Analysis of Annual Cbunci1

Analysis ofAnnual Cbunci1 The (burch and the \Xar in Lebanon

A QuarterlyJournal of theAssociation ofAdventist fununs VolumeS, Number2

Reviews of Ronald Numbers' Book ' By Schwarz, G ,the White F5ttte Ana Others, Plus hers'Response SPECTRUM EDITORIAL BOARD Ottilie Stafford Richard Emmerson Margaret McFarland Alvin L. Kwiram, Chairman South Lancaster, Massachusetts College Place, Washington Ann Arbor, Michigan Seattle, Washington EDITORS Helen Evans La Vonne Neff Roy Branson Keene, Texas College Place, Washington Roy Branson Washington, D.C. Charles Scriven Judy Folkenberg Ronald Numbers Molleurus Couperus Washington, D.C. Madison, Wisconsin Lorna Linda, California CONSULTING Lawrence Geraty Edward E. Robinson Tom Dybdahl Berrien Springs, Michigan Chicago, Illinois Takoma Park, Maryland EDITORS Fritz Guy Gerhard Svrcek-Seiler Gary Land Kjeld' Andersen Berrien Springs, Michigan Lystrup, Denmark Riverside, California Vienna, Austria Roberta J. Moore Eric Anderson J orgen Henriksen Betty Stirling Riverside, California Angwin, California North Reading, Massachusetts Washington, D.C. Charles Scriven Raymond Cottrell Eric A. Magnusson L. E. Trader St. Helena, California Washington, D.C. Cooranbong, Australia Darmstadt, Germany

Association of Adventist Forums

EXECUTIVE Of Finance Regional Co-ordinator 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 William Carey Molleurus Couperus Lanny H. Fisk Lorna Linda, California Silver Spring, Maryland Vice President 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 Stan Aufdemberg Treasurer Arlington, Virginia STAFF Lorna Linda, California Administrative Secretary Richard C. Osborn Takoma Park, Maryland Glenda Bailey DIRECTORS Hyattsville, Maryland REGIONAL Of Academic Affairs REPRESENTATIVES James J. C. Cox Legal Consultant Berrien Springs, Michigan Bradley Li tch field Charles Bensonhaver Lanham, Maryland Dayton, Ohio

SPECTRUM is a journal established to gifts are deductible in the report of income for encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation purposes of taxation. The publishing of SPEC in the discussion of contemporary issues from TRUM depends on subscriptions, gifts from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prej individuals, and the voluntary efforts of the udice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the contributors and the staff. merits of diverse views, and to foster Christian intellectual and cultural growth. Although effort is made to ensure accurate scholarship and dis criminating judgment, the statements of fact are In order to receive SPECTRUM, send a membership fee ($10 per year, except $11 in Canada and $12 in the responsibility of contributors, and the views other foreign countries) to Association of Adventist individual authors express are not necessarily Forums, Box 4330, Takoma Park, Maryland 20012. those of the editorial staff as a whole or as Single copies may be purchased for $3. Send correspon individuals. dence concerning address changes to the same address, enclosing address labels. Pay by check made out to the The Association of Adventist Forums is a Association of Adventist Forums. © 1977. All rights nonsubsidized, nonprofit organization for which reserved. CP24160 In This Issue

SPECIAL SECTION Volume Eight, Number Two, Published January 1977

Commentary on Prophetess of Health: A Study of Ellen c. White, by Ronald L. Numbers I. The Prophet and Her Contemporaries W. Frederick Norwood 2 II. A Biased, Disappointing Book Ellen G. White Estate 4 III. Ellen White's Emotional Life Fawn M. Brodie 13 IV. The State of a Church's Soul Ernest R. Sandeen 15 V. On Writing and Reading History Richard Schwarz 16 VI. What Should We Expect From a Prophet? Fritz Guy 20 VII. An Author Replies to His Critics Ronald L. Numbers 27

ARTICLES Ellen White's Authority as Bible Commentator Joseph J. Battistone 37 The Church and the War in Lebanon I. Interview With a Union President Malcolm Russell 41 II. Recent Political History in Lebanon Malcolm Russell 46 III. Sociologist From Lebanon Looks at His Homeland Anees Haddad 48 Analysis of the 1976 Annual Council Tom Dybdah1 54 Let's Stop Arguing Over the Wedding Ring c. G. Tu1and 59

BOOK REVIEW Perfection, by Herbert E. Douglass, Edward Heppenstall, Hans K. LaRondelle, C. Mervyn Maxwell Timothy Crosby 62

About This Issue

· his issue's spedal sec strongly disagree with. We hope, however, that T tion on Ellen White's the main effect of the section will be to foster a health message bears witness not only to the unified commitment to increasing our under church's interest in Professor Numbers' book, standing of this woman whose thought and Prophetess of Health, but also to Ellen White's leadership have so shaped us all. continuing importance as this movement's Two other items in this issue concern Ellen founder and mentor. It is no small tribute to her White. One is Joseph Battistone's reflection on power as a leader and prophet that, six decades her authority as a Bible commentator. The other after her death, her influence should still be so is a review of Perfection: The Impossible Pos great. What is surprising, of course, as Professor sibility, in which the reviewer links theologians' Brodie points out in her review of Numbers' differences to their degree of reliance upon quo book, is that her work, at least until now, has tations.from Ellen White. been little known outside Adventist circles. Also in the issue is a special section on the Readers will note a wide diversity of outlook church and the conflict in Lebanon, and a Bible among the articles in this special section. It scholar's viewpoint concerning the wedding ring. is a safe assumption that everyone will find Tom Dybdah1's analysis of the 1976 Annual here something to disagree with-and perhaps Council exemplifies this journal's promised sensitivity to the rhythms of Adventist organiza tionallife. The cover of SPECTRUM is by Concerned Communi cations, Arroyo Grande, California. The Editors ELLEN WHITE AND HEALTH I The Proplrt and Her GrtemfDraries

Review by W. Frederick Norwood

Prophetess of Health: A Study of Ellen G. White persons in terms of the documentary evidence by Ronald L. Numbers and the critical method "he does not thereby Harper and Row, 271 pp., $10.00 invalidate theological statements about their action." Land concedes that the historian and he lead article in the the theologian can be the same person; still, he T April 1976 number of "should make clear both to himself and to his SPECTRUM, written by Gary Land, offers some audience the role he is playing." wisdom 'for this review. Land draws a distinction Ronald Nllmbers, who took a doctorate in the between the work of a historian and that of a history of .:. Lence at the University of California theologian or theologian of history. "The his at Berkele y, has done precisely this in his study torian," he declares, "interprets history at a dif of Ellen White. His first intention, he writes, was ferent level tha.n the theologian." He then "to look at Mrs. White's major writings within quotes from Richard H. Bube, The Human the context of nineteenth-century health Quest: A New Look at Science and the Christian reform." He states that he has refrained from Faith: "There are many levels at which a given using "the concept of divine inspiration as an situation can be described. An exhaustive historical explanation," thereby clearly distin description on one level does not preclude mean guishing his work from that of the apologist. But ingful descriptions on other levels." this does not preclude description of Ellen White It should therefore be apparent, Land writes, at another level, that of inspiration. As Numbers that when a historian interprets the actions of himself recently said before a large audience at the San Bernardino County Museum: I do not think that Ellen White was a pious William Frederick Norwood, retired professor of medical history at Lorna Linda University, is at work on fraud. I make no judgment regarding her a book about military medicine during the Civil War. inspiration, but I am not saying that Ellen Volume 8, Number 2 3

White was not inspired. This is a decision that naturally adopted some of the vocabulary and each person must make on the basis of faith. physiological expressions which he found more Numbers had two main objectives in his clearly descriptive than his and Ellen's ordinary research: one, to discover whatever relationship, lay language. From Numbers' own language, I if any, existed between Ellen White's writings on conclude that he does not and has never believed health and the publications of her contemporary Ellen White guilty of deliberate misrepresenta writers in the field of health reform. Two, to tion. How much James modified Ellen's prose find out to what extent, if any, Ellen White without distorting her meaning in the six essays modified or changed her health reform views in How to Live (1865) can be contemplated but between 1863 and her late years. not fully known. Although Mrs. White had some visions prior There is no doubt that Ellen herself in time to 1863 that touched on limited aspects of became well acquainted with the principal writ health reform, the theme of this book revolves ings of leading health reformers. She did not live around the comprehensive revelation of health in a vacuum. She must have habitually compared reform given her on Friday evening, June 5, what she read with what she had been shown to 1863, in the home of Aaron Hilliard, near keep her message clear and free from spurious Otsego, Michigan. She had subsequent visions concepts. touching on health reform but the June 5, 1863 That Mrs. White was in many respects a very vision brought her the information on which she practical reformer was demonstrated in the based her health writings. First published as decades of the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s during "Health," a 32-page chapter in Volume 4 of which some of her ideas were modified. Because Spiritual Gifts in 1864, it became the central of extensive traveling, she found it wise to core of the health reform message, though it was depart from rigid dietary restrictions in order to not as comprehensive as the very busy writer maintain herself on the less than ideal food that would have liked to make it. was available. At any rate, as Numbers probably In his book, Numbers notes similarities discovered, one who has difficulty living up to a between her chapter on health and the writings regimen is not so likely to emphasize it as much of several reformers. Yet, when Adventists to as when happily living by it. whom she lectured on health in 1863 inquired if Another variation in her views had to do with she had read Laws of Life, the Water-Cure dress reform. When Ellen White endorsed and Journal or the writings of Doctors James C. recommended such a reform, the sisters of the Jackson and R. T. Trall, she replied that she had church were divided, some dutifully adopting it not and would not until she had fully written while others rebelled against it. She had sug out her views and attributed all her knowledge gested at one time a skirt two or three inches to her visions. She had, however, read Jackson's above the heel; at another two inches below the essay on the treatment of diphtheria, which boot-top. Some concerned sisters could not opened with a very brief general presentation of accept both instructions as inspired, failing to the principles of healthful living. Also, she must appreciate the few inches of latitude as an have had access to the series of health reform opportunity to express one's taste. Rather than papers which her editor husband reprinted in the let her testimony be dragged through a degrad Review prior to June 1863. ing turmoil, Ellen White urged that the entire Perhaps Ellen White's denial only meant that subject be abandoned, and it was. she had not yet made any real study of the sub In her earlier writings she spoke of "poison ject. Or possibly in her effort to rule out any ous miasmas" coming from unkempt premises and all influences apart from the vision as she producing fever, argue, sore throat, lung diseases wrote her account, her memory played a trick and fevers; she also wrote of "cancerous on her as memories are prone to do. It seems tumors" found in flesh foods, causing various very probable that James White, who edited his diseases including cancer. Later, she adopted the wife's manuscripts in their earlier years, became term "germ." Meanwhile, the germ theory had very familiar with health reform literature and been confirmed in Europe and reported in the language of the writers. He familiarized him America. That she chose to keep up with self with the literature before she did and medical progress is highly complimentary of her 4 Spectrum sense of duty. Her reasons for avoiding flesh institutions, including the relationship between foods also were modified. church leadership and Dr. J. H. Kellogg. In his In a way, it is not strange that Ellen White in discussion of the beginnings of the medical 1849 condemned consultation with physicians. school at Loma Linda, he unfortunately fails to Faith healing was at that time her only recom mention the name of Newton Evans, a distin mendation. American medicine was in the 1850s guished pathologist who, more than anyone else, at its lowest ebb in quality and Mrs. White stimulated the faculty of the new school to seemed to know it. But, by the 1860s, she was emphasize scientific character in their work. articulating a new view, declaring that "some It is rumored that this book will be disturb have carried this matter [the prayer of faith] ing, even upsetting to many Adventist readers. I too far, especially those who have been affected would suggest that the book need be disturbing with fanaticism." only to those who have come to exalt Ellen Mrs. White's first published book on health, White to a pedestal of inerrancy or infallibility, a An Appeal to Mothers, was a forceful assault on position she did not claim for herself or even for social impurity with the focus on the baleful the Bible writers. effects of masturbation and marital sexual I note in closing that Numbers utilized some excesses. In it she quoted extensively from con of the most competent medical historians in his temporary reformers who, along with her, description of the state of American society and emphasized F. J. V. Broussais's "vital force" the delineation of the health reform movement theory. Thereafter, she wrote less and less about in the nineteenth century, particularly Richard sex until her Ministry of Healing (1905) was Shyrock and John Blake. It is hoped that he will silent on the subject. J. H. Kellogg supplied the be judged by his performance as a historian of lack in his publications. medicine. The author's thoughtful treatment of In Prophetess of Health, Numbers also de this delicate subject may mark the beginning of scribes the early history of Adventist medical a new approach to Adventist history.

