in an eschatological and chili as tic in need of help and support. In this connec­ framework. Ellen White taught in Gospel tion, the humanitarian role, which some­ Workers: "The Lord wishes His people to times looms large in creating trust toward keep silence concerning political questions. missionaries of Adventism, comes into play. You who work as educators, preachers and Coming across such cases, one can see that workers in every branch of God's work must Adventists have had success where we not fight in the political world. You must live atheists in the main are indifferent to man and as citizens of Christ's kingdom." But today do not stretch out a hand to him when he is in spiritual shepherds cannot avoid questions difficulties. And how important it is to con­ which are agitating all people. Willy nilly, trast this illusory humaneness of religious they are compelled to deal with problems preachers to the true humanism of our soci­ which encompass far more than Adventist ety. eschatology and religion in general. As was mentioned, Adventism demands To be honest, it must be admitted that the from its followers participation in mission­ growth of the Adventist Church is largely ary activity. According to the principle of the due to family members and believers from "common priesthood," every believer must other denominations. But such data do not bring the "message of salvation" on the Sec­ give us a basis for self-complacency. Not a ond Coming everywhere. In such books as few people are still under the power of Workers and Testimonies to Ministers, it unattainable expectation of the Second Com­ is stated that "every Seventh-day Adventist ing of Christ. They are following all the is a missionary," and it is everyone's duty "to commands of their spiritual instructors. win for Christ." The believers are They do missionary work, educate their taught how to educate children so that they children in their faith. But they are not able will grow up as "true Christians." They are themselves to see their delusions and don't told how to conduct their conversation with have the ability to look upon the world with­ those who "are ignorant of this truth" and out prejudice in order to see how unrealistic how to bring them to an understanding ofit. and groundless all their expectations are. In It is suggested that special attention be paid to this they must be helped. PERSPEOlVES ON EDUCATION

Some Thoughts on Academic Quality

by Helen Ward Thompson

ur schools are to take do not seem to offer much room for such O a higher position interpretation. Serious acceptance of the academically and intellectually than any statements, however, forces reassessment of other schools in the land" (IV Testimonies) p. the academic success of our colleges. For 425). "Every department is to bear the mark example, the results of national examinations of divine excellence" (Counsels to Teachers) p. in various academic areas ought to show that 57). students in our college departments have I feel uncomfortable when I read this coun­ learned standard material in their fields ex­ sel from E. G. White. And I find I am not ceptionally well. And where·there are few, if alone with that feeling. College adminis­ any, national examinations available, student trators, past and present, admit the same scores on examinations developed by concern over the apparent inability of academic departments ought to show that a Seventh-day Adventist colleges and univer­ high calibre of learning is going on by the sities to produce a larger proportion of espe­ students in those disciplines. cially able scholars. Yet, the raw scores and percentile ratings . Perhaps the counsel is simply a goal to be for national examinations taken by students striven for but never reached. Yet, the words from the Adventist colleges that I am ac~ Helen Ward Thompson is the executive secretary bf quainted with indicate that many students are the Alumni Association, Walla Walla College. She not learning as well as their faculty would took her Ph.D. from Stanford University, and has desire, or perhaps as well as the students served as academic dean at Southwestern Adventist College and as chairman of the English department at themselves would wish. And in many cases,

Walla Walla '-'VHl;'I'~<:; the academic. deans~- .- of. the institutions and the 34 Spectrum

faculty are involved in studies to see what competent instruction, but when advisors changes could be made to produce better re­ register students for remedial classes, those sults. same students are often simultaneously regis­ Some of the policies of the colleges, how­ tering for other classes in religion, psychol­ ever, mitigate against much improvement in ogy, history, fine arts and other" core" cur­ academic standards. A brief examination of riculum requirements. The teachers, then, in four common policies shows part of the these basic classes are faced with animpossi­ problem. ble task: to teach college-level courses to First, most of our undergraduate colleges large numbers of students admittedly un­ want more students. This fact seems to dic­ ready for them. And the college need for tate an open-admissions policy, resulting in student retention makes it difficult for the students' being lured to the college who are teacher to fail large percentages of these ill prepared or even unable to pursue college­ freshman classes . Yet, the college itself has level work. The teacher is then faced with determined that these students are not ready two alternatives: to teach "down" to his stu­ for college-level work, usually because they dents, watering his courses so that his pass cannot read or write well enough to handle rate is respectable; or to teach solid college­ college classes. level classes, helping the unable or unwilling Third, in some cases, less able students are as much as possible, but failing them academ- advised to take two-year vocational pro­ grams which are devised to lead into four~ year programs. Yet, an examination of the "The most serious factor in requirements of these two-year programs teacher responsibility for the shows that too often the sophomore classes are some of the more difficult courses re­ academic level of their students quired in the four-year program. Thus, in his is in the confusion evident when sophomore year, a less able student in a easy and undemanding academics two-year program may actually be taking classes ordinarily taken by juniors or seniors and Christianity are considered in a four-year curriculum. synonymous." Fourth, Seventh-day Adventist colleges all admit some especially able students, yet only a few of our colleges have any programs that ically if they do not accomplish the necessary are particularly designed to enable those stu­ level of learning. The former leads to a dents to march to a different drum. Honors milquetoast course in which some learning programs are ordinarily expensive: the more takes place, but not nearly as much as the individually designed the program, often the . college students have the right to expect. A more expensive. The exceptional students teacher who follows the latter course often are usually taught in the same basic classes becomes unpopular and even untenured. with the numerous students unready for col­ f Second, in most Adventist colleges in lege work. The result can be unchallenging, North America that offer remedial work, the even stupifying, so that these potentially able percentage of students directed into those scholars fail to get the stimulation as well as classes has increased over the last few years. the learning they need to develop to their full This increase may have come about because capacity. advisors have better recognized the need for such skills as reading and writing and math­ dministrative pol­ ematics, but it may also be because the col­ A icies thus contri­ leges are accepting more students with low bute to the academic problems of our col­ abilities. At any rate, remedial classes are leges. However, faculty also share the re­ booming. sponsibility for the academically mediocre This increase in remedial education is product of a college. At kast four factors probably good if the studeIlts a,re receiving contribute to the problem. FQr example,fac- Volume 10, Number 3 35 ulty occasionally begin teaching in college late but had simply procrastinated. Another when they are ill equipped to teach at a col­ of his teachers had granted him extra time, lege level. Their background may be success­ and that teacher was quickly labeled "Chris­ ful academy teaching with no college experi­ tian." The "Christian" teacher is confusing, ence and little orientation by colleagues or it seems to me, Christianity with sloppy the dean as to the different academic level of scholarship and faulty character develop- college teaching. Or teachers just out of ment. graduate school with no teaching experience The constituency of the church as a whole step into the college classrooms and begin also shares the responsibility for the less than teaching as they were taught in graduate ideal academic achievement of the college school. In either case, the teacher is unpre­ students. For example, the idea is prevalent pared to do an excellent job. that college is for all Adventist young people. Faculty also want to build their depart­ And that somehow, when they get there, ments by generating more programs "for they should all have a "success" experience. their students." Yet, manY'of those student This places the college in the position of needs could well be met with present course babysitting, being a penal institution, and offerings if proper attention were given to being a recreation center, as well as an educa­ redesigning one or two existing courses. The tional institution. Now, while a college can result of developing new programs is the do some of the first three, it cannot major in teaching of a broader and broader spectrum any or all of those and still maintain stature as of courses, many of which the existing fac­ an educational institution. All Seventh-day ulty (and few new are now being added) are Adventists should not go to college, al­ relatively untrained to teach. The outcome though many or even most should in today's often is a weak major taught by faculty not world, provided the colleges are adequately specialized in their teaching areas. Another staffed and equipped to handle them. result may well be faculty overload. Another idea that affects the academic level Third, sometimes faculty equate mission­ of the college is the lack of understanding ary work with mediocre work. Underlying among the constituency that Christian edu­ this confusion is the subtle influence of the cation is indeed a doctrine of the church and is everpresent knowledge that Adventist col­ the most effective evangelistic agency of the lege faculty work for less than they would church. The longer a student attends one of receive in a state system or in many other our schools, the less likely he is to leave the private systems .. The difference varies con­ church in later years. This means that the siderably, from very little difference at the constituency should make absolutely certain instructor level to considerable at the as­ that every Adventist young person who sociate professor and prof~ssor levels . Yet, would benefit from a college education has the mental excuse sometimes for not giving the opportunity to attend an Adventist col­ that extra measure, for not making that extra lege. Many very able Seventh-day Advent­ push, for not bringing the teaching art to ists are not now in Adventist colleges. They perfection is the knowledge that wages are ought to be if the colleges were offering the low, anyway. curricula to fit them for their lifework. But probably the most serious factor in teacher responsibility for the academic level of their students is in the confusion evident H ow can some of these when easy and undemanding academics and . factors be amelior- Christianity are considered synonymous. I ated, some of the problems solved? Three still remember a student who came to me to steps might be helpful. While they are stated complain about how unchristian one of his generally, they actually are specific and need teachers was because he refused to give him to be so considered. extra time (and extra academic advantage) to First, while Adventist colleges undoubt- j do some assignments. Yet, the student edly will continue to have an open- 1 frankly admitted that he had no reason to be admissions policy for some time, they should j ...... """ ...... ~.. ~.~~ .... ~.~...... ~'"~.~.=...... -"' ..."' ...... "" .. " ..co,: .... = ..; .....o •• ~... ; ....=="="c''''=.c.,'-'~="-'-",=.oc.-.c=~;.,.=..:.-.;.~...... ~....:...... ,. .... - ..~ ...... j

1 J 36 Spectrum immediately give more serious consideration grading skills. Also, constant feedback for to "complete" programs for students un­ the teacher from his students, both person­ ready for college-level work. No longer ally and through examinations, is essential should the regular college classes be academi­ for the teacher to know how well his students cally bottom heavy, forcing the teacher to are learning compared with the students of dilute his material or have an undue propor­ his colleagues nationwide. tion of failures. Third, a specific, organized, determined Second, faculty need to teach better. Hir­ effort should be continued at both the confer­ ing practices, orientation sessions, philoso­ ence and division level to educate the constit­ phy of work considerations, curriculum re­ uency that college is for college-level work, strictions - all of these should be focused on that remedial programs are available for the teacher's doing the best possiblejob in the those students who need them, that every classroom. The soundness of a teacher's Adventist young person should not necessar­ academic practices as well as his personal ily go on to college, but that everyone whom commitment to the church ought to be con­ the college can serve should attend. Then, the sidered in the hiring process. Search commit­ constituency needs to see that every deserv­ tees need to determine as far as possible ing student is financially able to go. whether a faculty member will be an effective Only if the college with its admission teacher, able to hold high standards in a kind policies, the faculty in its teaching expertise, wa y, or whether he will succumb to the mul­ and the constituency with its understanding titude of pressures urging him toward popu­ and financial support work together can we lar mediocrity. have hope of meeting the goal: "a higher In addition, faculty in-service training position academically and intellectually than ought to keep the teacher abreast of the latest any other schools in the land" with depart­ developments in teaching techniques and ments of "divine excellence." Adventist English Teachers: Some Roots

