SPECTRUM EDITORIAL BOARD EDITORS Helen Evans Ronald Numbers Alvin L. Kwiram, Chairman Roy Branson Keene, Texas Madison, Wisconsin. Seattle, Washington Charles Scriven Judy Folkenberg Melvin K. H. Peters Roy Branson Washington, D.C. Cleveland, Ohio Washington, D.C. CONSULTING Lawrence Geraty Edward E. Robinson Molleurus Couperus EDITORS Berrien Springs, Michigan Chicago, Ulinois Loma Linda, California Kjeld' Andersen Fritz Guy Gerhard Svrcek-Seiler Tom Dybdahl Lystrup, Denmark Riverside, California Takoma Park, Maryland Vienna, Austria Eric Anderson Gary Land Angwin, California J orgen Henriksen Betty Stirling Berrien Springs, Michigan North Reading, Massachusetts Washington, D.C. E. E. Cleveland Eric A. Magnusson Roberta J. Moore Washington, D.C. L. E. Trader Riverside, California Cooranbong, Australia Darmstadt, Germany Raymond Cottrell Charles Scriven Margaret McFarland St. Helena, California Washington, D.C. Ann Arbor, Michigan Ottilie Stafford Richard Emmerson LaVonne Neff South Lancaster, Massachusetts College Place, Washington College Place, Washington Association of Adventist Forums EXECUTIVE Of Finance Regional CO-<lrdinator Rudy Bata COMMITTEE Ronald D. Cople David Claridge Rocky Mount, North Carolina Silver Spring, Maryland Rockville, Maryland President Grant N. Mitchell Glenn E. Coe Of International Affairs Systems Consultant Fresno, California West Hartford, Connecticut Molleurus Couperus William Carey Lanny H. Fisk Vice President Loma Linda, California Silver Spring, Maryland Walla Walla, Washington Leslie H. Pitton, Jr. Of Outreach Systems Manager Reading, Pennsylvania Karen Shea Joseph Mesar Don McNeill Berrien Springs, Michigan Executive Secretary Boston, Massachusetts Spencerville, Maryland Viveca Black Treasurer Stan Aufdemberg Arlington, Virginia Richard C. Osborn Loma Linda, California Takoma Park, Maryland DIRECTORS STAFF Of Academic Affairs Legal Consultant REGIONAL James J. C. Cox Bradley Litchfield REPRESENTATIVES Berrien Springs, Michigan Lanham, Maryland Charles Bensonhaver Dayton, Ohio SPECTRUM is a journal established to purposes of taxation. The publishing of SPEC­ encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation TRUM depends . on subscriptions, gifts from in the discussion of contemporary issues from individuals, and the voluntary efforts of the a Christian viewpoint, to look without prej­ contributors and the staff. udice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the merits of diverse views, and to foster Christian SPECTRUM is published quarterly by the Association of Adventist Forums. Direct editorial correspondence to intellectual and cultural growth. 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All rights gifts are 4eductible in the report of income for reserved. 24400 In This Issue ARTICLES Volume Eight, Number Three, Published March 1977 Living in a Time of Trouble: German Adventists Under Nazi Rule Jack M. Patt 2 Seventh-day Adventist Publications and the Nazi Temptation Erwin Sicher 11 Sakharovand Solzhenitsyn: Dialogue on the Good Society Joe Mesar 25 Mesar Interview With an Adventist Pastor from Russia 28 We SHOULD Be Involved in Politics Tom Dybdahl 33 Against Isolationism: The Church's Relation to the World Edward W. H. Vick 38 The Limits to Religious Freedom in America Kenneth Walters 41 Edward Vick's Passion for Theology Ron walden 48 A Bibliography of Recent Adventist Scholarship Betty Stirling 57 POETRY Apocalypse, Doppelganger Kenn Field 47 LETTERS FROM READERS Richard Hammill and others 62 About This Issue hat is the difference be­ and church and state. Edward Vick reflects theo­ W tween the church's logically on the relation and the church to the cozying up to the government authorities and world. Kenneth Walters describes the complexity what the Bible calls idolatry? How can a church involved in the American constitution's protec­ claim to have the spirit of the prophets if it con­ tion of religious freedom. cerns itself with politics only when its own wel­ On page 57, there appears a bibliography, by fare is threatened and has no explicit interest in no means exhaustive, of recent publications by the wider claims of man for justice, dignity and Seventh-day Adventist scholars. We print it as food? an experiment. If our readers regard such a These are the kinds of questions raised by the bibliography as valuable, we will offer updated articles