II. A Biased, DIDpfDinting Book

Review by the Staff of the Ellen G. White Estate

rophetess of Health: A developed his account in such a way as to put PStudy of Ellen G. Ellen White in an unflattering light and often White, while skillfully written and profusely portrays the views she advocated as ridiculous documented, comes far short of the promise of and having their origins in the teachings of con its broad title. Rather than presenting a full por temporary health reformers. trayal of Ellen White's participation in the suc Throughout its history, the Seventh-day cessful development of the health work of Adventist church has accepted the proposition Seventh-day Adventists, the book focuses on that Ellen G. White served as a prophetic mes limited and sometimes relatively insignificant senger through whom God communicated His experiences and episodes. By failing to cite will, counseled and instructed its members, and many of the relevant facts in connection with guided its activities, and in many instances, as in the history which is recounted, the author has the case of the health work, initiated them. George 1. Butler, longtime president of the The office of the Ellen G. White Estate is at the head General 'Conference, observed concerning the quarters of the General Conference in Washington, D.C. visions of Ellen White: 4 Spectrum sense of duty. Her reasons for avoiding flesh institutions, including the relationship between foods also were modified. church leadership and Dr. J. H. Kellogg. In his In a way, it is not strange that Ellen White in discussion of the beginnings of the medical 1849 condemned consultation with physicians. school at Loma Linda, he unfortunately fails to Faith healing was at that time her only recom mention the name of Newton Evans, a distin mendation. American medicine was in the 1850s guished pathologist who, more than anyone else, at its lowest ebb in quality and Mrs. White stimulated the faculty of the new school to seemed to know it. But, by the 1860s, she was emphasize scientific character in their work. articulating a new view, declaring that "some It is rumored that this book will be disturb have carried this matter [the prayer of faith] ing, even upsetting to many Adventist readers. I too far, especially those who have been affected would suggest that the book need be disturbing with fanaticism." only to those who have come to exalt Ellen Mrs. White's first published book on health, White to a pedestal of inerrancy or infallibility, a An Appeal to Mothers, was a forceful assault on position she did not claim for herself or even for social impurity with the focus on the baleful the Bible writers. effects of masturbation and marital sexual I note in closing that Numbers utilized some excesses. In it she quoted extensively from con of the most competent medical historians in his temporary reformers who, along with her, description of the state of American society and emphasized F. J. V. Broussais's "vital force" the delineation of the health reform movement theory. Thereafter, she wrote less and less about in the nineteenth century, particularly Richard sex until her Ministry of Healing (1905) was Shyrock and John Blake. It is hoped that he will silent on the subject. J. H. Kellogg supplied the be judged by his performance as a historian of lack in his publications. medicine. The author's thoughtful treatment of In Prophetess of Health, Numbers also de this delicate subject may mark the beginning of scribes the early history of Adventist medical a new approach to Adventist history.

II. A Biased, DIDpfDinting Book

Review by the Staff of the Ellen G. White Estate

We have found in a long, varied, and in to keep the major arguments clearly in mind. some instances, sad experience the value of The book does not stand or fall on one or two their counsel. When we have heeded them, we errors of fact or interpretation; it stands or falls have prospered. When we have slighted them, on whether its major theses are sustained by the we have suffered a great loss. 1 overall weight of evidence. The author of Prophetess of Health states that he has "refrained from using divine inspira tion as an historical explanation" for Mrs. istorical evidence can White's teachings and activities. He takes the H rarely be tested and position that Ellen G. White was merely a child proven with the certainty of a scientific e~peri of her times, and that her teachings were simply ment in a laboratory. To deal with historical a reflection of the sentiments of contemporary records is to deal with material that is often health reformers; and, second, that her thought incomplete and frequently even ambiguous. and teachings showed progression and change Nevertheless, the weight of evidence can satisfy during the course of her life. the open and candid mind on essential issues. It is obvious that this book in its'most basic Thus, the truth can be approached only by a argument is a challenge to the generally under conscientious and thoughtful investigation of all stood Adventist view of Ellen White and her the available evidence on all sides of a question. work. Adventists have long held that she was Speaking of the relationship between evidence divinely inspired. They have believed that she and doubt, Ellen White observed regarding the received insight and information from heavenly inspired messages of Scripture that, "While God sources, while not denying that she received has given ample evidence for faith, He will never ideas from her contemporaries, as would any remove all excuse for unbelief. All who look for individual. Thus, the crux of the matter is, Did hooks to hang their doubts upon will find Ellen White receive her health message from the them.,,2 "God does not propose to remove all Lord or from earthly sources? occasion for unbelief.... All should decide In keeping with the theses of the book, the from the weight of evidence.,,3 When there author has turned from what to Adventists appears to be a conflict, the evidence on both appear as strong and convincing evidences and sides must be carefully weighed. The reader has frequently based his conclusions on unsup might well ask himself the following questions: ported assumptions and has ignored the positive What were the circumstances surrounding each exhibits. Of this the casual reader is not made e'Xperience? How credible are the witnesses to aware and thus may stumble into a pitfall which these events, and were they in a position to will result in distorted conclusions. If the" White observe all that took place? Have I separated Estate, which hosted the author of Prophetess of assumptions from documentable facts? Finally, Health when he came to Takoma Park as an because we are here dealing with the work of a accredited member of the faculty of the School professed prophet, one must ask an important of Medicine at" Lorna Linda University, and theological question as well: Do I have a correct which assisted him in his research, could express and adequate concept of inspiration?4 one earnest desire it is that every reader of Proph Ellen White declares that it was on June 6, etess of Health would examine carefully and 1863, at the home of Aaron Hilliard of Otsego, take into account the whole record before Michigan, that "the great subject of Health reaching conclusions. As an aid to this, a care Reform was opened before me in vision."s On fully documented D. E. Robinson book, The the other hand, Prophetess of Health, consistent Story of Our Health Message, published in 1943, with its thesis that she was a mere child of her but currently available in a paperback printing, times, claims that "by June of 1863 Seventh-day will be valuable. Adventists were already in possession of the In this review, we will attempt to present a main outlines of the health reform message. few illustrations giving support to these intro What they now needed ... was not additional ductory remarks. information, but a sign from God indicating his As one approaches the specific historical pleasure."6 We need to look quite carefully at events which the book discusses, it is important the relationship between Seventh-day Adventists 6 Spectrum and health reform prior to June of 1863, and The J. N. Andrews family offers an excellent particularly to those persons named as exam example of the incidental Adventist progress pIes-Joseph Bates, J. N. Loughborough, J. N. toward health reform in those early years. Mrs. Andrews and the Kellogg family. What are the Andrews' diary for the years 1859 through 1864 facts? opens with the announcement that the family In the fall of 1848, Mrs. White had her first had just butchered a pig. IO vision touching on health. Tobacco, tea and In the fall of 1862, the Andrews' little coffee were to be discarded. Early in 1854, she daughter, Mary, contracted whooping cough. received another vision pointing to the dangers The mother on several occasions wrapped the of rich and greasy foods and to the need for baby in wet sheets in an apparent attempt to simple cleanliness. Step by step, Adventists were reduce her fever. The local doctor was called in being led toward a more healthful way of living. two or three times and administered a hodge Throughout the 1850s and early 1860s, a few podge of poisons and herbal remedies. Among scattered Adventists began to adopt bits and these were ipecac, nitre and quinine, the latter pieces of the health regimens advocated by given as a "tonic."ll In her desperation, Mrs. various health reformers of the day. However, Andrews was willing to try anything. there was insufficient interest among Adventist J. N. Andrews pinpoints the time of his believers to lead to any general acceptance. family's adoption of health reform as nine Joseph Bates, of course, was the most months after Mrs. White's vision: "It was March thorough of Adventist health reformers prior to 1864, that myself and wife decided 'to adopt the 1863. However, Bates "did not mention his principles of health reform.,,12 The book Prophetess of Health offers the "It is important to note that reader none of the facts cited here which show that along with their first tentative groping for a in her statement Ellen White more healthful way of life, early Adventists con makes a clear distinction tinued to use therapy and indulge in practices which most health reformers of the day would between 'works,' by which have abhorred. Can the reader gain a true picture she obviously means 'books,' and of the state of Adventist knowledge and practice of health reform when relevant evidence con 'papers,' meaning, of course, cerning that knowledge and practice is omitted? periodicals or magazines." hat about Ellen White W herself? What can we views of proper diet in public at that time nor in be reasonably certain she knew about health private unless interrogated upon the subject.,,7 reform prior to the vision of June 6, 1863? The health ideas Loughborough adopted in She was herself the mother of four boys and 1848 were "vague," and when he developed could not have been oblivious to all matters "slight hemorrhages of the lungs," he was bearing on health. It is probable that Mrs. White "advised" to "smoke a pipe" for relief. He was aware of the five or six brief articles couldn't tolerate a pipe, so adopted cigars touching on health topics published in the instead!8 Review prior to her vision. We have some evi Loughborough did not consider himself to be dence that the Whites themselves observed a strict health reformer until after the vision certain elementary health practices prior to the given Mrs. White in 1863 and the publication of 1863 vision. her first writings on health. An article by James Caleb Jackson on diph The health program in the Kellogg family was theria appeared in the February 17, 1863, issue. also fragmentary. John Harvey Kellogg remem The Whites had found it in a rural newspaper bered how as a youngster one of his favorite and by following its instructions had success foods was oxtails richly browned, and how the fully nursed two of their children through the Kelloggs kept a keg of ale in their cellar for a disease. James White republished Jackson's sug "weak stomach.,,9 gestions with an editorial note stating that he Volume 8, Number 2 7