by John O. Waller

eventh-day Advent­ Latinistic, so that studying Latin could not Sists ventured into take the student more than a short way to­ higher education, founding Battle Creek ward truly understanding English. College in 1874, a mere 17 years after The new study of English aspired to be no Lafayette, a small liberal arts college in Penn­ less rigorous than the older study of Latin and sylvania, became the first American college Greek had been. The new field was, first of to establish a chair of English language and all, the English language, as language - its literature. Lafayette, in 1857, so appointed a history, the derivations of its words, its remarkable young scholar oflanguage, Fran­ grammar, its own best ways of being distinc­ cis Andrew March (1825-1911), who re­ tively itself in rhetorical situations, its trium­ mained at Lafayette for the next 40 years phant realization of its sublime potentialities while becoming one of the world's most when voicing the thoughts and dreams of eminent philologists. He wrote A Compara­ great orators, essayists and poets. The study tive Grammar of the Anglo-Saxon Language of the English language would provide keys (1870), became director (1879) of the Ameri­ to unlock the unique riches of English and can staff of the great Oxford English Dictio­ American literature. nary, was elected third president (1892) of the It was not intended, then, that language Modern Language Association of America. and literature would be allowed to drift These facts alone might make us suspect apart, and decidedly not intended that lan- that English studies in their American in­ guage study would ever becoine subordin­ fancy were decidedly language-centered, tate, pratically crowded out by the study of English-language-centered, Indeed they literature. But neither was it intended, and were. For centuries, higher education had this point needs emphasizing now when so been dominated by the intensive study of many self-confident echoes ate urging us to Latin and Greek. Now, from the mid~1850s, scurry "back to the basics," that the study of this ancient language emphasis, already grammar would be the end-and-all, driving being diluted by such expanding disciplines out the study of literature. The basics, our as history, philosophy, mathematics and the professional ancestors would have stoutly in- natural sciences, would be further challenged sisted, were firmly implanted in Professor by a different, and rival, brand of language March's title, "English Language and Litera- study. For the entrenched classicists, the era ture'" (emphasis supplied). The two to- , of decline had begun. The new philologists gether, always together, an educative force such as March would demonstrate that En­ for developing men and women in a dynami- glish had always been more Germanic than cally expanding new nation - this ideal would impel the growth of English studies in John Waller, who holds his doctorate from the the second half of the last century. University of Southern California, is professor of En- Even more revolutionary during that same 1 glish at Andrews University. His article is reprinted half-century was the transformation of the I from Language Matters, a collection of essays on Ad- A' bl' hi£: h dl .-;1,1 ventist English teaching, by permission of the editor, mencan pu 1C sc 00 s lrom wretc e y y~rll:.~, W eh~:.:_~ __ . __ ._~~ ___ "_~_-"__ ",,,,_,.c,,.c_,,",,,,,,,_,,,c,,co•. o=",~Jal1~!H2,:.:h~:R11~~af.qJ¥:--:ClP-11:Iil1i~:!~or~:-g;::c-P-PX:::-- ", ___~c~_~

1, i 38 Spectrum

erty-hampered places into something at ning and the end were language. Linguistic least recognizably resembling the highly or­ - grammatical and rhetorical - insights ganized, professionally staffed, centrally were applied to the "English Classics." This funded ones we have now. The post-Civil process led to composition, both written and War years, and especially the 1880s and oral, and the end product was new public 1890s, witnessed a ferment of newly estab­ school teachers with "an exceptional ease and lished and fast-expanding teacher-training fluency of expression in English." institutions, called normal schools; of state and county and district teachers' organiza­ n these two com­ tions; offrequently held teachers' institutes at I plementary contexts, horse-and-buggy distance apart, all over the the steady rise of English in the universities United States, where successful teachers, and its predominance from the outset in the some sent from normal schools, would lec­ normal schools, we should view the begin­ ture and demonstrate; of the writing, pub­ ning of Seventh-day Adventist English edu­ lishing and promoting of textbooks. Sud­ cation . Up to 1900, it is largely the story of denly, the education of average boys and two men - (1832- girls had become a major American growth 1899) at Battle Creek College and George industry. It inseparably accompanied the Washington Rine (1859-1938) at Healdsburg new growth of systematic English ,studies. and Pacific Union Colleges. Although Bell The normal schools admitted students with taught at the college for only its first eight little or no Latin, but with enthusiastic de­ years, teachers he had trained succeeded him termination to learn how to teach. Many had there, and his English textbooks were a force already begun teaching when as young as 16. in Adventist education even after his death. They knew what they urgently needed. They Both Bell and Rine were recently baptized looked to the normal schools to help them Seventh-day Adventists deeply committed master the "common branches," and English to Christian education. Both had been nur­ was the branch from which the others hung. tured as public school teachers inthat time of A distinguished example was one new burgeoning English studies. Bell's first lan­ normal school established in 1879 in forested guage study textbook, published while he central Pennsylvania at Lock Haven. Its bul­ was still at the college, sold widely in the letin proudly announced its aim: public schools. And at Battle Creek, whether ... to make the study of English the basis we like it or not, he was primarily a teacher of of all other acquirements. No school in the future public school teachers. In 1877, at a United States gives a more critical course time of almost no Adventist church schools in the study of all that tends to make pupils anywhere, there were 235 enrolled in the 'proficient in the proper and fluent use of teacher-training course. 1 Of necessity, they their mother tongue. The study of English went out into the public schools, where jobs Classics receives special attention, and no were plentiful. Out at Healdsburg, Rine ar­ pupil is presented to the Examining Board rived as a graduate of that normal school back until he has made an application of English at Lock Haven so resolutely committed to Grammar and Rhetoric in the criticism and English. And both Bell and Rine, as we shall analysis of at least ten English and Ameri­ see, were men of aesthetic sensibility and can Classics by as many different authors. imaginative literary appreciation who fer­ While pursuing this course he also studies vently believed that a heart knowledge of somewhat extended biographies of at least good literature would help turn Adventist forty British and American authors. These youth into culturally rounded, spiritually critical exercises, in connection with the mature, effective witnesses for their faith. frequent written recitations, reviews and G. H. Bell in 1874 was already a seasoned discussions give our students an excep­ teacher, 42 years old, who had begun teach­ tional ease and fluency of expression in ing when only 19. We know almost nothing English. about his early life. His 1899 obituary sketch We carefully note the sequence. The ~gin- in the Youth's Instructor says h~had yery

" --.. ~----.---- .. ~ "- ---_ .. _--_._._ ... __ .. __ ._ .... _-_ .... ~~,-~"~,-.----.~--~~---~-~-,...;,.~-"-,-~~-.. -~~"--~~.-,,~.,--"----'---~~~" .. --~~~~-~-,~~-~,--~;..----~~"--""",.;,..;.,.~~;,...".~---..;;,;~~""~-..,.,,;~;..,.~~--~"--~--,--~-"..;.~-~,--. Volume 10, Number 3 39 briefly attended Oberlin College until family were better suited to the children he had circumstances forced him out. Before Ober­ taught for more than 20 years than to the lin, he may have attended an academy adults who came to Battle Creek. He had a somewhere, but this is not confirmed. After loyal following, but by some students he Oberlin, he had to educate himself, seizing seems to have been more feared than loved. every spare moment for "training the facul­ During recitations, he was an exacting ties with which God had blessed him." By drillmaster who did not always avoid the then, he was beginning to be recognized as a pain-dealing weapons of ridicule. His Battle superior teacher. The obituary declares that Creek principal, the University of he filled "important positions in various city Michigan-educated , schools" and "was known as one of the most writing years later, preferred to remember thorough, successful, and intelligently pro­ Bell as underappreciated because he had so gressive educators in Michigan.'" persistently endeavored "to inculcate in Concerning Bell's teaching methods in his youth the principles necessary to the forma­ early Battle Creek years, we have very little tion of a perfect character .... The average evidence. A few surviving diary entries and youth will resist even the patient endeavors snatches from his students' letters are largely ofsuch faithful and true men and women .... from his final years at the college. His first They are content to remain in a lower scale textbook was finished the year before he left. and resent any persistent effort to have them One student writes in 1879, "In grammar we progress toward the highest ideal. ... Still are at present, and have been for 3 weeks, Prof. Bell was appreciated by many of his considering punctuation; Prof. Bell has pupils and assigned his proper rank among worked out a chart by which any style of educators."4 But Ellen G. White, by 1880, took a less benign view, testifying against Bell's tactless severity and his unremitting concentration upon grammar, particularly in "Both Bell and Rine . .. believed his "work for those that were to be minis­ that a heart knowledge of good ters." "He had not," wrote Mrs. White, literature would help turn "adapted himself to the situation. He has not Adventist youth into culturally always been patient, and encouraged men who have left their fields oflabor at a sacrifice rounded, spiritually mature, of time and expense to learn what they could effective witnesses for in a short time .... He might have done his their faith." part in sending forth these men with much greater knowledge if he had not made grammar his idol, and kept the minds under his charge drilling upon grammar when they composItIon in the Eng. language can be should have been receiving a general educa- punctuated; its rules are equally as concise as tion upon many subjects. . . . He has kept those which he has written for the use of drilling certain students upon grammar - capitals." This same student, attending the making that the one all-important study ... college three years earlier, before leaving to and some have left college with only half an earn money, had been delighted with the education .... In this particular he has kept compositions he and his classmates had writ- the minds confined to such a thoroughness as ten for Bell: "I think here is a splendid chance would not be essential in one case out of a for improvement especially for myself." hundred."5 Another student in 1880 writes, "I now have Before Bell left Battle Creek to become the j five recitations daily .... The first in the first principal of j morning is Literature, which I enjoy very (predecessor of Atlantic Union College), he ! much .... "3 had become unpopular with a large part of j Most probably, though, Bell's teaching the college students. He himself, writing to I ~~£~~ods_~~4 colkge classroo~.. ~~,~~~.~.

had been "hissed out of the college w hen I left but the figure is so explained as to show why it."6 To what extent this experience, or Mrs. it is appropriate, and what gives it its chief White's counsel, or both may have altered his charm." And finally he admonishes the fundamental approach to grammar - or teacher: "Do not be too strenuous or exact­ whether, indeed, his approach was ever sub­ ing in those mere technical forms of parsing stantially altered - we can only speculate. that have no practical bearing upon the use of -But his language textbooks present an educa­ the language. Remember that parsing is only tor to whom the finer details of grammatical a means to an end. . . ."7 The sentences theory were of only minor importance. His quoted in this paragraph were dated May 29, books consistently made a point of starting 1881, before Bell left the college but after the with actual sentences, first calling attention comments by Ellen White. They mayor may to just what each sentence said, its every im­ not represent a change in philosophy or prac­ plication - its "thought," as he always called tice. Mrs. White had criticized the wasteful it. Only after the thought had been carefully prolongation of grammatical drill, inflicted explored did Bell venture to introduce any upon mature ministerial students to the ne­ traditional grammatical terminology. The glect of more valuable information, and the entire first volume of his language series, professor's impatience - his failure to adapt Primary Language Lessons, avoids using even "himself to the situation" - not necessarily one grammatical term - not even "noun" or the fundamentals of the method itself. "verb" - but gives short readings, mostly To insure that the thoughts in the sen­ about nature, followed by question after tences studied should be well expressed and question, simply worded, all eliciting the intrinsically valuable, Bell frequently turned thought brought out by every word or to the works ofleading English and Ameri­ phrase, but never abstractly labeling any. A can authors. Lines from Bryant, Whittier, child starting with such instruction would have been thoroughly habituated to gram­ matical ways of thinking before encounter­ ing any grammatical terms. "In his direct teaching of literature, Bell believed in ell stressed this phil­ minimizing biography and B. osophy in his instruc­ history and studying the tions to teachers. "For example," he wrote, "we think of objects, and in speaking of them literature itself. Here, too, must name them; we think of the qualities and he emphasized thought." actions of objects, and in expressing such thoughts must have words to denote qual- ities and actions; we think when, where, how, and why certain actions took place, or certain Longfellow, Lowell, Coleridge, Shelley conditions existed, and must have words for grace his grammar exercises, so that gram- the expression of such thoughts. This plan is mar and literature blend obliquely together. adhered to, not only in the introductory les- "Good taste in language, like good man- sons, but throughout the entire work." ners," he explained, "is acquired by associa- "Thus," he explains, "the energetic teacher tion. This continued association with the best will be enabled to prevent his pupils from thoughts and the best forms of expression is losing the thought in the intricacies of gram- afforded by the multitudinous examples fur- matical analysis .... This is of utmost impor- nished for class drill .... In this way a love for tance; for how often the pupil becomes the concise and beautiful in thought and style wholly oblivious to the meaning of a sen- is steadily, and certainly, though uncon- tence while giving its grammatical analysis!" sciously attained. The culture thus secured ... Concerning figures of speech, Bell insisted, leads the learner to select and enjoy the best "The name of the figure, being in itself of reading our literature affords, and to shun the