on church and politics in this issue of bibliographies, including the work of scholars SPECTRUM. The cluster begins with two his­ in nondenominational institutions, in future torical studies of the response of Seventh-day issues; if the bibliography is greeted with silence, Adventists in Germany to the government of we will not trot out another one. Adolph Hitler. Following Joe Mesar's reflection Ron Walden's analysis of Edward Vick's on the political philosophies of the Russian dis­ theology begins a series, as we point out in an sidents Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn, Tom Dyb­ editorial note on page 48. Our premise is that if dahl criticizes the traditional view of separation the church's theology is to undergo constant renewal, we must take notice of those who The cover of SPECTRUM is by Concerned Communi­ labor as theologians. cations, Arroyo Grande, California. The Editors Living in a Time of Trouble: German Adventists Under Nazi Rule by Jack M. Patt he period of National government. The Jews also were constantly T Socialist rule was a persecuted, even those who had become mem­ difficult one for German Seventh-day Advent­ bers of Christian denominations. Adventists, ists, and one about which they were and are still however, were allowed to continue their church quite reluctant to speak. Information concerning organization and missionary activity. 1 some ,aspects of the Advent Movement during The Faith Movement of the German Chris­ this period is, therefore, very limited. Not much tians based their program on the supposition was said of Adventist difficulties in the pub­ that the rise of Hitler was an event in which God lished reports of the time, since church leaders was revealing Himself. In line with their ide­ feared that incautious statements might fall into ology, they condemned the teaching of a fallen the hands of the "Reformers," Conradi and his world and emphasized faith in man. They also Seventh Day Baptist followers, and other foes of advocated the rejection of the old Testament the Adventists who could have used them to add and a revision of the New Testament in such a way to the church's troubles. as to repudiate the divinity of Jesus Christ. The Nazi political order was not friendly to Seventh-day Adventists were opposed to these religion generally. The Evangelical and Catholic principles of the German church, but did not churches suffered government discrimination voice their opposition publicly for fear of repri­ and hundreds of ministers and priests were sals. 2 interned. The Faith Movement of German Chris­ In fact, Seventh-day Adventists considered the tians sought to harmonize Christianity with the attempt to unify Evangelicalism and National tenets of National Socialism and make the Socialism as an ominous portent; they feared churches a pillar of the new Reich. This effort that it was the beginning of an effort to subdue precipitated within the Protestant churches the all religious organizations to the Nazi order. Ger­ so-called Confessional Church, whose members man Adventist leaders were aware of their weak­ became the uncompromising opponents of the ness as a small sect and admonished their mem­ German Christians. Some of the small sects, such bers on the importance of following the counsel as the Jehovah's Witnesses, were silenced by the of Mrs. Ellen G. White's writings and the General Conference to remain out of politics. They fur­ ther asked the membership to be careful of their Jack M. Patt teaches in the department of history at words and actions in order to avoid giving California State University, San Jose. offense to the government; such offense might Volume 8, Number 3 3 be used as an excuse to restrict Adventist church to perform duty on Saturday, except in medical activity. 3 service. Some Seventh-day Adventists actually Despite the government's antagonism toward declined to serve in the armed forces and were religion and restrictions of it, Seventh-day imprisoned. 6 Adventists laid plans for continued missionary In 1936, Baldur von Schirach moved to place endeavor in all of their churches. This program, all German youth in the organization, Hitler adopted in 1934, was intended to maintain the Jugend. The movement was anti-Christian, but it increase in church membership. It included an assured its members future employment and organized campaign in each church