"had a good degree of confidence in his [J ack of them very brief, before her vision of June 6. son's] manner of treating diseases." 13 But her awareness of the full significance of But what could the Whites have learned from these things, and her practical knowledge of how the Jackson article? Its allusions to proper diet to apply them in the treatment of illness 'and dress are very brief. Jackson did mention remained quite vague. the importance of fresh air in the sickroom, at What is the significance of these facts? Do we least for the diphtheria patient. claim, as believers in the gift of prophecy, that it Jackson erroneously claimed in his article that is only through visions that God leads His diphtheria was not an infectious disease, but he people? By no means. Do we claim that Advent devoted most of the space to water treatments ists knew nothing about health prior to 1863? for the malady. Still, the Whites' understanding No. As early as 1866, J. H. Waggoner declared: of the value of these treatments must have been' We do not profess to be pioneers in the quite vague. In December 1863, when their general principles of the health reform. The Henry contracted pneumonia, they called a local facts on which this movement is based have physician. There is no evidence that they were been elaborated, in a great measure, by prepared to employ water treatmen,t or indeed reformers, physicians, and writers on physi did so. They stood helplessly by while their boy ology and hygiene, and so may be found scat died.14 Yet, Prophetess of Health pictures Mrs. tered through the land. But we do claim that White almost a year before this, beginning to by the method of God's choice it has been share her faith in hydrotherapy "with the fervor more clearly and powerfully unfolded, and is of a convert" (p. 47). Is it not strange that she thereby producing an effect which we could failed to use her supposed "system of medicine" not have looked for from any other means. 15 (ibid.) to save the life of her own son? "The method of God's choice" was a vision, A clear indication of the tentative nature of and the vision was important, Waggoner argues, the Whites' early knowledge of health reform is not merely because it offered information about the fact that when Willie contracted pneumonia health reform, but because it helped Adventists in the early months of 1864, they confined him sense the vital importance of adopting the prin to a closed, heated room until Mrs. White was ciples of health reform. instructed in a vision that "he needs air." This, Even though the health reform vision of 1863 in spite of the fact that a year earlier James did constitute a "sign from God indicating his White had written of the importance of fresh air pleasure," as stated in Prophetess of Health (p. and mentioned that he and his wife slept with 81), we cannot conclude that it was merely a their windows open summer and winter. This is confirmation of what Mrs. White already knew also in spite of the fact that Jackson .in his and practiced. She wrote of that experience: "I article on diphtheria had clearly and pointedly was astonished at the things shown me in vision. argued the value of "pure atmospheric air" both Many things came directly across my own as a curative and a great preventive. James White ideas. ,,16 at the time of the diphtheria experience had Rather than saying, as does the book, that by declared that he had a "good degree". of con the time of her vision Adventists were in posses fidence in Jackson's methods, but when it came sion of the "main outlines of the health reform down to the crisis with their own son's suffering message," it would be more correct to say that from pneumonia, they failed to generalize and some of them were in possession of some frag apply his advice. ments of health reform, even as they continued Why? Apparently their understanding of, or to ignore other principles of healthful1iving. The acceptance of, his ideas was anything but firm key word in this statement is "message." A mes and fixed. Only when instructed in a vision to sage is a coherent body of information with a do so did Mrs. White act to ventilate the sick purpose. Bits of scattered information, however room properly. This episode goes far toward correct in themselves, are not a message any supporting her claim that her light came from more than a jumble of printer's type is a logical the Lord, not from physicians. sequence of thought expressed on a printed In summary, it seems very likely that Mrs. page. White read a half dozen articles on health, most In Ellen White's vision of June 6, 1863, the 8 Spectrum bits of information, that is, the correct prin never laid claim to divine guidance or an infal ciples of healthful living, came together into a lible memory in recalling biographical events. message. It was by means of Ellen White's vision The point that needs to be emphasized is this: It that Adventists gained "a systematic and harmo is of little importance when James White nious body of hygienic truths" as J. H. Kellogg ordered the books, so long as Ellen White did later termed it. 17 not read them until after she had written out her account of her vision. Her main point is that she ery soon after the got her views from the Lord, not from physi V 1863 vision, as Mrs. CIans. White began to speak against drugs and flesh Prophetess of Health asserts that the chapter meats, and in favor of water, pure air and proper on "Health" in Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 4, "reads in diet, those who heard her often remarked: "You places like L. B. Coles" (p. 83). Now, Mrs. White speak very nearly the opinions taught in the freely acknowledges that sometime after pub Laws of Life, and other publications by Drs. lishing Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 4, and sketching out Trall, Jackson and others. Have you read that her six articles on "How to Live," she read the paper and those works?" "My reply," Mrs. works of other health reformers. Thus, her later White says, "was that I had not, neither should I employment of similar phraseology is an entirely read them till I had fully written out my views, different question from the alleged similarities lest it should be said that I had received my light between her Spiritual Gifts chapter and the upon the subject of health from physicians, and writings of L. B. Coles. In a footnote, Prophetess not from the Lord."ls of Health cites four brief passages from Ellen Prophetess of Health argues concerning this White's basic chapter on health in Spiritual Gifts statement that "in her anxiety to appear unin and lines them up in parallel columns with fluenced by any earthly agency ... Ellen White extracts from L. B. Coles' books (p. 232, 233). failed to mention certain pertinent facts" (p. How can these seeming similarities be explained? 84). The book points out that she ignored "her In the four brief passages which Prophetess of reading of Jackson's article on diphtheria" Health cites, in the case dealing with physicians (ibid.). and drugs, the statements are so remote from It is important to note that in her statement each other in their linguistic patterns that one Ellen White makes a clear distinction between strains to see any possible literary relationship. "works," by which she obviously means The other three passages all deal with tea, "books," and "papers," meaning, of course, coffee, or tobacco-subjects on which Ellen White periodicals or magazines. Indeed, she was had received visions as early as 1848 and about quizzed in the latter category only about the which the Review and Herald had been pub Laws of Life. Since she had not studied the lishing articles for years. It is plain, therefore, books written by contemporary health that Ellen White need not have read Coles to reformers nor did she know of the magazine have been well acquainted with these arguments Laws of Life at the time, she answered her ques years earlier. Mrs. White freely declares: tioners accordingly. In the flood of light pro After I had written my six articles for How vided by the vision, any fainter glimmers paled to Live, I then searched the various works on into insignificance in her mind. She did not list hygiene and was surprised to find them so in her response every health item the Review nearly in harmony with what the Lord had had published or that she may have read prior to revealed to me. And to show this harmony, the vision. She gave the message she received in and to set before my brethren and sisters the vision. She gave the messaage because she had subject as brought out by able writers, I deter received it in vision, and she had received it inde mined to publish How to Live, in which I pendently of other sources. This is the substance largely extracted from the works referred of her argument. to. 19 Prophetess of Health points out that Mrs. By this, Ellen White indicates that along with White was incorrect in regard to the exact time her own articles in each of the six numbers of when James White ordered health books from How to Live, published in 1865, there appeared Dansville (p. 84). We must remember that she selections from other writers on similar subjects. Volume 8, Number 2 9

Among the writers which she found to be "so ments afforded "a ready and forcible presen nearly in harmony with what the Lord had tation of the subject."21 revealed" to her were Horace Mann and Larkin B. Coles. All of the parallel passages are found in '-VTe now turn to a review the writings of one or the other of these two W of Prophetess of men. Some of the very passages from Coles and Health as a whole. In this review, we shall Mann that have been found to parallel passages mention a few positive contributions which the in Mrs. White's later writings (1868-1890) were book makes, then offer a further discussion of published by Mrs. White herself in her How to its weaknesses and shortcomings. There are Live pamphlets. These appeared as separate some praiseworthy aspects' to Prophetess of articles with the authors' names attached. It is Health. The book is written in a clear, readable not surprising that since Mrs. White found these style. men to be "so nearly in harmony" with what The third chapter of the book-on the Ameri the Lord had revealed to her she would occa can health reform movement-constitutes a sionally employ their language in later years thorough and illuminating treatment of that sub when writing on the same subjects. ~he question ject. of the ethics and legality of her procedure is It is also possible that the book will spark discussed in the critique referred to in a foot interest in Ellen White in scholarly circles out note at the. end of the article. side the church as well as lead Adventists to To summarize: In 1864, after she had pub study Ellen White's life and work and the lished her account of her June 6, 1863, vision, function of inspiration more carefully and more which Mrs. White declares she received not deeply. from men but God, in subsequent writings on In these areas, then-style, treatment of the health she did .. borrow phraseology from Mann health reform movement in chapter three, and as and Coles, both of whom she includes among a spur to further study-the book has merit. those health reformers whose views were "nearly What about its weaknesses, its shortcomings? in harmony" with what the Lord had revealed to The book promises to be as objective as possible. her. But let it be emphasized, according to all It sets out "neither to defend nor to damn but evidence found to date, these borrowings began simply to understand" (p. ix). Yet, the book has to appear in her writings only after the time she a tendency throughout to present conclusions freely acknowledges she read from these very and the evidence for such conclusions rather writers. than conflicting evidence and various alternative How do these facts relate to Mrs. White's interpretations. The conclusions presented in the claims about the source of her writings? Mrs. book are negative and consistently leave Ellen White has said, for instance: White in an embarrassing or unfavorable light. Although I am as dependent upon the We have already discussed one example of this Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am tendency when we dealt with health reform in receiving them, yet the words I employ in experiences of early Adventist pioneers. The describing what I have seen are my own, reader of Prophetess of Health sees the evidence unless they be those spoken to me by an for random Adventist adoption of health reform angel, which I always enclose in marks of quo practices, but not for their continuation of prac tation.20 tices inconsistent with health reform. What was Mrs. White's point? Her point was Another example of the omission of signifi that she had to find her own words to express cant evidence occurs in the book's discussion of the thoughts the Holy Spirit impressed upon her the circumstances of 1855 under which James mind. The Holy Spirit only rarely dictated the White was replaced by Uriah Smith as editor of very words she should use. In a few cases, the the Review. The book strongly implies that process of finding the best language to express J ames White was made a "scapegoat" for the truths the Spirit had revealed involved using the church's lack of progress in the early 1850s phraseology of other writers. Thus, for example, because he had shown a low regard for the Spirit when writing on historical topics the words of of Prophecy by failing to include the visions in historians were sometimes used when their state- the Review and, finally, because in 1855 he is 10 Spectrum

said to have "exploded" and wrote "angrily" (pp. and text, reveals that the criticisms were leveled 28, 29), "What has the Review to do with Mrs. against his handling of the financial affairs of the White's views? ... The Review for five years has office. not published one of them. ,,22 Ellen White, supposedly following the lead of Some important evidence is clearly omitted Graham and Fowler, is assumed to have held from the treatment of this sequence of events in unrealistic views which would limit sexual rela Prophetess of Health or else the evidence is mis tionships between husband and wife to a fre read. In any event, the book's reconstruction of quency of no more than once a month (pp. the episode is misleading. 157-159). Not a line is cited from Ellen White in J ames White prefaced his remarks by support of this contention, nor can such be including in that same October 16, 1855, issue found. Ellen White calls upon husbands and of the Review four other articles stressing the wives to avoid excesses, but writes tenderly of importance and perpetuity of spiritual gifts. the "privilege of the marriage relation. ,,26 It is These ringing affirmations of the place of the unfortunate that a book which is so largely foot prophetic gift in the church were followed by noted would make use of unsupported assump his article, "A Test," in which he took up the tions or frequently employ such terms as charge that "the Review and its conductors "doubtless," "ostensibly" and "probably" in its make the views of Mrs. White a test of doctrine interpretation of various events. and Christian fellowship." In 1851, Ellen White mentioned in a letter to The sequence of these events is of impor her friends, the Dodges, that "the visions trouble tance. In the August 7, 1855, Review, James many. They [know] not what to make of White asserted that he must be freed from the them.,,27 Prophetess of Health speculates on the responsibilities he had been bearing for the Review.23 In the September 4 issue, he removed "There seems to be an effort to his name from the editor's position on the mast belittle the efforts and action of head, leaving the space blank. In this same issue, he happily announced that the brethren in Ellen White. More importantly, Michigan were taking over the responsibilities of evidence becomes distorted the office and that it would be his "duty and privilege" to be free of the office.24 Finally, it because of the author's bias was not until the October 16, 1855 issue that on his subject, a bias that tends J ames White's article, "A Test," appeared in which, according to Prophetess of Health, he to unbalance the book." "exploded" and "angrily" asked: "What has the possible causes of this "dissatisfaction" over the Review to do with Mrs. White's views?,,25 It is visions. Two reasons are advanced: Mrs. White's clear, then, that his October 16 article could "changing stand" on the "shut door" and resent have nothing to do with his retirement from the ment over her "habit of publishing private testi editorial chair of the Review. monies revealing ... secret sins-and names" (p. To the book's credit, evidence contradictory 28). to the author's conclusions is occasionally Mrs. White's letter to the Dodges was written included in footnotes, but not in the case just before the publication of Ellen White's Christian mentioned. Experience and Views in which several of the "shut door" passages were omitted. The ques ere and there through tion is, therefore, how could anyone have yet H Prophetess of Health been puzzled over a "changed" position when unsupported assumptions are set forth. The the evidence suggestive of such a change had not "whining complaints" (p. 29) from individuals been produced? As for the second reason, it was writing "poisonous letters" referred to in the years later-in the late 1850s-that Ellen White Review and Herald of August 7, 1855 are published any testimonies containing even the assumed to relate to James White's position on initials of those to whom counsel was directed. the visions while the documentary source of the Often a condescending tone can be detected . phrase "whining complaints," both by context . throughout the book, and at times there seems to Volume 8, Number 2 11