,~~£le.cons~~~~n<:ej~,~".~adz~~.2H?Li~~~~Bnt~lL~".,~o~r~c~nd;~~~gaL' :~. _.c.~. __~~_ .•. ~_~__ ._ .. _._~_ ••.. ' .• ~ .•~.~ Volume 10, Number 3 41

In his direct teaching ofliterature, Bell be­ for good or evil of any piece of writing. lieved in minimizing biography and history There is but one way for teachers to incul­ and studying the literature itself. Here, too, cate this, and that is by getting their pupils he emphasized thought. "How do you pro­ so thoroughly enamored with what is true gress in the study of literature?" he wrote a and beautiful that they will instinctively former student. "The book I lent you is not a turn away from everything of an opposite book that treats of literature so much as of nature. II literary men. I can form a better acquaintance with authors from reading their writings ealdsburg College, than I can from reading what other men say H mainly an academy of them ...."9 His preface to the literature at first, was starting its fifth year when Rine, volume of his language series was even more in his first year of Adventism, joined the emphatic: "The first thing to be considered is faculty for the 1886-87 term. Rine was a the primary object for which the study is to Pennsylvania "Dutch" German, about 27, be pursued. It is pleasant to know who wrote and strikingly diminutive, hardly five feet this or that book, and to know the history tall. But he was every precious inch a teacher, and peculiarities of noted authors; but all this an 1883 graduate of the strenuous teacher­ does not necessarily ennoble one's character, training program at Central State Normal discipline his mind to more vigorous think­ School, Lock Haven, Pa., under the princi­ ing, or materially improve his language. It is palship of a phenomenal educator, Dr. Al­ not studyilJ-g literature, but simply its his­ bert Newton Raub. A man of admirable in­ tory. The real study of literature is the be­ tegrity, Raub epitomized the finest order of coming acquainted with such writings as are progressive career educator during those by their intrinsic worth valuable to all people boom years. When Rine finished there, the in all times. Such is the Bible; and such are all school Raub had founded six years before writings whose tendency is to call into was leading the normal schools of the state in healthy action the nobler attributes of our producing certified teachers. Raub himself nature, thus contributing to the building up was the product of a normal school, although of a beautiful and symmetrical manhood ... he had honorary degrees from both Prince­ to become fully acquainted with such ~rit­ ton and Lafayette (March's college). He had ings is to drink in of their spirit, - to be authored 17 textbooks in grammar, rhetoric, stirred by the motives and emotions that literature, arithmetic, reading, general teach­ prompted them. Here is where the help ofthe ing methods and school management, and teacher is most needed. Reading aloud with was much sought as a lecturer and consultant the class is one of the best things a teacher can at teachers' institutes. After leaving Lock do. His enthusiasm, his .appreciation, his Haven, he would found his own educational sympathy with the thoughts and motives of publishing company and issue a weekly the author, will be contagious."lo magazine, Educational News, to promote his And even more pointed for Adventist generally conservative brand of educational teachers is this appeal: reform. Still later , Raub became president of This leads to the paramount object of Delaware College, which would evolve into studying literature in schools; namely, the the University of Delaware. Raub had a rea­ developing of so pure a taste that the soned opinion on almost every conceivable learner will be able to discriminate at once educational topic, and Rine was his disciple, between real literature and trash. The time following his methods and introducing some will come for our pupils when they cannot of his textbooks at Healdsburg and sending ha ve parents, teachers, or friends by their him at least three articles for the News. side to tell them whether or not a book is Two of these , written during the year Rine good reading. They must learn to recog­ joined the Healdsburg faculty, show his pro­ nize for themselves the moral tendency, fessional pride and lively English prose. He the literary character, the trend of influ­ deplores the mechanical use of "model les­ ence, which constitute the inherent ,... ro,~>T'>r from teachers'manuals: "What our 42 Spectrum schools most need at the present time is a other denominational service) at Healdsburg great deal more doing and a great deal less and Pacific Union: his delightful recitations talking about doing, and a little less ... of the of catalogs of synonyms, each word topping disgusting 'Polly wants a cracker' reproduc­ the previous one, reinforcing the power of tion of a 'A Model Lesson in numbers by the sentence! He concluded on a biblical note, Miss of C. C. Normal " 'In all thy getting get understanding'; but to School.' " Every teacher has the duty "to understand something is to know it com­ devote several hours" a day "to thinking out, pletely, and comprehend it fully. We must be devising and formulating plans for each day's masters of something or everything will be work." Prepackaged lessons will not work master ofus."13 because every particular school has its own "peculiar requirements," and no two e remember that Bell teachers are the same: "We believe there is a W believed that study­ deep, hidden well-spring of power in each ing literature itself was more important than one of us, but so many of us have not yet learning facts about authors' lives. No doubt unearthed ourselves sufficiently to discover Rine would have agreed, but from his master it. It is ... vital ... that every teacher should Raub he adopted a method of using authors' know whence the source of her power so that lives to arouse student interest in the authors she may take advantage of it in her all­ as human beings. When we begin to know a important mission of training that most sub­ person, supposedly, we want to know his tle and susceptible organism of man - the thoughts, listen to his songs, hear the stories mind."12 Another short article protests he has to tell us. This method provided a scenario for our most fruitful source ofRine's literary ideals. During 1898 and 1899, his twelfth year at " ~The mission of poetry is to Healdsburg College, he sent the Youth's In­ enable those who have eyes and structor a series of articles concerning Ameri­ see not, and ears, but hear not, can literature. An imaginary high school teacher, undoubtedly modeled after Rine to perceive and enjoy the himself, and a class of "bright, earnest, am­ beauty and the eternal meaning bitious students," who also, improbably, which God has put into write and talk like Rine, spend a term discuss­ all his works ....' " ing the lives and writings ofIrving, Bryant, Hawthorne and ten other American writers. The students look up their authors in refer­ ence books (exemplifying Raub's principle against shallowness in self-cultivation, the that "it is what a child does for himself that "great tendency in our schools and colleges gives him culture and strength"), and write ... to taste everything and digest nothing." their findings in their own best English to Under such superficial study and teaching, read aloud in class. Quite patently, however, "the mind becomes enfeebled and dwarfed, Rine's chief motive throughout, using both and languishes from sheer starvation .... teacher and students, was to give his Youth's Surface culture is worse than no culture at all. Instructor readers his own ideas concerning Its fruits are vanity, presumption and pedan­ literature. try. It confers no practical ability, power, or Best of the series was an essay, "Poetry: Its material advantage .... Deep, thorough cul­ Nature and Mission."14 "The most sugges­ ture is what is needed. Every subject taught tive and poetical of attempted definitions that should be fully investigated, scrutinized, I have found is from the poet Shelley: 'A examined, analyzed, imbibed, and appropri­ great poem is a fountain forever overflowing ated by the learner." Already, we discover a with the waters of wisdom and delight.' " Rine mannerism that would become folklore Rine's matured aesthetic orientation, we ob­ duriIlghis 31yearsJbrokeIl byp~riods of serve, was {)f the English Romantic Volume 10, Number 3 43 Movement - his germinal critics Shelley and by wrong methods" of evaluating. We ap­ Coleridge. "A genuine fountain," he con­ proach literature "in too 'scientific' an at­ tinues, "bubbles, sparkles, refreshes, and titude of mind," becoming too preoccupied gladdens forever. The most protracted with "its forms and technique, with minor, draught can not exhaust its lusty life. Its uses petty details of history and philology and and interests are perennial. We quaff its cool, biography . . . and attempt to reduce its limpid waters with as much zest and delight production to rules and regulations . . . . the thousandth time as we did the first. Even With our compass we describe a circle on the so is a great poem." And then like Shelley plane ofliterature and say, 'What is inside of himself in his similes for the skylark, Rine this circle is good, what is outside is bad.' gives equivalents for a poem: "like the first With as much propriety might we fence off acorn 'which held all oaks potentially,' " "a an acre in the heart of some city and say that candle from which a thousand other candles all the people living on that acre are good, all may be lighted without in the least dininish­ the rest are bad .... People live in literature as ing its own light." True poetry gives a "re­ they live in a city -all mingled together, fined, spiritual pleasure which beautifies and good, bad, and medium. Truth and beauty, expands the soul and warms and deepens the error and ugliness, dwell together in litera­ sympathies. " ture like trees in a forest. Analytical, dissect­ Rine valued literature for its affective value, ing, piecemeal processes do not work well in . what it can do to and for readers: discovering any of them." Howell, of The genius of the poet, with his course, an educator generally remembered metaphors, similes, personifications . . . for his conservatism, was not advocating an looks upon a dry stick, and it instantly "anything goes" attitude toward literature becomes like Aaron's rod, budding and that would condone the pernicious or trashy. blossoming into a thing of life and power What he desired was a rational overview. "It and beauty. He lifts his wand over the arid is not so much the gem ofbeauty here and the waste, and it becomes a sunlit garden. The morsel of truth there that constitute the mission of poetry is to enable those who worth of a production, but what is the have eyes and see not, and ears, but hear massed effect-what the influence upon my not, to perceive and enjoy the beauty and life that I can neither gage in inches nor de­ the eternal meaning which God has put compose into its chemical elements, though I into all his works; it is to make men hap­ may be certain it is uplifting? The impression pier, stronger, and more useful by making I carry away with me is what tells." So we them better. gather from literature "inspiration and food for no bIer, broader, more fruitful living." s we move into our The greatest writers are among God's "many A own century, the interpreters of himself among men," who roots of our profession proliferate in many help us see and learn "in the experience and directions -several expanding colleges, var­ work of others, the ways of God in dealing ious new academies and church schools with men." Through literature we "get out­ across the land. A competently edited side of our own small circle of thinking and Seventh-day Adventist educational periodi­ consider what other men and women have cal, Christian Education} provides details of thought and said. . . . Reading the best English curricula and teaching philosophies. thoughts of others is a powerful stimulus to A Battle Creek College graduate and our own thinking. By communing with the sometime colleague ofRine's at Healdsburg, best minds, our own tastes are formed."ls Warren E. Howell (1869-1943), while as­ With Mahlon Ellsworth Olsen (1873- sociate editor of Christian Education in 1911, 1952), our story encounters a man with an summed up his position on the teaching of earned Ph.D. in English. The son of o. A. literature. This subject, he wrote, occasioned Olsen, a former General Conference presi­ "differences of opinion," but the diversity dent, he was in his middle thirties when he was "made needlessly wide and dissonant ... received his doctorate, at· his own C;AUC;J.l:'C; 44 Spectrum

from the University of Michigan in 1909. For well, if that is your idea, come along ahd eight years previously, he had workedin En­ study with me. We'll have the best time in gland as managing editor of a health reform the world. I thought you were one of those periodical, Good Health. His Ann Arbor dis­ young fellows who are wanting a grade, sertation, about the prose of the King James and as little work attached to it as possible. Version, was many years later (1947) reduced But if you are of the other sort, we shall get and revised for a book. The teaching of along famously. When do you wish to be- English-especially of writing and of gm.. ?" literature-was Olsen's best-loved work, al­ Olsen remembered the lessons as "exceed­ though it directly occupied hardly more than ingly informal." They "actually lasted, with a dozen full-time years of his life, divided some interruptions, throughout the rest of between Washington Missionary College my college course, and in fact till Professor (1907-1917) and Union College (1920-1923). Bell died some five years later." Olsen did After 1923, he was president of Fireside Cor­ most of the reading. Bell would ask a few respondence School (Home Study Institute) questions, Olsen would ask more. "Some­ and worked tirelessly building and promot­ times he would read a few lines to bring out ing that important work until his retirement some special point, and he read with wonder­ in 1946. ful sympathy and interest, seeming to enter into the inner heart of the author, and give lsen attributed his such an interpretation of the words as the O great love of good writer himself would give .... " They would literature largely to the influence of Bell, always begin punctually, but would not" end under whom he took private lessons while living at Battle Creek. Olsen liked to tell of his six a.m. visit to catch Bell, who also grew " 'The Bible became dearer and sold vegetables, before he started on his morning rounds: and also more intelligible to me I found Professor Bell dressed in a suit of because it holds in itself all blue jeans with an old straw hat on his that is noblest and best in head .... At this ... time the number of his students was very small, and his income literature, and these other must have been likewise. Yet he seemed as authors but lead up to it.' " happy and unconcerned as if everything were going his way ... It was restfuljust to be in the neighborhood of such a man. I began the conversation. "Good morning, on the hour. It was a real companionship, and Professor Bell." "Good Morning, my it led us afield under the open heavens." They young friend. Did you wish to see me?" would sometimes bicycle out to "some deep "Yes, Professor Bell, I would like to study wood where birds and squirrels kept us com­ literature with you this summer. " "You pany. Sitting down on a fallen log we dis­ are from Battle Creek College?" "Yes." coursed on the deep things otlife .... It was "Well, I have had one or two college stu­ not always what he said, but what he some­ dents come to me and want to rush them how inspired his pupil to think and say." through Literature in the summer, so as to With Bell, Olsen first read Keats and devel­ get the grade. I don't do jobs of that kind." oped a profound love for Wordsworth, who "But I want to study literature under you became his favorite poet. Bell "explained because I am interested in the subject and that the reading of the works of Wordsworth want to take plenty of time to do it full would mean so much to us in after life, how justice." "Won't you insist on my taking we would get a new insight into poetry of the you through before school begins next noble and serious kind and would come to fall?" "Not at all. I hope you will let me look on the woods and fields with a deeper studywith~you for a year or more. " "Oh, SYlllpathyand interest than b~fore," " " ."------~.---~- - ·"~_._ .. _ .. ,~_ft_~~.:.._._;,.,.._,_~""_,,_;~_'_'_'_~c'"r'_~_ru ___;,,_~_,. ___, __~_~ __ ~ ___.~.;..,...... ~~._" _"_' . '._;:-"";:'"~';;';':;;'-"--'" ._- '-';";==~=':'=-;::'::;;:'-~~~~~~"";':'~;";;;":';';";~::;'~'_~""';;'~ ___T"'" Volume 10, Number 3 45

"Suffice it to say," Olsen testified, "that tional, and must give an account of the rise Professor Bell gave me his matchless com­ and development of this denomination panionship all along the way and every hour which will cheer and encourage the hearts that I spent with him in the study of English of our own people and at the same time set literature was one of delight and sometimes us in a proper light with the general public. of . We walked hand in hand through Such a history is sure to be read by friends the centuries, studying the noble and beauti­ and by enemies, and a careless word here, ful things· that will live on through the ages, and an unfortunate expression there, and f~eding our souls on that which makes might work untold injury to the Cause .... life precious and meaningful. The Bible be­ No book worthy of the name can be came dearer and also more intelligible to me written except as the outgrowth of a deep because it holds in itself all that is noblest and heart experience. In fact, good books are best in literature, and these other authors but never made mechanically; they grow, and lead up to it. Other studies became more sometimes their growth is slow .... I also interesting to me and likewise more intelligi­ want your earnest . I feel that my ble, because of the intimate companionship I path is beset with many difficulties. Unless had cultivated with the best writers."16 divinely helped step by step, I am sure to Olsen represented also the dedicated re­ go wrong. Indeed, had I at the outset search scholar. He worked, as his busy realized to the full the difficulties that schedule allowed, for many long months in would confront me, I am afraid I should and out of the libraries of the United States have declined the task. But now that I have and upon an immensely ambitious gone so far, I am determined never to give history of Adventism, culminating in up, but with God's help to press forward Seventh-day Adventism, a study fated to be to the goal. 17 greatly reduced in scope before it was finally published. In his long letter to the General Upon stout foundations laid by such ar­ Conference Council in 1913, describing his ticulate scholar-teachers, such lovers of the complicated researches and requesting addi­ beautiful and true in thought and language, tional time, we find the credo of the true Seventh-day Adventist English education research scholar: has rested. With prayerful humility, trusting

If we want a history which will not have never in our own unaided wisdom, but :b--- to be re-written, which will be a credit to guided by Scripture and later prophetic wit­ the denomination, it must not show signs ness, we like them must do our work with of haste. There must be nothing in it ill­ the proper measure and quality of unassum­ digested or immature; it must show wis­ ing pride. Why should we, too, not be proud dom in its statement of facts, as well as to perform and daily strive to do better, the courage and skill in handling the narrative. always rewarding work that God Himself It must be interesting without being sensa- has commissioned us to do?

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. "Andrews University," Seventh-day Adventist En­ 4. Typescript by Brownsberger, "Notes and Inci­ cyclopedia. dents," in private papers ofM. E. Olsen. Courtesy of 2. Youth's Instructor, Feb. 9, 1899. Mrs. Alice Olsen Roth. 3. G. R. Avery papers, Heritage Room, Andrews s. MS 3, 1880, pp. 1, 2, officially released by Ellen G. University: A. L. S., GRA to "Dear Everybody," White Estate. March 16,1879; GRA diary, Jan. 27,1876; A. L. S., 6, Brownsberger, "Notes and Incidents." .. .A.nson_Cav:inessc.to_~GRA",No.Y.2!i,JJlaft~ .. _. 7. Bell,~HE1Iii:gLMethod i~~l{~,LIJ?~!~~~ccGJ~~--k:~, -J ! 46 Spectrum

Fireside Teacher Company, 1893), pp. v-viii. Prefa­ tiona I News (Philadelphia), Feb. 19, 1887. tory material dated May 29, 1881. 14. Rine, "Poetry: Its Nature and Mission," Youth's 8. Bell, Elementary Grammar, Book 2, Bell's Lan­ Instructor, June 2, 1898. guage Series (Washington, D.C.; Review and Herald 15. W. E. H., "Why Do We Study Literature?" Chris­ Publishing Association, 1896), pp. iii, iv. tian Education, 3 (1911-12), 13-16. 9. G. R. Avery papers, Heritage Room, Andrews 16. Taken largely from typescript by Olsen, "A University. A. L. S., Bell to GRA, Dec. 14, 1881. Teacher of the Olden Time," in Olsen private papers. 10. Bell, Studies in English and American Literature Courtesy Mrs. Alice Olsen Roth. See also Olsen, "Recollections of Prof. G. H. Bell," Youth's Instructor, (Chicago: Ainsworth and Co., 1900), p. 5. May 18, 1920. 11. Ibid., p. 6. 17. Archives, General Conference of Seventh-day 12. Rine, "Independent Thought and Work-Why Adventists, Record Group 11, Incoming Letters, Essential," Educational News (Philadelphia), July 3, 1913. T. L. S., M. E. Olsen to General Conference 1886. Council, Jan. 16, 1913. Permission of Archives and 13. Rine, "Thoroughness a Means ofCulture," Educa- Mrs. Alice Olsen Roth. Graduate Studies 'Outside'

by Jonathan A. Glenn

or a variety of rea­ cultural background, at least in terms of reli­ F sons, whether finan­ gion. Obviously, the cold outside world of cial or academic, many Seventh-day Advent­ the non-Seventh-day Adventist graduate ist students choose to attend non-Adventist school is not, and does not attempt to be, graduate schools. When I chose to study at such a community. A friend recently wrote the University of Notre Dame following my to me: " ... among all the other changes any graduation from Walla Walla College in student going to any graduate school experi­ 1977, reactions among my friends ranged ences, the SD A student going to a non-SD A from the inane ("You mean they do some­ graduate school suddenly finds himself in an thing there besides playing football?") to the environment in which his spiritual activity is well-meant, however ill-conceived ("Isn't totally disjoint from his scholastic pursuits. that a Catholic school?"). One friend ex­ This is especially apparent in the form of his pressed concern regarding my adjustment to peers and professors, but it is just as extant in a society of drinkers, smokers and swearers; the total tone and direction of the campus." another urged me to beware of Sabbath prob­ At the same time, not all is well back in the lems. These sorts of difficulties, however - womb of Adventist culture; even there a split primarily social, and easily dealt with - exists. Though the phenomenon is by no have not ultimately been of real import. My means an exclusively Seventh-day Adventist experience here at Notre Dame - a Christian one, the split between "the people" and the school - and that of my friends at secular intelligentsia (even our own terminology de­ institutions suggest, rather, that for the humanizes us) seems wide in the church. Seventh-day Adventist graduate student the Certainly, there is little enough sympathy for problem of the non-Adventist graduate areas of interest such as mine (Old English school is essentially one of fellowship and poetry) in any average group; a Seventh-day isolation. Will the student invoke the ancient Adventist group will additionally assign watchword, "In the world but not of the eternal demerits to what it sees as a waste of world"? If so, how will he interpret it? temporal talents - that is, to what it believes The Seventh-day Adventist graduate stu­ not to have any immediate practical impor­ dent, having newly arrived at his non­ tance (or, perhaps, to what it does not under­ Adventist graduate campus, typically finds stand) . his life abruptly dichotomized. Once-a-week An additional problem exists not in the church simply does not take the place of the church and not in the world of the graduate warm womb of the Seventh-day Adventist school, but in the graduate student himself - college community, where, though many the problem is that of mission. My friend students do not share an equally confirmed writes: "The fact that I ran into successful commitment to the Adventist faith, most people who had strong personalities and held students do share a relatively homogenous radically different basic assumptions than mine really caused me to wonder about mine. Notso much whether ornot they were good enough for me, but whether or not they Jonat h an Gl enn, a gra d uate 0 [Wa 11 a W a11 a C 0 11 ege, is completing his Ph.D in medieval English literature . were good enough for them. You see, I c~me ... ~ .. at.the..Univ:ersity.. oLNotre~Dame .. _,.~c_.~,~=""c"".~=~""",,",~'" ··Itocgrad\!flJ;~~~J:h.Q.Qll· .S()~YY:ft~t'ii!§.:o@",m:i~Sl{)n"..·· 48 Spectrum ary to the heathen intellectual. I had much tute Adventist ; under normal cir­ more to learn than to teach, however." cumstances, they automatically produce the Though I myself did not come to Notre appropriate response - on a prereflective Dame thinking of myself as "a missionary to level. Conversation with those not of the the heathen intellectual," I do think that one coterie allows one to escape the conditioned of the basic assumptions trained into young responses, to reflect without the predetermi­ Seventh-day Adventists is the mission­ nation of reductive assumptions. directedness of the church and, hence, of each Additionally, one must deal with the pro b­ church member's life. The problem, here, lem of mission. If one sees his mission as one lies in the fact that active proselyting and of proselyting - e.g., for the Seventh-day honest intellectual pursuits (as pursuits) are Adventist Church - he cannot, it seems to not compatible. me, maintain a responsible scholarly com­ mitment. Though we may more often use the term "witnessing" for our proselyting, uch problems are the two generally suggest the same activity: Snot, of course, with­ the attempt to convince another person of the out their solutions, and these solutions do not truth of some position, almost always fixed. consist of retreating into the womb, for such It is this fixity of position which invalidates a retreat is a retreat from reality: as far as a the entire process, for the responsible thinker person rests in such absolute security, just so cannot assume an absolute stance. He does, far is he unaware ofhimself as a human, ofhis certainly work from a position, but his own church as a human institution, and of his God position constantly bears the same scrutiny as one of whom it can be said, "Clouds and other positions must; otherwise, he creates, darkness are round about him .... " (Ps. 97:2) again, the illusion of the warm womb, effec­ The seventh-day Adventist graduate student tively isolating himself, if he is a graduate can find some neonatal comfort, however, in student, from the community of peers, pro­ the discovery that the cold world affords op­ fessors and ideas with which he should be portunities for fellowship just as rewarding involved. The graduate student's "mission," as those of the illusory womb. I have found then, cannot be one of proselyting for any no basic spiritual concern of mine as an Ad- fixed position, not even that the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Does the Adventist graduate student, "Does the Adventist graduate though, have a mission on the non-Adventist student have a mission on the campus? Yes, I believe; it is the human mis­ non-Adventist campus? Yes, I sion, the , if you will, of realizing in himself and in his relationships believe; it is the human mission, with other human beings the; continual com­ the Christian mission. . .." pletion of God's creation. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground ..." (Gen. 2:7): God creates by combining con­ ventist that cannot be discussed reasonably stituents, by building consistencies. Man's with non-Adventist graduate students. Cer­ mission is to create thus, to form (from a tainly, the terms of such conversations must Christian position, perhaps - not fixed, not be different from those of a discussion taking rigid, not brittle, but considered) that consis­ place within the Seventh-day Adventist tency and wholeness which make him man. coterie - one talks in Christian or human I have found, thus, that I must deal w\th terms rather than in Adventist terms . Yet, is the problem of fellowship and isolation not not such a recodification good? Adventist by entrenchment, but by involvement; not terms, it seems to me, have come to consti- by stasis, but by growth. Country Garden School: Back to the Basics