be an effort to belittle the efforts and action of recognize that there were additions to the con Ellen White and her fellow believers. But more tent of her teaching through the years, and shifts importan tly, evidence becomes distorted in emphasis. We attribute this to the fact that because of the author's bias on his subject, a bias God was leading His people along, step by step, that tends to unbalance the book. Why, for as they accepted and lived up to the counsel. instance, is half a chapter devoted to the most Furthermore, as conditions in society changed minute details of Ellen White's efforts to encour so as to make some counsels more or less timely age dress reform and only a few sentences to her' than they had formerly been, emphasis changed. role in the establishment of health care facilities As Mrs. White herself said concerning the testi like Loma Linda University? Loma Linda is one monies, "nothing is ignored; nothing is cast of her most enduring and successful ventures, aside; but time and place must be con while dress reform, as Mrs. White said, was sidered." 30 "among the minor things that were to make up y now some readers the great reform in health."28 Bmay be thinking: This bias is again shown in the book's "True enough, Prophetess of Health does emphasis on the distasteful, problematic, contro distort, but haven't some Adventist writers been versial and negative. Ellen White's rebuke of th~ guilty of distortion in their efforts to create a amusements at the Western Health Reform Insti favorable image of Ellen White? Haven't they tute is reported, but not her positive counsel on too sometimes shied away from introducing con recreation given during this same period in a dis tradictory and qualifying evidence? Haven't cussion of the same issues. they, in their zeal to extol and praise her, often There is one point where the author not only oversimplified and overgeneralized?" misread completely the evidence, but also This is a tendency that cannot be denied. We engages in some speculation for which it is dif could offer extenuations for this tendency, but ficult to see any basis at all. It is claimed that our effort should be constantly to improve the Mrs. White vetoed a chance to obtain the manu quality of our writing, not merely to defend or facturing rights to Corn Flakes and that this explain what has already been done. We need to decision cost the church a fortune. take an approach which will allow us candor In 1907, after the Battle Creek Toasted Corn without condescension, affirmation without dis Flake Company was incorporated and was no tortion. longer a denominational enterprise, Dr. J. H. Seen in this light, this book is not so much a Kellogg and his brother, will offered the success threat as it is a disappointment. One could have ful managers of the Sanitarium Health Food hoped that such a book, drawing on a wide array Company at St. Helena, California, the chance of sources, would have produced a multi to buy the West Coast rights to manufacture dimensional portrait that would enable us better Corn Flakes. The offer was made, however, to to understand Ellen White's role as a "proph the men themselves as private businessmen, not etess of health." Instead, we are left wonder to the denomination's food company at St. ing how anyone so unoriginal, contradictory Helena. Indeed, the offer was extended on the and vacillating as the book pictures Ellen White specific and firm condition that it would not be to have been could possibly have inspired the a denominational enterprise or in any way con confidence she inspired, or met with the success nected with the denomination. Correspondence she enjoyed. The attenuated image of Ellen at the time makes these conditions very White that emerges from the pages of this book plain. 29 So Mrs. White could not have vetoed a has no reality in the history of the church. chance for the denomination to acquire the Finally, this book fails to account for Mrs. rights to Corn Flakes because such a: chance was White's successes as a health reformer and as a never offered. founder of the church's medical work. If this Mention has been made of the thrust of the portrait of Ellen White is to be credited, then book. The point that Ellen White was a child of the success of the medical work Ellen White her times has been discussed. The second point founded and guided can only be attributed to is that there was a progression and change in the gullibility of those who have believed in her. Ellen White's counsels over a period of time. We And yet, the demonstrably better health that 12 Spectrum

those followers enjoy today testifies to some did use the language and many of the concepts thing other than their gullibility. of her times. But she did more than that, much Ellen White's counsel has changed the smok more. In the end, the reader of Prophetess of ing, drinking and eating habits of several million Health has the feeling that although the author people, and changed them every day. Ellen tried neither to defend nor to damn, but to White's influence, rooted in valid Christian understand, he had not understood nor has he experience, is doing daily what the combined helped us to understand. influence of almost the entire modern medical While it is not our duty to pass judgment on establishment is unable to do-it is changing individuals or to impugn their motives and integ people's health habits and saving people's lives. rity, it is our duty to stand in defense of truth Why did people follow Ellen White? Why did and to remind the readers of Ellen White's pre people believe in her? How is it that she was so diction that "the very last deception of Satan successful? will be to make of none effect the testimony of True, her remarkable success is not, in and of the Spirit of God. 'Where there is no vision, the itself, an evidence of providential guidance. people perish' (Proverbs 29:18)."31 Can it be After all, other American religious leaders, some doubted that the enemy of souls will use such a of whom claimed direct divine inspiration, have book to accomplish this very work? "Satan will been successful. But the fruits of a prophet's work ingeniously," the servant of the Lord tells labors should be one evidence of divine guid us, "to unsettle the confidence of God's rem ance. And, even in a purely historical sense a nant people in the true testimony.,,31 For what book that really portrayed the true image of ever purpose the author may have intended that Ellen White, a book that really attempts to the book should serve, it will no doubt be used "understand" her, would need to explain the by some to undermine confidence in the work historical dynamics of her success-something of Ellen White. which Prophetess of Health fails to do. This book must nevertheless be taken as an The book has demonstrated that the task of opportunity to increase our understanding of establishing Adventist health work was more dif our history and our ability to deal with such ficult and controversial than some have believed. challenges with appropriate skill, firmness, Prophetess of Health has shown that Ellen White equanimity and knowledge.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Goerge I. Butler, "The Visions, How They Are Held (Battle Creek, Mich.: Steam Press of the Seventh-day by S. D. Adventists" Advent Review and Sabbath Adventist Publishing Association, 1878), p. 311. Editor's Herald, vol. 60 (Aug. 14, 1883) pp. 11, 12. Hereinafter comment. abbreviated Review and Herald. 8. J. N. Loughborough, "Waymarks in the History of 2. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy Between the Health Reform Movement," The Medical Missionary, Christ and Satan (Mountain View, California: Pacific vol. 10, p. 7, Dec., 1897. Hereinafter abbreviated Press Publishing Association, 1939), p. 527. Hereinafter Medical Missionary. abbreviated Great Controversy. 9. John Harvey Kellogg, autobiographical memoir, Oct. 3. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Moun 21, 1938, and "My Search for Health," Ms. Jan. 16, tain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Associ 1942. GHK Papers, Michigan Historical Collections, ation, 1948), Vol. 5, p. 675. Hereinafter abbreviated Michigan State University); also "The Significance of Testimonies. Our Work," Medical Missionary, 14: 82, March, 1905. 4. For a helpful discussion of inspiration, see the chap 10. Angeline Andrews, diary, entry for Oct. 25, 1859, p. ter "Toward a Factual Concept of Inspiration" in Arthur 1. (Heritage Room, Vernier Radcliffe Memorial Library, L. White's The Ellen G. White Writings, (Washington, Lorna Linda University, Lorna Linda, California): Xerox D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1973), of this diary available at the Ellen G. White Estate, pp. 13-48. Washington, D.C. 5. Ellen G. White, "Questions and Answers," Review 11. Ibid., Aug. 17, 1862, p. 58. and Herald, vol. 30 (Oct. 8, 1867), p. 260. 12. J. N. Andrews, "My Experience in Health Reform 6. Ronald L. Numbers, Prophetess of Health: A Study No.3," The Health Reformer, 7:44, Feb., 1872. Herein of Ellen C. White (New York: Harper & Row, Pub after abbreviated Health Reformer. lishers, 1976), pp. 80, 81. Hereinafter citations will be 13. [James White]: Review and Herald, 21:[89]. Feb. referred to by page number in the text rather than by 17, 1863. Editor's note prefacing the article by James C. footnote. Jackson, "Diphtheria, Its Causes, Treatment and Cure." 7. [Joseph Bates] , The Early Life and Later Experience 14. Adelia P. Patten "Brief Narrative of the Life ... of and Labors of Elder] oseph Bates, James White, ed. Henry N. White," in [James White, ed.?]. An Appeal to Volume 8, Number 2 13 the Youth (Battle Creek, Mich.: Steam Press of the 28. Ellen G. White, "Questions and Answers," Review Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1864), pp. and Herald, 30:261, Oct. 8, 1867. 24-31. 29. W. C. White letter to A. G. Daniells, dated Septem 15. J. H. Waggoner, "Present Truth," Review and ber 20, 1906. (Ellen G. White Estate, Washington, D.C.) Herald, 28:77, Aug.7, 1866. (Emphasis supplied.) 30. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, 16. Ellen G. White, Ms 7,1867. D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958), 17. [John Harvey Kellogg], "Preface" to Ellen G. White book 1, p. 57. and James White Christian Temperance and Bible 31. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 48. Hygiene (Battle Creek, Mich.: Good Health Publishing 32. Ibid. Co., 1890), p. iii. Hereafter abbreviated Christian Tem perance. Note: This review is a condensation of a 24-page 18. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 30:260, Oct. 8, double-column doct;)ment titled, "A Discussion and 1867. Review of Prophetess of Health," available on request 19. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 30:260, Oct. 8, from the Ellen G. White Estate, 6840 Eastern Ave., NW, 1867. Washington, D.C. 20012. 20. Ibid. A more lengthy chapter-by-chapter critique may be 21. Ellen G. White, Great Controversy, p. xii. For a full obtained on request for $4.00-the cost of duplicating discussion of the use Mrs. White made of the writings of and mailing. In this critique a more detailed analysis as others and the charge of plagiarism, see Francis D. well as much additional documentation will be found. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics (Washington, D.C.: Items dealt with in the full critique include: Ellen Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952), pp. White's brush with phrenology, her own practice in the 403-467. area of diet, her teachings on dress, her discussion of 22. J[ames] W[hite], "A Test," Review and Herald, masturbation, Mrs. White's visions, the evaluation of the 8:61, Oct. 16, 1855. hostile witnesses, etc., and a host of missing exhibits. 23.J[ames] W[hite], "The Cause," ibid., 7:20, Aug. 7, Copies may be secured at the White Estate offices in 1851. Washington, D.C., or Berrien Springs, Michigan, or at the 24. [James White], "The Office," ibid., 7:36, Sept. 4, Ellen G. White-SDA Research Centers at Lorna Linda 1855. University, California; Newbold College, England; or 25. J[ ames] W[hite 1, ibid., 8:61, Oct. 16, 1855. Avondale College, Australia. Mail orders in the United 26. Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 380. States should be directed to the Ellen G. White Estate, 27. Ellen G. White letter to "Brother and Sister Dodge," General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 6840 July 21, 1851. (D-4-1851, Ellen G. White Estate.) Eastern Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20012. ill Ellen White'S Emctional Life Review by Fawn M. Brodie

llen G. White is de known little about the Seventh-day Adventist Escribed in Ronald L. Church to learn that it was indeed this tiny, Numbers' new biography as one of the four 19th energetic, resourceful mystic who rescued the century founders of a major American religious Adventist movement-after the staggering disap sect, the others being Joseph Smith (Mormon pointments of 1844 when Jesus failed to come ism), Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science), and as Miller had promised-and welded the scat Charles Taze Russell (Jehovah's Witnesses). But tered fragments into a vital religiomedical organi it is William Miller who is accorded the role of ization which still uses her "revelations" as fun founder of the Adventist movement in the damental doctrine. Encyclopedia Britannica; Mrs. White is not men Professor Numbers, historian at the Univer tioned at all. It will come as a surprise to readers sity of Wisconsin, began his research for this of Professor Numbers' biography who have biography at Lorna Linda University. He is an Adventist. He writes, however, not as a hagiog Fawn M. Brodie teaches history at the University of rapher but as a professional intent on a dis California at Los Angeles. Among her books are Thomas passionate examination of the sources of Ellen Jefferson: An Intimate History, and a biography of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith entitled No Man Knows White's ideas. "This, is, I believe," he writes, My History. "the first book about her that seeks neither to Volume 8, Number 2 13 the Youth (Battle Creek, Mich.: Steam Press of the 28. Ellen G. White, "Questions and Answers," Review Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1864), pp. and Herald, 30:261, Oct. 8, 1867. 24-31. 29. W. C. White letter to A. G. Daniells, dated Septem 15. J. H. Waggoner, "Present Truth," Review and ber 20, 1906. (Ellen G. White Estate, Washington, D.C.) Herald, 28:77, Aug.7, 1866. (Emphasis supplied.) 30. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, 16. Ellen G. White, Ms 7,1867. D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958), 17. [John Harvey Kellogg], "Preface" to Ellen G. White book 1, p. 57. and James White Christian Temperance and Bible 31. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 48. Hygiene (Battle Creek, Mich.: Good Health Publishing 32. Ibid. Co., 1890), p. iii. Hereafter abbreviated Christian Tem perance. Note: This review is a condensation of a 24-page 18. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 30:260, Oct. 8, double-column doct;)ment titled, "A Discussion and 1867. Review of Prophetess of Health," available on request 19. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 30:260, Oct. 8, from the Ellen G. White Estate, 6840 Eastern Ave., NW, 1867. Washington, D.C. 20012. 20. Ibid. A more lengthy chapter-by-chapter critique may be 21. Ellen G. White, Great Controversy, p. xii. For a full obtained on request for $4.00-the cost of duplicating discussion of the use Mrs. White made of the writings of and mailing. In this critique a more detailed analysis as others and the charge of plagiarism, see Francis D. well as much additional documentation will be found. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics (Washington, D.C.: Items dealt with in the full critique include: Ellen Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952), pp. White's brush with phrenology, her own practice in the 403-467. area of diet, her teachings on dress, her discussion of 22. J[ames] W[hite], "A Test," Review and Herald, masturbation, Mrs. White's visions, the evaluation of the 8:61, Oct. 16, 1855. hostile witnesses, etc., and a host of missing exhibits. 23.J[ames] W[hite], "The Cause," ibid., 7:20, Aug. 7, Copies may be secured at the White Estate offices in 1851. Washington, D.C., or Berrien Springs, Michigan, or at the 24. [James White], "The Office," ibid., 7:36, Sept. 4, Ellen G. White-SDA Research Centers at Lorna Linda 1855. University, California; Newbold College, England; or 25. J[ ames] W[hite 1, ibid., 8:61, Oct. 16, 1855. Avondale College, Australia. Mail orders in the United 26. Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 380. States should be directed to the Ellen G. White Estate, 27. Ellen G. White letter to "Brother and Sister Dodge," General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 6840 July 21, 1851. (D-4-1851, Ellen G. White Estate.) Eastern Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20012. ill Ellen White'S Emctional Life Review by Fawn M. Brodie