by Dave Schwantes

even-year-old Julie VISIOn's Office of Education, the church, SMessinger draws her through its local conferences cannot officially pencil in an arc across the blue-lined tablet. recognize these institutions, nor can it partic­ "Move across the top of the clock from the 2 ipate in their funding. "To do so," explains to the 10," her teacher tells her. "Around to Hirsch, "would be to dislodge our present the 8 and 4 ... back up to the 2 and down." educational system." Julie bites her lip as she completes the pen­ He adds that these schools "cannot be cil strokes. "Aaaw," Julie says, pronouncing taken under the department's umbrella" if deliberately the lowercase "A" she has just the department does not know what's going written on the paper. A smile of ac­ on in these schools. The denomination has to complishment brightens her face. answer to government agencies such as the Julie sits at a low table, one of five such Internal Revenue Service concerning the op­ tables in an almost spartan classroom. She eration of its sanctioned organizations. and her Level I classmates spend a major "How can we vouch for an institution's tax portion of their school in phonetic training. status or its nondiscriminatory policy," They must master the skills of writing and Hirsch asks, "if we don't know what's hap­ spelling before progressing to studies in read­ pening in that institution?" The church's ing and grammar. Julie's other classroom ac­ only official contact with these schools is tivities include memorizing Bible texts, per­ through its affiliation with the Association of forming hand work, practicing music and Privately Owned Seventh-day Adventist participating in aerobic exercises. Services and Industries. -,- Is Julie a victim ofsome tutorial timewarp? Although Country Garden School may A fugitive from an earlier educational era? not be typical of the nearly 80 known self­ No, Julie Messinger is a normal, healthy, supporting mission outposts around the active girl, one of 35 stu.dents enrolled in world, its operators share a common belief Country Garden School, a proprietary with those in the other institutions that or­ Christian elementary and secondary school. ganized Seventh-day Adventist education It is housed in a two-room annex to the home has fallen short of the Christian ideal. "Our of Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hawkins, who purpose," Mrs. Hawkins says, "is to provide own four acres of farmland near Walla Walla, youth who may be educated and trained so Washington. that all their powers will be given to God's The General Conference is aware of the serVIce.. " existence of alternative school systems such Dr. and Mrs. Hawkins chartered Country as Country Garden, but does not sanction Garden School four years ago to meet the their operation. According to Dr. Charles B. educational needs of their four children. Hirsch, director of the North American Di- Even before moving in 1974 to Walla Walla, where Dr. Hawkins serves as an anes- thesiologist on the staff of Walla Walla Gen- Dave Schwantes, chairman of the ~ommunications eral Hospital, they became concerned about department, Walla Walla College, 1S the author of h "h .." d . . several books, including Taming Your TV and Other t e umamstlc ten enCles they detected 1ll I Media.. . traditiQnal Adventist education. While still .. 4 ~ •..•.".'c, .• _ .....~_"".~~"~ .....~.~ __.~· '-' ·~···-,~~~~"=~,,,,='~-··.·.·-··,,,,=....,==,.o····c·~c,,,===-~-====""=0;;=-"""- . ·-···'-'~·~---···"4 j l 50 Spectrum living in California, they began reading in the Their search for a teacher led them across works ofE. A. Sutherland, former president the United States to Dr. Richard Hansen, of Madison College. medical director of the Wildwood Institute, a In a pamphlet entitled Educational Experi­ self-supporting medical/educational facility ences Before the Midnight Cry Compared with near Chattanooga. Hansen suggested Betty Educational Experiences Before the Loud Cry Nick, a teacher at Yucki Pines Institute, first published in 1915, Sutherland contended Seale, Alabama. Mrs. Nick had been a stu­ that the great Protestant denominations dent at Wildwood and had trained under failed because they did not free themselves Ethel Wood, who later became a curriculum from the papal system ofeducation. Quoting developer for Bethany Homestead. freely from Ellen White, he compiled a study Mrs. Nick assumed duties as head teacher of Christian education to "help us as of the one-room school with 15 students in Seventh-day Adventists to avoid their [the grades 1-8. The basement facility was up­ Protestants'] mistakes as we approach the graded to meet county health standards and loud cry, soon due to the world" (p. 1). was approved by the state of Washington as Mrs. Hawkins observed the teaching of meeting basic legal requirements for safety, values clarification in some Adventist pupil attendance and teacher certification. schools. She defines values clarification as "a Since enrollmerit in the basement school method for teachers to change the values of was limited by the state to 20 students accord­ children without getting caught." Under her ing to the number of square feet in the facili­ concept of values clarification, parents and ty, Dr. and Mrs. Hawkins began searching teachers reject the "right answer syndrome." for a more acceptable school location which Humanistic educators insist that there are would permit them to grow as interest in "simply no right answers, especially in the alternative Adventist education grew. They area of morals." found not only a school site, but also a home­ Although Dr. and Mrs. Hawkins did en­ site. Next to the five-bedroom house, which roll their children in Rogers Elementary they purchased in 1976, stood a one-story, School, the local Seventh-day Adventist wooden structure that, with a little remodel­ school, when they first moved to Walla: ing, became the new location for Country Walla, they began searching for a smaller, Garden School. rural school where their children could be In the last three years, enrollment has taught in "the true science of Christian edu­ nearly doubled. Two secondary grades have cation." Not finding such a place, they de­ been added. Three full-time teachers and cided to start their own Bible-centered several teaching assistants conduct courses in school where students would acquire "un­ science, nature, health, mathematics, social questioning confidence in God, our Creator, studies, reading, music and art. Redeemer and Sustainer." In addition, all students spend time each day engaged in practical skills such as cook­ ing, washing, ironing, mending, cleaning, n charting their own woodworking, auto mechanics and I educational course, ceramics. The children have garden plots Dr. and Mrs. Hawkins faced two immediate which they are responsible for maintaining, needs: a suitable meeting place and a teacher and they perform a modified form of aerobic whom they felt was "a student of the Spirit of exercises based upon the Canadian Air Force Prophecy." They contacted ministers both plan. inside and outside the local Adventist com­ Students are placed according to levels munity in trying to find a school facility. rather than grades, and advancement de­ They finally located a basement in need of pends upon mastery of skills rather than age. remodeling in the Four Square Gospel Children are encouraged not to enroll before Church. They were permitted to use the age eight, although younger children, such as facility in return for maintaining the church Julie, are evaluated on an individual basis for and its admission. Volume 10, Number 3 51

"During the first six or seven years of a from organized Adventist education, accord­ child's life," Mrs. Nick contends, "special ing to Mrs. Hawkins, is a combinationoffive attention should be given to his physical distinguishing characteristics: training rather than his intellect." 1. The Bible serves as the basic textbook in Each student's performance is evaluated all courses. according to his individual abilities and 2. Children learn to read using a pure achievements. Parent-teacher conferences phonics method. are scheduled to discuss the student's prog- 3. Teachers emphasize mastery of the ress. basics. Country Garden School, along with two 4. Discipline comprises a cornerstone of similar institutions in eastern Washington, education. sought last year and, for a short time, re­ S. All students engage in a work-study ceived recognition by the education depart­ program. ment of the Upper Columbia Conference as Mrs. Hawkins draws her philosophy of an alternative educational facility. This per­ the ideal Christian education from Ellen mitted them to participate in teachers' con­ White and quotes her writings frequently in ferences and training sessions and to receive explaining the operation of Country Garden materials from the education department. School. But members of a conference advisory The Bible becomes the child's first reader, committee raised questions over legal re­ Mrs. Nick explains, and as such serves as the sponsibilities which might be incurred by the basis for study in all areas. Science, history, math and other course work are related to the Bible and biblical times. In addition, students "Although Country Garden in all levels spend at least 30 minutes each day School may not be typical of the memorizing Bible verses. But before students are taught to read, nearly 80 self-supporting mission they learn to write and spell using a pure outposts around the world, its phonics approach. This approach, according operators share a common belief to Mrs. Hawkins, teaches "the ability of the mind to analyze, to take apart the difficult so that ... organized Seventh-day that the simpler components can be under­ Adventist education has fallen stood." After students have learned to write short of the Christian ideaL" letters and to spell words, they progress to sentences, paragraphs and essays. But mas­ tery of basic skills is stressed at each step of denomination, and the arrangement was the progression. As an older or more ad­ modified. The conference no longer offi­ vanced student masters a subject, he will cially recognizes Country Garden's opera­ work with the younger student until the tion, but it still shares informally information younger student has acquired mastery of the and resources with the alternative schools. subject. Mastery is achieved through discipline, ac­ cording to Mrs. Nick. Consequently, disci- ost Seventh-day Ad- pline plays an important role in learning at M ventist elementary Country Garden School. Mrs. Nick speaks and secondary schools offer a basic cur- not merely of self-discipline, although that is riculum similar to Country Garden's, de- her goal, but she also emphasizes discipline signed to develop the body, mind and spirit from the outside as administered by the of the student, and some denominational teacher. "This is the same thing God does for schools have even opted for nongraded levels us," she explains. of achievement. One way in which teachers at Country What makes Country Garden School and Garden School promote discipline is through ...... ot!Ier self;.. sullPorting institutions "~iff~!enI.__ ~~wQr,~ -st.~~y~pr()g£~,!.!l-;j!l!i~.~£~.=-:g211~.am~ __ ...... _;:.. 52 Spectrum portion of each day engaged in some practical to Country Garden's existence in a moder­ experience. Even the youngest have duties ately positive light. "Schools such as Coun­ for maintaining the classroom and school try Garden provide a safety or release valve grounds. In addition, each student has a gar­ for those in the community wishing to be­ den plot or greenhouse space where he or she come more directly involved in the operation tends a variety of edible and nonedible plants. of their school," he explains. "There are al­ Mrs. Hawkins believes that the practical ways those looking for a school with the experience not only encourages self­ 'blueprint,' whatever that means." discipline but also instills a work ethic in the Thorn believes that the Rogers School student. She is a strong believer in the free­ program is biblically oriented and that it enterprise system and contends that each per­ meets the needs of the maJority of Adventists son should be rewarded according to his or in the Walla Walla Valley. He can say this her works. with some confidence since his school's en­ The relative importance of individual rollment is up from a projected 266 students achievement is where Country Garden to 329. Where he does take exception to School differs most significantly from its Country Garden's program is its almost total self-supporting counterparts. Persons at reliance upon the Bible to teach all subject Wildwood Institute and its affiliates practice matter. While agreeing that the Bible should what Mrs. Nick calls "religious socialism." serve as the basis for Christian education, They live a primitive, almost spartan exis­ Thorn contends that lessons should be made tence ofself-deprivation and communal shar­ relevant and contemporary to students. ing. According to Mrs. Nick, there is no personal property. Group accomplishments Thorn explains that Christ used familiar are stressed over individual accomplish­ examples and parables to teach spiritualles­ ments, and students are discouraged from sons and that teachers can do the same today. harboring individual ideas or opinions. "What's most important," he contends, "is As a result of her belief in the free­ not the specific example used in the lesson, enterprise system, Mrs. Nick contends that but the spiritual manner, tone and flavor in students should be taught good business which the teacher presents the lesson." techniques. Consistent with this belief, sec­ Thorn expresses caution over the Upper ondary level students take a course in book­ Columbia Conference's recognition of keeping to supplement their practical work Country Garden's operation. "When we take in typing, shorthand, printing or duplicat­ in a school, we are in essence sanctioning its mg. program even though it may differ from ac­ The educational philosophy of Dr. and cepted state and denominational standards, Mrs. Hawkins and its embodiment in Coun­ and we are ultimately responsible for its pro­ try Garden School is generally well received gram should it get into legal difficulties." or at least tolerated by the local Adventist community. While not all agree with the Seven-year-old Julie and her classmates at basic tenets of the school, members of the Country Garden School could not care less community do feel it provides a needed al­ about conference recognition or state stan­ ternative for those families seeking some­ dards. They know little about curriculum thing other than the traditionally organized planning and have even less desire to learn Adventist school system. about humanism or religious socialism at this stage of their lives. AllJulie wants to do right ohn Thorn, principal now is to finish her writing lesson so she can j of Rogers Elemen­ go outside and see how her tomatoes are tary School, probably stands to lose the most doing. Two Books on Adventist Education

Reviews by George R. Knight

Educational Philosophy for the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. On the other hand, if one neglects any part of the Raymond S. Moore, Adventist Education at the Cross­ program, he is likely to suffer the curses of roads (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press that same chapter. Adventist education, Publishing Association, 1976), 200 pp., Index. Moore implies, is at a crucial crossroad. Its choice of direction will determine whether it aymond Moore is a reaps blessings or curses. R man with a message, and that message is evident throughout his Crossroads postulates that the teacher­ book. In essence, Moore is issuing a thrust­ student balanced work-study program is ing call to the Adventist Church to follow the "the perfect answer for the community of educational plans of God as revealed through Christ" (p. 63). The program is set forth as a Ellen G. White. divine panacea that, when properly applied, The main theme of Adventist Education at solves a wide range of administrative, teach­ the Crossroads deals with the necessity of a ing, student and financial problems. It is an balanced work-study program in every Ad­ integral part of "God's plan of education for ventist school. Moore frequently quotes this time" (pp. 52-54). from Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Stu­ In the introduction, Moore lists three pur­ dents, page 211, which states that "our poses for writing the book. First, he wants to teachers should not think that their work identify certain dilemmas in Adventist edu­ ends with giving instruction from books. cation; second, he desires to link these prob­ Several hours each day should be devoted to lems to the solutions of the Scriptures and the working with the students in some line of writings of Ellen G. White; and third, he manual training. In no case should this be wishes to offer support for these counsels in neglected." His emphasis often falls on the terms of actual experiences and experiments last sentence, and he has defined "several that will act as stimuli for further implemen­ hours" as three or four. In his interpretation, tation (p. 11). Moore is not interested in a it is therefore a divine imperative for every merely theoretical discussion of the issues teacher in every school to work three or four involved. His book is primarily aimed at hours a day with students in some form of those who are determined to follow God's manual labor . To be faithful in this, as well as principles at all costs and are asking, "How in other aspects of God's plan, is to qualify can these ideals be applied in actual school situations?" On the other hand, he is cer- tainly not against proselyting readers to his ., point of view . . George ~: Kmght, aSSoCIate professor of educa- . tIOnal admInIstration, Andrews University, holds his Many themes besIdes the omnipresent ___ doctorate froIIUhe_Jl_ni~v.J!J:s.i.tY:~Q_CHQuston '-----" ____ ~ __ "'~~~=;w:,QJ:k~§lJ!!&l¥:,..F-,it..h.-cftllteach~rs -- and -- s tudents __ ~~~ ____ ~ ___ _ 54 Spectrum

involved are also highlighted and often long excursions into general educational lore treated in a helpful manner. Some of these dealing with such issues as homework, ad­ oft-repeated minor theses include his empha­ ministrative principles and teaching sis of the nongraded classroom, creative methods. These subjects are good, true and homework rather than dull routine, teaching helpful in themselves, but are loosely related students how to think rather than emphasiz­ to Moore's fundamental argument. It seems ing rote, the desirable age for entering that much of this material could have been school, students teaching students in shortened or deleted. For example, nearly monitorial fashion, the importance of the one whole chapter is quoted from a National home as an educational agency, and possible Education Association study on homework, avenues of cooperation between home and an interesting article, but hardly distinctive school. These minor themes are generally to God's plan for Adventist education. If the integrated into some phase of his major manuscript could have been both shortened theme. and clarified through a tighter organizational definite problem in pattern, its m;yor thesis would have been ACrossroads is its or­ more forcefully argued. ganization. Early in the book, the reader is The most serious difficulty in Crossroads confronted with a defensive stance regarding lies in the slim documentation of the major thesis. There is no doubt that it is a rewarding experience for teachers and students to work "A definite problem in together. Ellen White makes this clear in sev­ eral places.! In only one reference, however, Crossroads is its organiza- has the reviewer found the qualification that tion. . .. the finished product this should never be neglected and that it resetnbles more an assemblage of should be for several hours each day . Yet, it is upon this isolated case that Moore has based prohibitions and imperatives his argument. He refers to this passage at than it does a closely reasoned least one dozen times and leaves the reader and carefully written document." with the false impression that Ellen White repeatedly emphasized the point under con­ sideration. The passage in Counsels to Teachers was "God's program of education," the rewards written to a particular school with a definite, of the plan, and how to initiate it in actual but not unique, set of circumstances. Fer­ practice. Nowhere, however, are the com­ nando School in California had been boasting ponents of "the plan" outlined in a manner of its curriculum, emphasizing many lan­ that leaves the reader without doubt regard­ guages, its "college" status, and its intellec­ ing the identity and interrelationships of its tual program, while neglecting the reason for major constituents. The reader wanders its existence - the sending of practical mis­ through the book and picks up the elements sionaries right into the field prior to a col­ of the "ideal program" in isolated snatches legiate education. A study of the manuscripts rather than as a cohesive whole. The desired concerning the problem of the Fernando emphasis is made through redundancy of School makes it explicit that Ellen White had ideas and references rather than through an been earnestly speaking with both the organizational plan leading from a statement teachers and the administration concerning of position to the application of the leading their educational role. She specifically noted principles. As a result, the finished product that Fernando was not a college, that colleges resembles more an assemblage of prohibi­ had a different function than intermediate tions and imperatives than it does a closely schools, that Fernando was to delete "flow­ reasoned and carefully written document. ery notices" ofwhat it intended to do from its The reading of the volume for its unique bulletin, and that it was to uplift labor and

basic educational skills rather-~. than advanced contdputi9n is also mad~ ill()reclifflclllthy " _. "~'--""-'-;"~;~"';;;'~;~~;;';";--":;~~"'---=';;;'-'-''';;~-~-';--''-:'''';;~--~-~. ~_~~_~~-_"~;""",,",_-_.-. ~~-.-:.:~~~",,;,,;,,,;,_.-_'" '_.;;;';;:n-;:" .. ,,",.,,"-,,-.;".~~=~:;.:: ".--."".- ....-._ .... _ .. ' .. _". Volume 10, Number 3 55

studies.2 It is in this concrete context that the Fernando, Calif., School on Oct. 1, 1903, MS 47, Ellen White made her strong statement in 1903. See also MS 125, 1902 and Counsels to Teachers, pp. 202-213. Counsels to Teachers. To develop this state­ 3. For example, "And, so far as possible, facilities ment into a universal mandate and a divine for manual training should be connected with every command for every teacher in all schools is to school. To a great degree such training would supply the place of the gymnasium, with the additional ben­ go beyond the documentation, to obscure efit of affording valuable discipline." Education, p. the moderation of other statements,3 and to 217. divorce the writings of Ellen White from the historical context that gives them meaning. It is a theological safeguard that a doctrine is Educational History not based on an isolated text. Likewise, an educational theory cannot be developed out Maurice Hodgen, ed., School Bells & Gospel of a single reference. Trumpets: A Documentary History of Seventh­ In his introduction, Moore claims that his day Adventist Education in North America book is his interpretation of God's counsel (Loma Linda: Adventist Heritage Publica­ rather than a "fiat from Mount Sinai" (p. 12). tions, 1978), 308 pages. After reading the manuscript, however, one is tempted to feel that one must either agree chool Bells & Gospel with the author or carry the heavy burden of STrumpets is a pioneer­ being wrong-with all the eternal penalties ing venture in the history of Seventh-day entailed therein. Despite this implication, the Adventist education, an almost untouched reader may choose to disagree with the rigid­ territory. That Adventists have generally ne­ ity of Moore's conclusions but still benefit glected the history of their educational ac­ from reading his book. Moore has em­ tivities is remarkable considering the empha­ phasized aspects of Christian educational sis Adventists place on education. Until re­ theory that are generally neglected in prac­ cently, works in Adventist educational his­ tice. Although at times he has not maintained tory have focused on institutions. Foremost perfect balance, many of his suggestions are among these histories have been Emmett K. provocative and will be a stimulus to ex­ Vande Vere's The Wisdom Seekers (1972), perimentation and diversification in Advent­ about Andrews University, and Everett ist education at all levels . Dick's Union: College of the Golden Cords The title of Moore's book is indicative of (1967). Beyond these histories of specific in­ an ongoing problem and challenge confront­ stitutions, there is E. M. Cadwallader's A ing Adventist education. Adventist educa­ History of Seventh-day Adventist Education (4th tion has for the past 100 years stood at the ed., 1975), a mimeographed volume circu­ crossroads of secular and sacred educational lated by Leaves-of-Autumn Books. Cadwal­ philosophy and practice and has all too often lader's work is in essence a collection of in­ opted for the secular. Adventist Education at stitutional histories. It is incomplete and does the Crossroads is one sincere attempt to direct not attempt to synthesize the development of Adventist education to a fulfillment of its the various institutions, to cover the evolu­ special mission. tion of educational theory among Advent­ ists, or to provide insight into the dynamic interaction that takes place within a burgeon­ NOTES AND REFERENCES ing educational system. In addition to institu- tional histories, Adventists have produced. 1. Fundamentals ifChristian Education, p. 325; Coun- some biographies of educators. Illustrative of sels to Teachers, pp. 203,208; TestimoniesJor the Church, this approach have been Merlin Neff s For VI, 179; Education, pp. 212, 219. G d & C MEA B' h if P T 2. E. G. White to the Teachers of the Fernando 0 ...: tograp y 0 ercy . School, May 17, 1903, Letter 89, 1903;E. G. White to Magan (1964) and Richard Schwarz's John Those in Charge of the Fernando School, May 17, Harvey Kellogg, M.D. (1970). 1903, Letter 88,1903; Remarks by E. G. White at the h' h ffi' f' . LosAngelesCarnp Meeting on Sept. 17, 1902, l'v1S 54, Given t IS rat er sparse 0 enng 0 mstltu- ...... 12.m;~R91'J;iQJ:lQfk!!tA~:ldr~~~.GiyenJt the 012eningof ..... i:ional1iiSJ:[email protected].~JiiQg!i112hi~~,..M4Y£~-,~.o==,=.~._c. 56 Spectrum