defend nor to damn but simply to understand." pnsmg that the sexual revolution of our own (p. xi). His book fills a gap in the history of time has coincided with the virtual disappear American women as well as American religion. It ance of "hysteria" from our clinics and hospi is excellent, meticulously documented social tals. But Ellen G. White was no simple hysteric. history, and the author is an expert intellectual The evolution of her fainting spells into the detective. complicated religious trance, followed by "reve Ellen G. White, like the Mormon prophet lations" from God or angels, is the most crucial Joseph Smith, was an eclectic. Both leaders drew development in her life. With great deftness, Pro from multiple sources the ideas they incorpo fessor Numbers suggests the importance of rated in their "revelations." Mrs. White was models in determining the nature of this evolu indebted chiefly to the health reformers of her tion. There was first the Reverend Samuel E. time, James C. Jackson, William Alcott, Brown, whom she saw turn "porcelain white" Sylvester Graham and L. B. Coles. Devout and fall from his chair, later recovering to give a believers in the divine origin of her ideas will be testimony with his face "shining with light from disturbed to see the evidence in this volume of the Sun of Righteousness" (p. 12). Later, there how closely some of her revelations parallel were William Foy and Hazen Foss, the latter her paragraphs in Coles', Philosophy of Health sister's brother-in-law. Ellen White's trances (1853), a book she knew intimately. But there became ever more stylized and dramatic; her is no malice in Numbers' exposure of her plagia heartbeat slowed and her respiration became rism. He writes with great respect for the imperceptible. Hers were not epileptic seizures, Adventist movement and for the extraordinary as some have suggested, which always result in little lady who was responsible for its consoli amnesia. Though the author does not say so dation and expansion. directly, they were clearly related to self The author deliberately avoids "extended hypnosis, a phenomenon far better understood analyses of her mental health and psychic today than in the midnineteenth century, when abilities." (p. xii), leaving a psychobiographical "mesmerism" was a fad all over America. The examination of her life to future writers. The fact that many of her ailments-hand tremors, material he provides as background for any clini partial paralysis, difficulties with speech cal study is, nevertheless, rich and provocative. disappeared after specific trances serves to under An identical twin, Ellen Harmon was disfigured line the psychogenic nature of much of her as a child when struck in the face by a rock. The chronic ill health. inciden t had incalculable consequences disturbed ViSIOn, hand tremors, dizziness, here are many resem anxiety, to say nothing of the traumatic realiza T blances between Ellen tion that she must through the remainder of her G. White and Mary Baker Eddy. Both were life see in the face of her twin sister the beauty semi-invalids as children; both found mother she had lost. As a convert to Millerism in 1842, hood difficult and temporarily abandoned their she followed the classic adolescent conversion own infants; both found extraordinary reserves patterns-hours of praying resulting in vivid reli- _ of energy for speaking and for religious orga gious dreams-but with special intensity. Impor nization. But where Mrs. Eddy ceased being ill tantly, it was her mother who attributed Ellen's upon reaching maturity, Mrs. White was racked initial "fainting spell," when she tried to pray in by sickness all her life. Illness followed by mirac public for the first time, to "the wondrous ulous cure became an essential, repetitive pat power of God." Thus, the crippled child was tern. The worst of her nervous collapses, like supported in her pathology and signaled out for those of her husband, suggest that her virtual greatness. renunciation of sexuality, her spasmodic ascet Fainting fits, especially among women, were icism, her pathological anxiety over mastur commonplace in the nineteenth century. The bation-which she said would bring crippling, relation between such fits and hysteria, and their deformity and insanity-contributed to her connection with sexual inhibition, were to be illnesses rather than alleviating them. In any demonstrated brilliantly in the writings and clin case, there seems to have been a circle of rein ical discoveries of Sigmund Freud. It is not sur- forcement. Volume 8, Number 2 15

There were obviously excellent aspects to her required for their own self-healing, or else suf health reform program. At a time when doctors ficient temporary surcease from clinical symp regularly killed patients with their bleeding, toms to insure their fidelity to the Adventist purging and quack medicines, Ellen White, like cause. many other health reformers, did a public ser To many readers, the pathology in Ellen vice by persuading people to abandon all drugs, White will be apparent without further elucida take regular baths, give up alcohol, tobacco and tion. But Professor Numbers never labels her as a fatty diet. Her water cure was not original, but either pathological or as self-deluded. He is con was adapted, like her vegetarianism, from pop tent to describe her, and to give us the back ular practices of her time. ground of frenetic health reform which provided Hydropathy, diet reform and temperance are her with nurture as important as that of her sup not, however, substitutes for a healthy sex life. porting mother. We do see her at her most Her personal inhibitions, her dislike of "sexual absurd-when she attacks the long skirts "sweep excess" in marriage, common enough among ing up the filth of the streets" as "devised by women of her own day, unfortunately had a per Satan," and when she warns that anyone wear nicious influence on her writings., In seeking ing hairpieces risks "horrible disease and pre solutions to her private illnesses and psychic mature death" (pp. 146, 148). But we also see a conflicts, she used the device of "the revela compulsively dedicated woman with formidable tion," thus generalizing from herself to man administrative skills and a sense of mission that kind. The fact that the whole process was an brought remarkable consequences. When one unconscious one, and that she was genuinely reads about her success in starting a worldwide self-deluded, did not prevent solutions which system of medical missions and hospitals, and were not solutions at all from being formalized the continuing services performed by the and solidified into dogma. Her followers, also Adventist groups, one is astonished again that it seeking solutions for their own ailments or took so long for Ellen G. White to be written unhappiness, found either the necessary faith about by an able and dispassionate biographer. IV. The State of A Churcns Soul

Review by Ernest R. Sandeen

onald L. Numbers' bio bias. His is a mature work of great value outside R graphical essay is at Adventist circles. the same time a valuable work of social history, All of the elements which constituted Ellen a moving personal document and a report on White's historical environment have been famil the state of one American denomination's soul. iar to historians of that epoch-millenarian As a historian of American social and religious expectations, health reform faddism, Graham history, I have appreciated this chance to share diet, sexual theories, water cures, even direct in another historian's discoveries. Ronald Num visions and revelations. It is fascinating, how bers' account of Ellen White conforms to the ever, to see how each of these elements com highest canons of historical craftmanship, and bined in Mrs. White's own history and how she his narrative seems free of special pleading or reacted to them. Numbers does violence neither to Mrs. White or to the general forces at work in the midnineteenth century, but allows us to see Ernest R. Sandeen teaches at Macalester College in St. Ellen White's own completely individual and Paul, Minnesota. He is considered the foremost historian of American Fundamentalism and has written, among idiosyncratic reaction to these forces without other works, The Roots of Fundamentalism. depicting her as a puppet or the events as a card- 16 Spectrum board background. If the Marxist historian has He feels strongly about the importance of his tended to fall victim to the first kind of histor subject, as every good historian must. But he has ical error (materialistic determinism), the Chris not accepted tradition or someone else's word tian historian, especially the historian of denom concerning the career and teachings of this inational leaders, has often allowed himself to amazing woman. He has discovered things that portray his subject in such heroic proportions appear to shock and surprise him, but he has had that historical conditions appear to possess only the courage to state them clearly. superficial relevance and play no real role in con The question, then, is passed on to the pres trolling or conditioning the person. ent-day followers of Ellen G. White. What will How can the historically conditioned also be the Seventh-day Adventists do with this account divine truth? This is obviously the point at of their nineteenth-century leader? Time has which the historian provokes a response from reported. the existence of an official response, a the believer. When the historian and the believer kind of rebuttal to Numbers' volume. This is an are the same person, the writing of a book can understandable reaction, of course, but not one become an enterprise fraught with tension and, which I find characteristic of Adventist history occasionally, agony. or of the Adventists whom I have known. One must be an obtuse reader, indeed, not to Numbers, in the last pages of his work, com see this tension and even feel this agony in the pared Ellen White with Mary Baker Eddy. The pages of Numbers' book. As Van Harvey has similarities are striking, but Numbers was quite argued, the historian and the believer can seldom right in emphasizing the differences-in the two inhabit the same skin in tranquillity and har women and in the denominations which they mony; the believer's traditional response is trust led. The Christian Scientists, since Mrs. Eddy's while· the historian's is skepticism. One often death, have labored unswervingly to protect Mrs. regrets the passing of those days (whether Eddy from historical scrutiny and preserve -her medieval or infantile) when trust alone was suf solely as an object of belief. This has had the ficient, but we would be denying our own his effect of creating a series of violently partisan torical present, ironically enough, if we were to views of Mrs. Eddy and has ultimately done attempt to escape this dilemma. Whatever the great harm not only to the cause of historical personal pain it produces in th.e historian, it does scholarship but also, in my judgment, to the produce good historical scholarship. It almost influence of the denomination. Numbers' biog seems like a historiographical law that the best raphy of Ellen G. White has helped the Advent scholarship is produced by the skeptical believer. ists avoid this trap. He has given Adventists the That Numbers cares deeply about the history of freedom to struggle with the real problem-what Ellen G. White is apparent on almost every page. is the truth today for us? v. On Writing and Reading rEstoty