Hodgen's comprehensive documentary his­ perspective for the various articles that fol­ tory is a welcome new development. There low. In addition to these introductions, each are only two other major collections of Ad­ selection is prefaced with helpful information ventist educational documents. The first is concerning the author and other pertinent Early Educational Materials, which appeared data. The readings have nearly all been taken in 1936 under the sponsorship of the General from public sources such as reports ofimp or­ Conference Department of Education. The tant educational conventions, the journals of second, Reprints on Christian Education by the church and school bulletins. Church Leaders, came out ofJames M. Lee's efforts in the early 1970s. A chronologically his documentary his­ arranged collection of journal articles pub­ T tory indicates, on the lished between 1862 and 1971, it provides no part of the editor, a knowledgeable back­ commentary or classification. Hodgen has ground of Adventist educational history and accurately noted that Reprints is "bulky, ex­ extensive reading in the source materials. pensive and in short supply." The 1936 col­ Hodgen has resisted the temptation to focus lection has long been out of print as well as on the development of higher education, and out of date and the Lee production is not his collection shows balance between higher generally available. School Bells is the first education and the elementary and secondary compilation to go beyond the stage ofbeing a branches. Furthermore, his treatment of mere collection and is, therefore, the first higher education unfolds for readers the evolution of both professional and liberal arts education within the church. Those in­ terested in the continuing conflict in educa­ tional philosophy in Adventist circles will "This may not be a book that the especially benefit from Part IV, which average reader will devour from largely avoids selective bias in providing a cover to cover, but . . . it will wide spectrum of educational viewpoints. serve a useful function as both This section, along with its introductory comments, also highlights the dearth of seri­ a general source book on ous thinking concerning educational philos­ Adventist educational history and ophy among Seventh-day Adventists. a reader on special topics." School Bells shares both the strengths and weaknesses of other documentary histories. It is strong in that it puts the reader into direct contact with historical documents. This helps him become involved in the pulse ofthe truly documentary history. It has an interpre- times, imbibe the power of the original ar- tive framework that gives genuine insight guments, and participate in differences of into denominational educational develop- opinion through the eyes of historical figures ment. who were at the center of action. On the Hodgen has, rather surprisingly, elected a other hand, documentary histories offer a topical rather than a chronological arrange- scattering of viewpoints and gaps in time to ment for his readings. School Bells is divided readers who may need synthesis and in- into eight nearly equal parts: the beginnings terpretation before they are able to fully ben- of Adventist education, the widening of edu- efit from the original documents. Of cational concern, the training of teachers, course, the function of the introductory es- Adventist educational theory, the cur- says in documentary histories is to moderate riculum, school administration and the rela- this difficulty. In Hodgen's collection, how- tion of Adventist education to the larger so- ever, the difficulty of gaining a chronological cial order. Each section has between 11 and overview is compounded by the topical ar- 19 chronologically arranged readings. An in- rangement. The topical structure demands t~Q_duGtioo.n·tQ_:~e~c~p.?rt-_p-t:oyid.eos- tout-ext -an-d th~-t~th:e~._;[ea:qe.r-_:_a;lready:.~.havce. ~rg..o.-Q~~l,:gras_p· Q.f _~_.~ _._~,"_," __ ~~"~._';"';;"':-~-;;"'~~~~.';"';";';~::--~;;'~~ __=fu;~"~"",,~:;;":;;"k=-;""'.A -::.;;..,.:-=~;,:;.;.:,.:-;:..-.....,.;,.,o:;~~.:.._~~~~:..-.,..;;._~,;;....,...,,_. _"--,,"-_._._'" ,~_,,,.-_. ;,;;,;:;,~--~~"_. _._"" _" '-,;,:",;;,;,;,,~~~. __ ._--;_-.-;;;;;~_~,,;::;;=.o--- '";;;;;;;,;;;;_"-~ Volume 10, Number 3 57 the field, which is difficult when there is no Adventist educational centers. Beyond this, a published history of Adventist education by reader might desire to see more selections which a reader may get his bearings. from personal documents such as letters or The problem of selection for the editor of a entries from the diaries ofleading educators. documentary history proves to be a major Other topics that might have been included task as he sifts through a seemingly endless are documents concerning self-supporting number of meaningful documents. Hodgen educational work and excerpts from early made a basic decision by not including read­ Adventist textbooks. In addition, an index of ings from Ellen White because her most sig­ authors would be helpful. nificant documents were already widely dis­ Of course, one must appreciate the limita­ tributed among Adventists (114). This was tions of space forced upon Hodgen by the undoubtedly a wise decision, but the useful­ hard facts of publishing costs. And despite all ness of his book would have been broadened the previous suggestions, this reviewer if he had cross-referenced his selections to wishes to express appreciation to Hodgen for Ellen White statements. Along this same his pioneering endeavor and to Adventist line, it would have been helpful if additional Heritage Publications for making this mate­ suggested readings from other sources were rial available to the public. This may not be a listed at the end of each section. Another book that the average reader will devour important selection decision was made when from cover to cover, but it is a significant the editor ruled out the major writings of source collection in a convenient form. It will Edward Sutherland and the statements of serve a useful function as both a general educational philosophy by F. E. J . Harder on source book on Adventist educational his­ the ground that these were of easy access tory and a reader on special topics. As such, it (114-15). However, these documents are not is a valuable addition to the historical litera­ readily available to readers located outside ture of the Adventist Church. 58 Spectrum

Vespers

by Steven G. Spruill

argaret went to Ves­ and contemplation, those had all come at M pers just before her Vespers as in no other service, and it had been father died. She slipped into one of the back real, and part of her still wanted it. Especially pews beneath the balcony, where it was now, when she needed to think calmly, to darkest, and let the old church seep into her. decide. Twilight sank through stained glass. The Mrs. Jacobs turned stiffly in the pew two scent of polished oak, the murmuring organ, rows ahead and smiled at her, and she smiled the elders propped, somnolent, in cocoons of back, stabbed with love, a giddy excess, be­ light on the platform touched old hurts; cause her father's cancer had made her vul­ prodded and then soothed. But why had she nerable and because the old piano teacher had come here? This was not a place of objectivi­ always smiled at her that same way in the ty. Her father would ask her about the Vespers of fifteen years ago when life was church. He would ask her if she had returned simpler and death hardly existed at all. Mrs. yet, back to the fold. She would have to tell Jacobs' smile said, it's all the same, like you him something, and now here she was, on never left us. And, in a way, she never had. impulse, at Vespers. Her name was still on the books of this Vespers had been her favorite service. She church, still on the books after many letters, thought about it now; wondered. Had it been one or two from each new . The the delicious last squeeze of piety before the pastors came and went, and some were full of release of sundown? No, that was too cyni­ administrative zeal. There were always two cal, surely. Perhaps a part, but only a part. boxes on the letters and would she please Maybe it was that they never asked for check one: 0 I am faithfully living the Ad­ money at Vespers. Oh, Margaret, give them a vent message and attending services and break. The quiet, the music, the sense ofpeace would like to transfer my membership to the following church . 0 I am not now living as a Seventh-day Adventist and request that my name be removed from Steven Spruill, a graduate of Andrews University, is the author ofKeepers of the Gate and The Psychopath the church records for the present. No mid­ dle Nol'm notUvirtg a message, I'm Volume 10, Number 3 59 living my life and I still love the people of my whether the moneychangers had sneaked church, my culture, the thousand intangibles upon back. which I have, for good or ill, built my life . ... The organist was playing "The Lord Bless Margaret realized that her hands were You and Keep You," softly. The organ was clenching the pew beside her legs, that the behind the pulpit, at the front of the choir front edge of the seat was digging into her loft, and the top of the organist's head, the fingers. She forced her hands to relax. The white hair, shone brilliantly, haloed in the letters were fair, as fair as the people who single cone of light which poured down on wrote them could be. You were either in or the pulpit. you were out, as if the only thing that existed Margaret left quickly, getting out the back was the doctrine, the words written down on door of the sanctuary and through the 10 b by, paper somewhere. It was their idea of integ­ with its floor of ancient glazed tiles, and onto rity. Black and white. There was even a text the broad steps which led down to the street. they like to quote, about being lukewarm. In It was dark, cold; snow fell in great wet flakes her thirty-five years, Margaret had felt many which melted and ran down her cheeks, and things toward her church, but never she was glad for the snow. lukewarm. She no longer tried to explain it. Her mother and her younger brother, They couldn't believe she was following her Paul, hurried out of her father's hospital conscience - not and believe they were fol­ room, meeting her with wordless hugs. Paul lowing theirs. She understood that. ,She un­ stepped back, still holding her shoulders. His derstood it and she hated it, because it seemed eyes lingered, oddly,just above her own, and so arrogant, and because it cut them off from then she realized he was inspecting her eye each other. shadow. A muscle in his jaw rose and deliv­ ered its speech and sat down again. "Where were you, Sis? We've been expect­ ut there were other ing you for over an hour. Did you have trou­ Breasons for the let­ ble getting a cab at the airport? I would have ters, too; other reasons than having to know picked you up, but Dad ... " Paul stopped. if she was in or out. There were General His face was there, behind the deadpan with Conference Ingathering quotas based on which he met all things; miserable, eyes church membership. Tithes, offerings, other rimmed in red. Impulsively, she touched his financial expectations. How many times she cheek and he drew away just that fraction, had fantasized writing them a check for ten because her makeup made her unfit for the thousand dollars to go to the local academy morally superior role of comforter. Tile supported by the church. She loved the electric clock on the wall of the waiting room academy too, where she'd gone to school, hissed softly. but her fantasies were unworthy, because in "I was at Vespers," she said. them she always imagined herself handing "Vespers. Really?" them the check and watching their faces and "Really. How is he?" thinking, now will you leave me alone; stop Paul glanced at their mother. "He's ... asking if I'm in or out? She didn't have ten getting along fine. He's been asking for thousand dollars. Her art shop back in New you." York was just breaking even, and maybe Askingfor his prodigal daughter, right, Paul? they wouldn't want money from paintings like the copy of Renoir's "Bather Arranging hen they stepped into Her Hair" sold last Sabbath. W the room, Margaret Last Saturday. knew that her father would die soon. The Yes, and maybe they'd find a way to accept knowledge was there in the sickly sweet the ten thousand dollars - money wasn't smell, in the waxen face, in the head angled dirty, just people, oh, stop, Margaret. The back so that her father's eyes glared up at the church did need money, and she was hardly top of the iron bedstead. He rolled his head to one to from the shadows look ather ,and he smiled. There was a white 60 Spectrum stubble on his chin, and Margaret remem­ He smiled and closed his eyes, and bered when the stubble had been brown and squeezed her hand, and she noticed that only when her father had picked her up and the thumb and forefinger had any strength hugged her, and had tickled her cheek with left. He went to sleep after that, and the nurse that stubble, mornings, before he treated it shooed them out just as if he were going to with soap that smelled like pine trees, and wake up again. In the waiting room, her with flourishes of the safety razor. She took mother hugged her and Paul grabbed her his hand and blooded the inside of her lip, hand and said, "That's wonderful, Maggie. because there's a time when physical pain can Just wonderful. You're coming back to us, to stop tears. the church." "Dad, Margaret just got here," Paul said. "No," she said. "It was what Dad wanted "From Vespers." He emphasized the last to hear. I wanted him to be happy." She word. "She went to Vespers and then she didn't say the rest of it; didn't say there are lots came straight here." of ways I've never left the church, could never "Vespers?" Her father's voice was surpris­ leave it, no matter what the books say, because to ingly strong, but hoarse, as though the vocal cords had begun to fray, to come unraveled. Paul she was either in or out. "Are you coming to church again?" he Paul's mouth dropped open and two spots asked. of color appeared at the tops of his cheek­ She hesitated. She sensed her mother and bones . "You lied? You lied to him? How her brother behind her, gelled, even their could you do it?" lungs stopped. The pressure of their fear She stared at him. The clock made fizzling seemed to swell against her back. noises, as though the second hand was fret­ "I'm coming home, Dad," she said. ting that it couldn't choose a single black line "Home. Back to the fold." or white space and stay there. Responses from Readers