Review by Richard Schwarz

t is sometimes dis that one or the other of the historians in con I turbing to the average flict is ignorant, dishonest or both. In actuality, reader to find that writers of history often differ he may b,e neither. widely in their portrayal of the same series of The lay reader's misconceptions arise largely past events. Such readers may quickly assume from a misunderstanding in two basic areas: 1) the nature of historical facts and 2) the methods Richard Schwarz, chairman of the history and politi used in putting these facts together. Sadly, too cal science department at Andrews University, wrote John Harvey Kellogg, M.D., and is working on a text often we historians have been guilty of contribu book of Seventh-day Adventist denominational history. ting to our reader's misunderstanding, instead of Volume 8, Number 2 17 seeking to allay it. In part this is because, as with physical view of the play in question, his pre other professionals, historians largely tend to dilection for one team over another, his under write for each other. Realizing that his peers standing of the rules of baseball, etc. The sports have been exposed to roughly the same method his t orian, faced with several conflicting ology as he has, the historian will trust his fel accounts, will probably accept the one that best lows to understand him-to know when he is fits his own understanding of baseball, the value generalizing, making value judgments or over of the various reporters as witnesses, etc. stating a point in order to secure a desired The point I am trying to make is that many effect. But, alas, most readers of an historical "facts" are facts only in the mind of the treatise, especially one done in a popular style, observer. To someone else, they may appear in may not recognize these literary techniques, an entirely different light. It is possible to employed by an author to make as strong a case assemble these "facts" in a number of different as possible for the viewpoint he is propounding. ways according to the pattern in the mind of the Almost all history today is written from a narrator. To illustrate, a child may use the same particular viewpoint or thesis. Gone are the days blocks to build a tower, a house or a wall. But of the nineteenth century historian .who sought the blocks which he puts together to form a to write a simple narrative history according to house may appear to be a prison stockade to Leopold von Ranke's famous injunction to someone else. "write history as it actually happened." The move toward "thesis" history was itself the ll this is by way of result of several factors. First, was a realization A background to. try to that, for all their pretensions to objectivity, the explain why Dr. Ronald Numbers and I, using great narrative historians like Ranke and Park essentially the same facts, can come. up with man really could not escape arranging and inter very different viewpoints on the development of preting the facts with which they worked Ellen G. White as a health reformer. We both according to their own preconceptions and value agree that she wrote extensively on the subject systems. Since this was the case, many modern of healthful living, that her writings were the historians argue that it is better to let the reader dominant cause of Seventh-day Adventists' know at the start the assumptions and point of incorporating a gospel of health into their teach view from which they write. Second, many his ings, that she advocated simple natural remedies, torians believe that by writing their account to and that her particular emphasis varied from bolster a particular thesis, they are stimulating time to time. discussion, further investigation and the reflec We disagree as to the source of her inspiration tion necessary to more closely approach Ranke's (secular or divine), the quality and truthfulness goal of "seeing things as they have actually of some of the witnesses who provide "facts" to happened." use in reconstructing certain events and the Historians work with many kinds of "facts." interpretations to be placed on many of these Some are easily verified because they were events. By stating this, I do not mean for one widely observed and carefully recorded. All his moment to imply that Dr. Numbers is dishonest. torians would probably agree that Cincinnati He, in fact, states frankly in the preface of his defeated Boston in the 1975 World Series. There book that he has "refrained from using divine are many other easily verifiable facts in this par inspiration as an historical explanation." From ticular instance-the scores of the series games, this, I think, we may deduce that he feels that it who pitched in each game, etc. is both possible and preferable to explain Ellen Soon, however, we come to things that are White's views and visions on matters of health as more debatable. How many errors were there in the result of natural or human causes. a particular game, for instance? The number of While I would agree that it is possible to errors recorded by the official scorers can be arrange a selection of the facts to arrive at this easily ascertained. It is a fact that they scored x viewpoint, I would argue that a consideration of number of plays as errors in the third game, let the entire life, work and writings of Mrs. White us say. But were all of these actually errors? This makes the supernatural explanation more satis may depend on many things-the observer's fying to me. I will, then, consider that the way I 18 Spectrum see things more nearly approximates the "truth" she supplied information at a particularly or things "as they actually happened." This I do apropos or crucial time when she could hardly frankly admitting that since historians and have known through human means how crucial natural scientists use vastly different data, it can the situation was. (There are numerous testimo not be proven with scientific precision that the nials to such cases.) In such circumstances, it supernatural forces of good and evil have oper seems reasonable to me to conclude that her ated as I think the evidence suggests. information was supernaturally received. I t seems vital to me that readers of Dr. Num It is even possible to speculate that Lewis, bers' book constantly bear in mind the view Coles and Mann may have received supernatural point from which he is writing-one of natural enlightenment-not necessarily in visions, but istic explanation alone. Readers should also through that elusive means called "insight." understand that in trying to prove the "notice Thus, Coles and White might have had a com able" influence of men like Horace Mann, Dio mon source for their beliefs-although receiving Lewis and L. B. Coles on Ellen White's ideas, Dr. their inspiration in different ways. And even if Numbers is trying to do one of the most dif we concede that Dr. Numbers has proven that ficult things facing an historian. Long ago, Louis Mrs. White "borrowed" organization, ideas, or Gottschalk pointed out that similar ideas held language from Coles, have we proven that this by different individuals "may be due to other could not have been Inspiration's way of bring factors than the direct shaping of the later man's ing this material to her? ideas by the earlier man's." Among other things, There are a number of other points on which I differ with Dr. Numbers. I have little confi "It seems vital to me that readers dence in some of the "facts" he derives from certain witnesses. Although recognizing that H. of Dr. Numbers' book constantly E. Carver, D. M. Canright, Frank Belden, and M. bear in mind the viewpoint G. and John Harvey Kellogg are hostile wit nesses, Numbers places more faith in many of from which he is writing-one of their assertions than I would. Strangely, he naturalistic explanation alone." appears to give little weight to the many favor able comments of Canright and the two Kelloggs made during the period before they became dis Gottschalk suggests that both may have been enchanted and bitter toward Ellen White. The influenced "by an independent third person" or evaluation of Mrs. White's visions that Numbers that it "may be due to similar cultural and intel uses of M. G. Kellogg, for instance, comes from lectual atmospheres." 1 Kellogg's old age-at a time when he was finan Gottschalk goes so far as to argue that to cially dependent upon J. H. Kellogg, who was prove an influence "it is necessary to show that then in a bitter dispute with Adventist leaders the similar ideas thus dressed up would not have over the source of some of Mrs. White's visions. I been born in the mind of the later thinker or think it reasonable to suspect that M. G. would have had a different form or emphasis if Kellogg, perhaps approaching senility at this they had not been generated or modified time, was more anxious to be sure of his directly or indirectly by the supposed source." brother's favor (no sustentation in those days!) "Such a demonstration," he continues, "involves than to be in complete historical objectivity. speculation upon how things might have hap Incidentally, he, too, had had his toes stepped on pened if they had not in fact happened as they by Ellen White in the past. seem to have.,,2 (Emphasis mine.) Thus, while it is permissible for Numbers to s another example, argue Ellen White's debt to Mann, Lewis and ANumbers cites J. H. Coles, it is just as permissible (and I think as Kellogg as the source for stating that by 1900 intellectually respectable) to argue otherwise. In vegetarianism was more the exception than the some instances during her lifetime, it appears rule among Adventists. This may be so. Yet that Mrs. White gave information available to her Kellogg was hardly a disinterested observer. from no known source; on other occasions that Anyone reading his correspondence, or talking Volume 8, Number 2 19

to those who knew him, can readily realize that did not accept the October 22 date until late Kellogg had a virtual "phobia" on this point. September or early October 1844. Yet, the bulk Never known to understate things, but rather for of the rank and file had done so by late August. his repeated tendency to exaggerate, it seems Clearly, he has utilized literary hyperbole to just as plausible to me that the good doctor was make a point. Having done this, would it be too exaggerating in this instance. Other instances of far-fetched to ask him to accept Ellen White's what I consider to be "poor" witnesses by Dr. righ t to do the same in denying her health teach Numbers could be cited. ings were derived from others. I think not. I hasten to add, however, that Dr. Numbers undoubtedly has reasons for believing the wit aving pointed out areas nesses he cites-for him to do otherwise would Hwhere I disagree with be dishonest, and I feel that I know him too well Dr. Numbers' interpretations, it is only fair also to entertain for a moment the idea that he to indicate contributions I feel his book makes would cite a witness for dishonest purposes. It is to our knowledge of Ellen White and Seventh just that on the basis of our different back day Adventist history. Although we have pre grounds, religious presuppositions, ,study, etc., viously been aware of Mrs. White's change of we evaluate these men's testimony differently. It views regarding the use of swine's flesh and the is a fact that they said what they did, but not proper time to begin observance of the Sabbath, necessarily that what they said was true. Dr. Numbers shows a considerable shift in her There are other areas in which I disagree with attitude toward prayer for th~ sick. He demon Dr. Numbers. To mention them all would weary strates that .Mrs. White's early strong condem the reader, but perhaps several other samples nation of consulting physicians was abandoned will be useful. I believe, on occasion, Numbers quite early. One gathers that in later years she generalizes beyond what his facts warrant. One would probably have regarded her earlier call to case in point is his statement that the Millerite rely on prayer alone as bordering on the fanat movement caused some cases of insanity. This' ical. again may be true, but given the level of diagno Allied to this point is Numbers' emphasis on sis, the type of records and the complexity of Ellen White's maturation as a reformer, some deciding what causes irrational behavior, I would thing I think many Adventists have not always prefer a more cautious and qualified statement. noted. It would seem that her later writings, There are other instances of this. Was "poor such as Ministry of Healing, written to give a health" really the "one constant" during Ellen unified picture of her health views, may be the White's early difficult years? I suspect there most authoritative work to consult in this area. were others. Can we on the evidence we have say I am happy that Numbers has rescued L. B. with assurance that other early SDA leaders Coles from obscurity and has pointed out the "undoubtedly" spoke to James and Ellen White contributions of men like Dio Lewis and Horace of their "enthusiasm for health reform." Can we Mann to the health reform crusade. Adventists be certain that James Caleb Jackson was the have long known of Sylvester Graham, R. T. inspiration for Ellen White's moderate attitude Trall and James Caleb Jackson, but Coles in toward the use of salt? particular has been virtually ignored for almost a There are times, too, when Dr. Numbers exag century. Ellen White evidently valued his work gerates to make a point. We might class this as highly. He deserves recognition. literary hyperbole-overstatement in an attempt It seems to me that Dr. Numbers has tended to call attention to a condition generally true, to make Mrs. White more human through by ignoring minor contradictory data. For emphasizing her faulty memory in details, such instance-Dr. Numbers in referring to the Miller as the exact time when James first had contact ite movement, specifically the Midnight Cry with Dr. Jackson and his works. The same is true movement, states that by mid-August 1844,"all as we learn of her apparently passing interest in hopes" were fixed on October 22. It would be phrenology. Too often, perhaps, Adventists have more accurate, but less forceful, to say most made Ellen White out to be a plastic saint, who hopes. Numbers knows, of course, that key looks too unlike us to be real. I find the fact Millerite leaders like Himes and Miller himself that she had some difficulty in becoming a vege- 20 Spectrum tarian, even when she was certain God had indi may have disturbed the reader. A little hard cated such a diet as the "best" one, comforting. thinking as to alternative explanations to those It helps me relate to my own struggles to follow suggested or implied by Numbers may result in truths that cut across human inclinations, just as helpful new insights. Such has been my own I am comforted to know that the apostle Peter expenence. was not always consistent in following definite One final word-What will be the impact of instruction from the Lord-yet was not aban Dr. Numbers' portrayal of Ellen White as a doned because of his human weaknesses. health reformer? It would be presumptuous to In uncovering the paucity of H. S. Lay's medi prognosticate. Some will undoubtedly conclude cal preparation, Numbers throws new light that she was a "pious fraud." Others will con (although he does not make a point of it) on clude that Dr. Numbers is maliciously dishonest. why the Whites may have been unwilling to see a I believe neither. My own hope, and prayer, is rapid development of the Western Health that the reader of Dr. Numbers' elaborately Reform Institute in 1867, when Lay w:as at its researched and skillfully written study will be led head. By showing Uriah Smith's efforts to hurry to consider at least several things more carefully: Mrs. White into recommending the Institute's 1) What was the entire impact of Ellen White's early expansion, Numbers gives a graphic work? 2) What are my reasoned views for accept example of a rather common trait in Adventist ing or rejecting her supernatural inspiration? 3) circles-attempting to secure Ellen White's sup Just what is the role of prophets-are they some port for a cherished viewpoint. By showing her how so controlled by God as to lose their human yielding to pressure and later acknowledging this characteristics? 4) How does inspiration work? as an error, he even more humanizes God's 5) Am I a victim of presuppositions that have "Messenger." , not been carefully, thoughtfully and prayerfully Some of the things I consider helpful contri arrived at? If the reader is led to the thoughtful butions in Prophetess of Health will probably consideration of such topics, Dr. Numbers will not appear in the same light to others. Here an for that person have performed a service. I appeal to charity is in order-and also an appeal rather suspect that this was what he originally to consider carefully what in Numbers' account wanted to do.