On 1919 Conference with confidence and assurance. What that foundation is has never been satisfactorily o the Editors: The defined by the leadership, for even though T material in the issue some seem to insist that the Bible and the of SPECTRUM (Vol. 10, No.1) relating to Bible alone is the base from which our doc­ the 1919 Bible Conference was of substantive trinal views are derived, it seems that the laity significance. Beyond the superficial conver­ at large have never been convinced. sations of the participants in the conference, How can Seventh-day Adventists claim there are clues to issues and answers that that we hold the Bible above the writings of should be of profound interest to this genera­ Ellen G. White when our tion of the church. Arthur G. Daniells ap­ quarterlies never present Ellen White's writ­ pears to be a champion of theological integ­ ings in the light of the Bible, but the Bible in rity and spiritual insight with a clear under­ the light of Ellen White's writings? standing of the ministry of Ellen White. On page 30 of SPECTRUM, A. G. Subsequent thinking appears to have Daniells is quoted as having said, "It is not veered away from the course he was suggest­ our position and it is not right that the spirit ing, with what I view as unfortunate theologi­ of prophecy is the only safe interpreter of the cal consequences within the church. Bible. That is a false doctrine, a false view. It While reading the SPECTRUM article, I will not stand." He then labels such a doc­ couldn't help but wonder how many of the trine as "heathenish." How much impact did thousands of young people who have be­ that statement have on the preparation of come discouraged and abandoned the church church publications during the ensuing 50 in the years since 1919 would have remained years? This is one example of the inconsisten­ as loyal members if the Daniells view had cies that are causing the laity to question the prevailed. role of leadership. WarrenL.Johns I believe that openness, honesty, and, Washington, D.C. above all, confidence in the basic loyalty of the membership would cause the General Conference leaders to bring all their skele- o the Editors: Your tons out of the closet, expose them to the T report of the 1919 light of day, and if necessary reevaluate our Bible Conference (Vol. 10, No.1) is most historical and doctrinal positions. Rather timely, if not long overdue. Seventh-day than discouraging the people, such a course Adventists have always been proud of a heri- would be received as a fresh wind from tage that supposedly offered to all believers a heaven providing renewed purpose and di- .~ __ .~~$.oli.d.fo.undation::".to=w:hiclL.th.e.y=c_<:ml.dJo~ok.=r.e~.ti.Qn~.~~=",~~c.~=;",:c=;_- .- ..._-_._.- ...... 62 Spectrum

Most noteworthy is the concept developed I do hope that they will help balance those by A. G. Daniells regarding the place and use who seem to use Ellen White as a higher of the gift of prophecy in the church. Refer­ authority than that of the Bible, who seem to ring to the publication of some of Ellen G. study her writings more than the Bible in White's testimonies to the church, he stated a their theology and discussions. I would also fundamental principle that has been ignored wish that our teachers would heed the chal­ for too long. He said, "I do not think proper lenge to lead our students to dig into the caution was used in putting out some of these Bible, instead of finding apparently "easy" things, and I have told Sister White so" (p. answers through Ellen White. I have found 41). On the next page he further states, "That that we cannot really appreciate Ellen is the way a lot of things get into the Tes­ White's ministry in its fullness until we are timonies. They were many of them written for immersed in Scripture as she was. individuals in various states of health, and There was one thing that concerned me in then they were hurried into the Testimonies your issue. I feel that Molleurus Couperus' without proper modification." introduction was distorted, to say the least. It would seem that Elder Daniells was not He seemed to want to parallel Ellen White's implying that what Mrs. White wrote was ministry as God's messenger to Luther's role not true, or that he questioned whether her as a reformer. In spite of the fact that some revelations were from God, for he believed may have called Luther a prophet, this does they were. He was simply agreeing with not mean that his messages carry any more Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 14:29 that weight than other interpreters of Scripture. all prophecies are to be judged or evaluated He may have been a special instrument of by the body of believers. Paul knew that God to bring changes in His church, but that God's perfect revelations are given through does not mean he was in the same role as imperfect earthen vessels, and that the Ellen White. She bore messages directly human channel's background, or religious from God just as John the Revelator did (both views, or personal convictions may taint or received testimonies from Jesus through an flavor the message of the . As a angel for His church). And her testimonies safeguard, lest any residue from the earthen bear the authority of God's Spirit as a special vessel enter into and contaminate the divine revelation from God to us. flow, the church was charged with the re­ Not that she then becomes the final arbiter sponsibility of evaluating all the prophecies of Scripture. No single prophet has that role. according to the Word. It may not be too late But her messages are from God, and are to be even now to remove the artificial aura of accepted accordingly. Not to heed her coun­ infallibility from one who so faithfully sels would be tantamount to turning our­ served the church. This would also aid in selves off from one channel of the Holy clarifying the church's position in the Chris­ Spirit. Such can be done only at great peril. tian community regarding the foundation for But still, his article does not greatly detract its faith. from the impact of the 1919 Bible Confer­ Sam Pestes ence transcripts. And thank you again for Winfield, publishing them. Marcius C. Siqueira Pastor o the Editor: I just Olathe, Kansas T wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your publica- tion in SPECTRUM of the 1919 Bible Con- On Creationism ference transcripts (Vol. 10, No.1). I was fascinated with the issues they discussed, and To the Editors: It is un- some of the parallels with our own difficul- . fortunate that Dr. ties today. It almost 'Seems that times have Ross Barnes (Vol. 10, No.1) has employed _~ __ -,-"_~___g~fcdly:,<:l}~!l~l2±~c -. _=--~---"_~===~~~'C_i!P-RY±~WJ'!!!1$~¥~I~fR~cQt:,,~he::~;~:~B!Bgic:~l ~~_ ~_~~=-:~ J Volume 10, Number 3 63

zonation" model in his evaluation of creation enclose their remams are relatively recent concepts. Had he consulted the original events ...." comprehensive description given by H. W. I submit that it is incorrect to basically Clark in The New Diluvialism (1946, Science characterize literal (biblical) creationism by Publications, pp. 37-93), he would have found the expectations of some of the individuals his five specific objections answered. Most who identify with this model. The model individuals try to equate preflood ecology to would be characterized better by its distinc­ present ecology, while the ecological zona­ tive specifications, and the reasons for them. tion model proposes a different ecology be­ Accordingly, I recommend that item III of fore the flood than at present. It is expected the "Literal Creationist Model" read: "Time. that an event such as the flood as described in On the basis of biblical testimony, the origi­ Genesis would modify the ecology. The nal creation of the various groups of or­ ecological zonation model proposes a pre­ ganisms, and the deposition of the rock strata flood ecological sequence similar to the fossil that enclose fossils of these organisms are sequence now found; hence it is based on that understood to be relatively recent events, on data. The model also proposes marine seas at the order of thousands of years. " different levels. These two major departures With appropriate respect to the illustrious from present ecology answer the objections series of exegetes who have promoted the regarding the fossil sequence and marine de­ view that Genesis 1:1 alludes to a primordial posits at various levels raised in Dr. Barnes's creation prior to the creative activity de­ article. scribed in Genesis 1 :3-2:4a, I would like to ;;--- In view of the above, Dr. Barnes's state­ emphasize that, independent of any coercion ment that "in other words, we have no viable by radiometric age and other planetary sci­ 'Flood model' or apparently even beginnings ence data, there is a sound basis for under­ of a model after many years of effort by a standing Genesis 1:1 as merely an introduc­ number of creationists" does not appear to be tory, topic-sentence-style, statement to a based on a careful evaluation of the available creation account that treats only the observa­ data. tions that might have been made by an ob­ The standard model of random evolution­ server based on the surface of planet Earth, ary mutations and of changing sea levels, and and that reveals nothing about the prior his­ the ecological zonation model of a different tory of the universe, other than that sun, preflood ecology and varied preflood sea moon and stars were also made by the same levels both suffer from the fact that almost God whose immediate activities Moses is any directly related data one comes up with describing. 1 Within such an understanding, can be fitted into either model; as such, they Genesis 1:1 is neutral with respect to the gap are difficult models to evaluate scientifically. theories that have been promoted by More specific issues than the broad generali­ creationists. zations that these models allow will have to The assumption ofa direct correspondence be used for good scientific verification. between the time fossils have been associated Ariel A. Roth with host rocks and a radiometric age of the Geoscience Research Institute host rock can be described as a "graveyard Loma Linda, Calif. hoax." Radiometric age characteristics of minerals in a graveyard may suggest much about the history of these minerals, but not o the Editors: On give the times various bodies were interred T page three of SPEC- there. The professional literature contains TRUM Vol. 10, No.1, Ross Barnes states examples of radiometric ages greater than, that the third distinctive feature of the "Lit- equal to, and less than the expected geologic eral Creationist Model" is the expectation age of the site from which samples were ob- that "the available historical clues should in- tained. 2 Reference 8 cited by Dr. Barnes3 dicate that the appearance and history of life treats several examples of excess radiometric ~~and the· deposition of the.rQ£k2jIe!e~JhllJ:..,~ __ dg~L;lnd shouldbe~Qnsulte4by=an.¥one~:wh()c=,=:-"c __ ~_ 64 Spectrum wishes to reach his own conclusions concern­ 2. A good example is provided by a region of the Azores Islands for which the lead-lead age is zero ing the popularly presumed one-to-one cor­ years, the rubidium-strontium age is about 500 mil­ respondence between radiometric age and lion years, and the samarium-neodymium age is close the formation time of sedimentary or igne­ to two billion years. C. J. Hawkesworth, et al., "143Nd/144Nd and 87Sr/86Sr ratios from the Azores and ous rock. their significance in LIL-element enriched mantel," R. H. Brown Nature, 280 (1979), 28-3l. Geoscience Research Institute 3. R. H. Brown, "Radiometric Age and the Tradi­ tional Hebrew-Christian View of Time," Origins, 4 NOTES AND REFERENCES (1977), 68-75. (Through an unfortunate oversight, Table 1 in this reference contains two rubidium­ 1. Robert H. Brown, "Moses' Creation Account," strontium age anomalies which are not of Tertiary Ministry, Sept. 1978, pp. 23-25. material, as indicated, viz., items 6 and 9.)

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