NOTES AND REFERENCES 1. Louis Gattschalk, Understanding Hist9ry (1961), p. 2. Jbid., pp. 241-42. 241. VI. What SOOuld We Expect From a Propllttr Review by Fritz Guy

t is true for a church as and creativity of the person(s) doing the respond I well as an individual ing. So, while it is evident that Ronald Num that the real significance of an event is deter bers' Prophetess of Health: A Study of Ellen G. mined not by the event as such but by the White is an interesting and important book, the response to it. And the character of that exact nature of its importance is yet to be deter response is determined not only by the particu mined-chiefly by the way in which the church lar character of the event but also by the insight responds to it. The book's first two chapters-"A Prophetess Fritz Guy, whose doctorate in theology is from the Is Born" and "In Sickness and in Health" University of Chicago, is dean of the College of Arts and sketch Ellen White's childhood in New England, Sciences of Lorna Linda University. her development into a prophetic figure among Volume 8, Number 2 21 sabbatarian Adventists of the midnineteenth A secondary thesis (also implicit rather than century, and her early interest in health as a explicit) is that Mrs. White exhibited many of dimension of Adventist religion. To give a sense the personal foibles characteristic of humanity of the contemporary cultural context, Numbers generally-namely, certain ideological and prac then provides a survey of "The Health tical inconsistencies, ambition for status and Reformers" with their interests in vegetarianism, power, and (perhaps most disconcerting of all) a hydropathy, homeopathy and phrenology. reluctance to admit either her changes of judg The next pair of chapters-"Da~sville Days" ment or her intellectual indebtedness to other (referring to .the western New York location of a authors. "water cure" institution patronized by Mrs. These major contentions will seem hardly White and other prominent Adventists) and exciting to the general public, but they will be "The Western Health Reform Institute"-con disturbing to many Adventist readers who will stitute the focal point of the book. They are regard them as incompatible with their view of concerned with two events of the 1860s and Ellen White as a divinely appointed and author their consequent developments: Mrs. White's ized spokesman. The messages delivered by such health-reform vision of June 1863 and her first a person must originate with God, and cannot extended writings on the subject; and the estab come from purely human factors. Yet, the fact lishment of the first Adventist health institution remains that, as a foundat~on for his very read and the rise of Adventism's most famous physi able narrative, Numbers has done an impressive cian, John Harvey Kellogg. Then the book turns amount of homework, resulting in 46 pages of to a somewhat more detailed corisideration of references and supplementary notes, plus a three particular subjects related to health four-page bibliographical essay. The result is a female dress reform, abnormal and excessive book that no future study of either the ministry sexual activity (especially masturbation) and of Ellen White or the development of Adventist diet-in chapters entitled "Short Skirts and Sex" efforts in the field of health will be able to and "Whatsoever Ye Eat or Drink." The final Ignore. chapter-"Fighting the Good Fight," in which Yet, the real importance of Prophetess of' the major topic is Dr. Kellogg's separation from Health may finally depend not so much on the the church-is a very brief overview of the four final appraisal of its accuracy and adequacy, but and a half decades from 1870 to Mrs. White's more on its function as a stimulus to further death in 1915. historical study and theological discussion. The primary thesis of the book seems to be (although it is not stated as such) that the life uman nature being and work of Ellen White can be best understood H what it is, it is possible in terms of sociocultural and psychosomatic to predict some of the principal Adventist reac factors, and that these factors provide an entirely tions that the book will surely evoke (partly by adequate explanation of her role in the develop its substance and partly by its style) with ment of Adventist health ideas and activities. varying degrees of justification. Thus, Numbers devotes much attention both to Some of the initial response will be highly the endeavors and influence on Mrs. White of emotional-and not very construc~ive. Many antecedent and contemporary American health readers (and especially nonreaders) will fear the reformers (especially Larkin B. Coles, Russell T. book as a threat to the church's confidence in Trall and Jacob c. Jackson) and also to Mrs. the prophetic mission of Mrs. White, on the White's physical, interpersonal and spiritual incorrect (although understandable) supposition traumas. Specifically, he insists that by the time that she is somehow "on trial." This feeling may of the 1863 vision, "Seventh-day Adventists indeed be encouraged (unintentionally) by were already in possession of the main outlines Numbers' declaration that his is "the first book of the health reform message" (p. 81), ~nd that about her that seeks neither to defend nor to "the content of this vision was hardly new," damn but simply to understand" (p. xi), a claim inasmuch as "since the 1830s Sylvester Graham that seems to imply a careful and perhaps even a,nd his fellow health reformers had been sympathetic objectivity. > preaching virtually the same thing" (p. x). These readers will be all the more upset, 22 Spectrum

therefore, by the rhetorical tone of the book, ment (or of anything else, for that matter), they which conveys a kind of breezy secularity and will regard the book and its central theses as amiable skepticism as it refers to Mrs. White's simply the result of the author's naturalistic pre "most satisfying miracle" (p. 34) and her supposition, which he states forthrightly in the "greatest triumph as a temperance lecturer" (p. preface: "I have refrained from using divine 168), her "anxiety to appear uninfluenced by inspiration as an historical explanation." This, any earthly agency" (p. 84) and her "flirtation he continues, means that he does not begin with with phrenology" (p. 149), the "high point of the assumption that Adventism is a divinely Ellen White's short skirt crusade" (p. 143) and guided movement, or that Ellen White was a the "spate of sex-oriented testimonies" (p. 158). divinely chosen messenger who was impeccably They will be upset also-and perhaps even honest and whose followers were reliable wit more-by the explicit attribution to Mrs. White nesses to her character and work (pp. xi-xii). of unworthy motives and interests, including Since this stance is so different from that of "personal ambition" (p. 21) and "efforts, to traditional Adventism, it will be supposed by maintain control of an expanding church organi many that the resulting research is largely irrele zation" (p. 124). vant to committed "believers," and therefore need not be taken seriously. But this reaction is still too superficial. For it ignores the possibility that a book with presup t the same time, positions radically different from the reader's A other Adventists-those may nevertheless contain information, ideas, or who have for one reason or another been insigh ts that deserve consideration. Even in the uncomfortable with the role of Ellen White in comparatively "subjective" discipline of reli the life of the church-will welcome the book as gious history, where the "objective truth" and a symbol of liberation from a disagreeable "actual facts" seem especially elusive, evidence religious domination. They will be pleased to is still evidence. note a reference to "her occasional inconsis On the other hand, some readers will prob tency and insensitivity" (p. 30); and they will ably be tempted by the theory (which by its probably sympathize with James White, who very nature is not easily refutable, any more "had his own cross to bear-living with a woman than it can be conclusively established) that this whose criticisms and reproofs came backed with sort of book is a verbalization of the author's divine authority" (p. 181). And they may own religiopsychological problems: unresolved appreciate the picture of "an aging and some hostilities toward the church, perhaps, or toward times bewildered prophetess" involved in the his parents. This is another easy response that sensational excommunication of Dr. Kellogg, seems to render the book quite harmless, so that who along with others was "raising embarrassing it can be readily ignored. But it is a kind of questions about the validity of her testimonies" poppsych, ad hominem speculation that is not (pp.190-91). really very useful-not only because it is intrin N either the fearful nor the delighted sically dubious, but also because it diverts Adventists, however, will profit much from the attention. toward the author's inner motivations book, because their reactions to it will be deter (which are none of the reader's business) and mined largely by the extent to which it chal thus away from the actual presentation and its lenges or confirms their own opinions of feelings implications (which are the proper object of regarding Ellen White. And-ironically-both critical reflection). groups will be the victims of the same theolog Then again, although there are few places ical misunderstandings: confusions about the where Numbers has the facts simply wrong or nature of a prophetic ministry and the grounds the chronology seriously muddled, Adventist of confidence in such a ministry. critics will charge that often his interpretations Some more sophisticated Adventist readers, are biased and his generalizations overstated, however, will instinctively "play it cool." On the sometimes to the point of caricature. And there one hand, noting that there is no such thing as is, unfortunately, some basis for this complaint. truly "objective" history of a religious move- For example, it is clever but hardly accurate to Volume 8, Number 2 23

say that "while politicians in Washington quar for example, might gain increased understanding reled bitterly over the best method of healing a of what happened in the colonies in the 1770s divided and scarred nation, the Adventists of by reading an account of those events written by Battle Creek dedicated themselves to curing someone (such as a British historian, or a mankind with water" (p. 104). Or that "Ellen colonial Loyalist) who did not simply assume White lived out her last years as a true health the political and moral rightness of the Amer reformer, happily subsisting on a simple twice-a ican Revolution. This is not to say, of course, day diet of vermicelli-tomato soup or thistle that the absence of such a presupposition is a greens 'seasoned with sterilized cream and lemon necessary (much less a sufficient) prerequisite juice'" (p.117). for writing accurate history. Indeed, just such a Statements of this sort will strike some presupposition may well open up insights into readers as a symptom of a fundamental imbal the subject that are not accessible from a delib ance in Prophetess of Health, an imbalance that erately "neutral" viewpoint. Yet, it is surely seems evident in other, more crucial ways. For legitimate and honorable for a historian not to one thing, the narrative concentrates on the presuppose the absolute righteousness and infal problematic rather than the positiv;e, the frus lible virtue of his subject-whether he is writing trating rather than the successful episodes in about the American Revolution or about Ellen Mrs. White's career as a health reformer. While White. this emphasis may result in part from the fact that the book focuses on the difficult decades of n the second place, the the 186 Os and 187 Os, the total picture even at I unbalanced presenta that time was somewhat brighter than Numbers tion that frequently characterizes Prophetess of paints it. For another thing, the story is fre Health may even be regarded as a kind of nega quently oversimplified and one sided. It includes tive virtue, insofar as it ~alls attention to aspects evidence that supports the author's own inter of the subject that might otherwise be over pretation of a situation, but it fails to acknowl looked. It can thus increase our knowledge of edge-much less take adequate account of the total factuality of Adventist history and of evidence that would support an alternative inter the ministry of Ellen White. In this respect, the pretation. This is the case in regard to the "shut references to and citations from her critics may door" theology of the 1840s, Mrs. White's rela be of some value, for most of them have not tion to other health reformers and the signifi been given a very extensive Adventist hearing in cance of the health reform vision of 1863, the past. Indeed, if he chose to do so, Numbers the plan to enlarge the Western Health Reform could defend the one-sidedness of his account Institute, the final dispute with J. H. Kellogg, et by appropriating an argument and illustration cetera. Moreover, when it comes to secondary offered by Francis D. Nichol in a different (but sources, Mrs. White's foes seem regularly to get somewhat parallel) context: more space and credence than do her friends When a teeterboard has seated on it a child even when the friends seem to have something at each end, then someone may be needed to important to say.1 stand in the middle, to throw his weight, first Thus, yet other readers will proba.bly miss on one side and then on the other. But if one the book's potential importance, and that is child after another.sits down at the same end, regrettable. the only hope of bringing the board into line For there are-in spite of its apparent imbal is for someone to throw all his weight on the ance, its naturalistic presupposition and its other end. Now during a hundred years a host frequent skepticism regarding Ellen White's of writers-one after another-have added integrity-some good reasons for taking Proph their weight to one end of the board that con etess of Health seriously and reading it construc stitutes the record of Millerism. . .. Under tively. some circumstances we believe that a heroic In the first place, it can actually be beneficial move must be made by someone in order to to see what a familiar subject looks like when it bring things into balance. It would never have is viewed from a very different (and even some occurred to us to stress certain of the facts in what uncomfortable) angle. Many Americans, the record as we vigorously do, were it not 24 Spectrum

that these facts deal with matters long of Health but also reflected to some extent in emphasized in an opposite way. If the reader the book itself. thinks we have walked far out to one end in A prophet as a human being is not, and should our emphasis of the evidence for the Miller not be regarded as, infallible-informationally, ites , we invite him to remember the teeter- logically, behaviorally, or linguistically. There 2 board. are limits in regard to the nature and amount of And in the third place, even if the particular information available to him through both presuppositions of Prophetess of Health do limit ordinary (or "natural") and extraordinary the adequacy of its interpretations of persons ("supernatural") means. To be called to a pro and events, the facts which it presents are still phetic ministry is not to become omniscient, facts that should not be excluded from the any more than it is to be removed from the church's understanding of Ellen White's pro influence (positive and negative) of one's inter phetic ministry. It is clear, for instance, that she personal and cultural environment, or to be originally advised her fellow Adventists not to relieved of human emotional needs, feelings, "dishonor God by applying to earthly physi temptations and tendencies to sin. As Kenneth cians" (p. 31), and that she initially condoned Wood puts it, the eating of swine's flesh (p. 43). In declaring In many ways prophets are just like other her independence from contemporary health people. They eat, they sleep, they hear, they reformers, she gave an incorrect date as the time read, they learn, they speak, they travel. Proph when her husband ordered some health books ets may be well informed in some areas of from Dansville, and she did not mention her knowledge and poorly informed in others. reading of materials that had appeared in the They may have a large vocabulary or a small (p. 84). The "reform dress" Review and Herald one. They may be well educated or poorly was indeed a disapp-ointment and anacknowl educated. . .. They obtain some kinds of edged failure (pp. 145-56). On the basis of the information as do others. As time goes along, 1863 health reform vision, she warned of not they may improve their skills, such as reading, only functional but also organic diseases that speaking, or writing. 3 would result from masturbation (p. 152). She As a person, therefore, a prophet can-and used the vocabulary and logic of both phren sometimes does-make mistakes. At some point ology (p. 148) and vitalism (pp. 154-55). She or other, he is likely to receive and follow poor incorporated into her writing some materials advice, or misjudge the factors involved in a taken without acknowledgment from Horace particular situation. He may on occasion be dis Mann and L. B. Coles (pp. 155-56, 162-63). And couraged, overoptimistic, shortsighted, or irri for 20 or more years she was not consistently table. There is ample evidence of the human fal vegetarian in her diet (pp. 170-72). libility of the authors of the biblical documents Although some of these facts have long been (including Moses, David, Peter and John as some available from other sources, they have not been of the more obvious examples); and we would a part of the general Adventist consciousness. It be naive to suppose that there would not be any is now likely that they will be. similar evidence in the life of Ellen White. To demand or expect personal perfection would be unreasonable and unfair. Besides, it would divert t is unlikely, however, to her personal life some of the attention that I that Numbers' picture should be given to understanding the implica of Ellen White will constitute any threat to her tions of her ministry for our own individual and continuingly influential role in the life and collective experience as Adventists. thought of Adventism-provided there is Nor is the prophet infallible in the formal adequate understanding both of the nature of a communication of his message. To write "under prophetic ministry and of the appropriate the inspiration of the Holy Spirit" does not grounds for confidence in it. Regrettably, how mean that one's pen is "literally guided by ever, there seems to be fairly widespread con God," as Numbers suggests (p. 201). A prophet fusion on both points-a confusion not only may suffer a lapse of memory, indulge in over afflicting many potential readers of Prophetess generalization, or express his thoughts with Volume 8, Number 2 25

something less than ideal clarity. When Mrs. this fallibility a threat to the continuing effec White says, "I am as dependent upon the Spirit tiveness of her prophetic ministry in Adventism. of the Lord in writing my views as I am in At the same time, the church has a scholarly receiving them" (quoted on p. 163), she is not responsibility to identify those points at which claiming divine authority or absolute precision Numbers has misread the evidence or exag for her verbal formulations. And, when she goes gerated its implications, and to carefully correct on in the same sentence to say, "The words I or clarify the picture he gives of Ellen White's employ in describing what I have seen are my life and work. Knowing that it is not necessary own" (quoted on p. 197), she is not claiming for the final picture to disclose absolute personal unique originality for her language. On the con perfection, the church can go about this task trary, in this twofold statement she is acknowl without anxiety or defensiveness. edging her own human limitations and at the same time accepting the responsibility of her here is, furthermore, a choice of words. Elsewhere she wrote, "In Tfundamental and regard to infallibility, I never claimed it; God crucial difference between determining the pres alone is infallible.,,4 ence of a genuine prophetic mmlstry in the This is not to say, of course, that the quality church and discovering the precise nature of a prophet's life is irrelevant to his mission and and shape of that ministry. 5 ministry, or that his messages may be garbled The former task may be accomplished in the and unintelligible. Nor does it suggest that the ligh t of four general criteria: 1) fundamental life and work of Ellen White were characterized compatibility with the biblical revelation, which by hypocrisy, dishonesty, arrogance, or greed, or remains the ultimate standard of religious truth, that her writings are inconsistent and confused. the final rule of faith and practice; 2) internal coherence and integrity, which enables it to "make sense" to the church; 3) overall contribu "There is ample evidence of the tion to the spiritual growth and practical life of human fallibility of Bible the church; and 4) validation in the personal reli gious life of individual members, who continue authors, and we would be naive to to hear in it the voice of the Eternal with its gift suppose that there would not be of forgiveness, its challenge to service and its claim for ultimate allegiance. any similar evidence in the Once these criteria have been met, so that the life of Ellen White." validity of the prophetic ministry has been solidly established, it is appropriate for the church to examine it in detail, in order to under On the contrary, the incredibly detailed docu stand it thoroughly and accurately, and thus to mentation we have of her daily activities sup benefit from it as much as possible. In this set ports belief in the genuineness and integrity of ting, a detailed study of the life and work of a her religious dedication and gives impressive con prophet is neither a mark of disrespect or skepti firmation of her prophetic vocation. And, given cism, nor an occasion for worry that the convic the extent of her written work for nearly 70 tion of validity will be undermined. Rather, just years-an estimated 45,000 or more pages of as it would be in the case of studying the work manuscript materials, 4,500 published articles, of a great musician or painter, it is a result of and more than 50 books now in print-the profound interest and seriousness, and an degree of systematic coherence and conceptual occasion for deepening appreciation. consistency is remarkable. Unfortunately, however, the procedure out To the extent, therefore, that Numbers has lined here-first to determine the presence of a called attention to Mrs. White's human fal valid prophetic ministry and then to discover its libility, the church ought not to regard this precise characteristics-is not always followed. reality as an embarrassment. For it is a reality An alternative and all-too-common approach which, even if often ignored, has never been puts the cart before the horse. First, it attempts denied by the church. Nor is the recognition of to establish a priori specifications for a divinely 26 Spectrum inspired message (usually including the assump evidence of having been produced by a fallible tion that a perfect God would certainly provide human being.? a perfect revelation, without any sort of human Thus, although occasional imperfections may deficiency); and the next step is to show how appear in the life and ministry of the prophet the materials under consideration meet these and even in the verbal formulation of the pro specifications. This approach, which can be seen phetic messages, confidence In the overall typically in "evangelical" Protestantism in validity and reliability of those messages is not regard to the biblical revelation, is also taken by thereby disturbed. some Adventists in regard to the work of Ellen White. n awareness of these But, however commonly it occurs, this proce A last two major dure is a methodological mistake. For the speci points-first, that a prophet is not, and must not fications that are offered have no authoritative be expected to be, personally infallible, and ground of their own; they are merely the charac second, that there is a basic difference between teristics that someone thinks a divinely initiated recognizing a prophetic ministry and under message ought to have. In contrast to this deduc standing it in detail-makes it possible for the tive approach, it is better to proceed induc church to engage in a careful, scholarly study of tively-that is, to examine a message that is a prophetic ministry in which it has learned to recognized as divinely inspired and thus to dis have complete confidence. Therefore, although cover what characteristics it actually has. In this the limitations of Numbers' Prophetess of way, the conclusions can be based on evidence Health keep it from being the last word on the rather than theological supposition.6 subject, it can well serve as an incentive for the The problem here, furthermore, is not only church to continue the study. methodological; for the procedure of estab And the study surely needs to continue-not lishing a priori specifications has some serious only to clarify and correct the picture that religious consequences. It requires ongoing (and Numbers has provided, but also to complete and often anxious) explanatory activity in the face supplement it. While Numbers has clearly of every newly discovered (or merely alleged) documented Mrs. White's use of some of the discrepancy between the actual characteristics of work of other American health reformers, yet to the revelatory materials and the predetermined be studied are the extent and nature of her dif specifications. And, if the explanation is not ferences from them, which may turn out to be finally persuasive, the validity of the previously more interesting and significant than the similar acknowledged revelation is thrown into ques ities. In any event, this kind of study will illumi tion. nate the distinctiveness of her own constructive In the case of the "evangelicals" and the bib contribution. lical documents, the discrepancies between the The attention Numbers has glVen to the ideal and the actual have led to the invention of sociocultural context of Mrs. White's work as a hypothetical "inerrant autographs," which are health reformer needs also to be supplemented supposed to have the required perfection that with further study of the Adventist ecclesiastical appears to be lacking in the extant biblical man context. There is a need for an examination of uscripts. Adventists, however, need not resort to the interrelationships between the church's this kind of hypothesis. As Wood explains, interest in health and the concurrent (or Seventh-day Adventists do not draw up and immediately subsequent) interest of Adventists in seek to defend artificial battle lines in the area education and in overseas mission work. The of inspiration. They do not make exaggerated Western Health Reform Institute was only eight claims for inspiration. They do not declare years old when Battle Creek College was that inspired writings are "inerrant in the founded in 1874, and when J. N. Andrews left original autographs." They know better. They for Switzerland as an official missionary. have "original autographs"! They have Mrs. And there is a need for an examination of the White's original manuscripts, and they know theological context and implications of the that those autographs, though bearing infal Adventist interest in health. What, for example, lible truth regarding the way of salvation, give are the reciprocal relationships between this Volume 8, Number 2 27 interest and the Adventist understanding of the have been several posthumous compilations of nature of man (theological anthropol both previously published and unpublished ogy)? ... the process of sal vat ion by grace materials-Counsels on Health (1932), Medical through faith (soteriology)? ... the end of pres Ministry (1930), Counsels on Diet and Foods ent history with the second coming of God in (1938) and Temperance (1949). By way of the person of Christ (eschatology)? .. the secondary sources, first Dores E. Robinson's The meaning and experience of the Sabbath as a day Story of Our Health Message (1943) and now of rest and worship? What part does the subject Numbers' Prophetess of Health (1976) have pro of health play in the total concept of "the great vided historical narratives. But The Ministry of controversy," which· is the central systematic Healing is not sufficiently comprehensive, the theme of Adventist theology? compilations are not sufficiently coherent, and Finally, there is a need for a comprehensive the narratives are not sufficiently theological to theological synthesis of Ellen White's views of give the church a clear, complete and integrated health as a dimension of religious life and as a understanding of the whole of Ellen White's concern of the church. Besides the first slender writings on health. books that get most of Numbers' attention-An To the extent that Prophetess of Health func Appeal to Mothers (1864) and the collection of tions as an encouragement to these kinds of pamphlets entitled How to Live (1865)-she further historical study and theological inter published numerous articles on health in various pretation, its publication can be a significant and journals. Toward the end of her career came the constructive event as the church grows into a systematic elaboration of her thought published more complete understanding of the prophetic as The Ministry of Healing (1903), and there mission and ministry of Ellen G. White.

NOTES AND REFERENCES 1. An example here is Francis D. Nichol's extensive Bible study presented at the 1975 General Conference consideration and documentation of Ellen White's rela session in Vienna and published in the Review and tion to the "shut door" theology, in Ellen C. White and Herald, July 16, 1975, p. 11. Her Critics (Washington: Review and Herald, 1951), pp. 4. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, Book 1 (Washing 161-252,586-615, and 619-43. There is also a less elab ton: Review and Herald, 1958), p. 37. orate discussion by Arthur L. White, Ellen C. White and 5. This approach to the issue at hand derives from a the Shut Door Question (Washington: Ellen G. White Estate, 1971). conversation with Warren C. Trenchard of Canadian Numbers is aware of these materials (see p. 218, n. Union College at College Heights, Alberta. 50, and p. xii), but he does not comment on them. 6. See Everett F. Harrison, "The Phenomena of Scrip 2. Francis D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry: A Defense of ture," in Revelation and the Bible, edited by Carl F. H. the character and Conduct of William Miller and the Henry (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958), pp. 238-50. Millerites (Washington: Review and Herald, 1944), pp. 7. Wood, "Hear the Word of the Lord," p. 11. See also 12-13. his editorial, "The Divine-Human Word," Review and 3. Kenneth H. Wood, "Hear the Word of the Lord," a Herald, June 24, 1976, pp. 2, 14-15. vn. An Autoor &epJies To His Gitics by Ronald L. Numbers

irst, I want to thank ularly appreCIatIve of the comments of Nor Fthe editors of SPEC wood, Brodie and Sandeen, most of what I say TRUM for giving me this opportunity to will be directed toward the criticisms of the respond to my reviewers. Although I am partic- White Estate, Schwarz and Guy, which raise serious questions about the quality and reli Ronald L. Numbers is associate professor of the his ability of my work. tory of medicine and science at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He received his graduate educa The Estate's allegations are not new. In tion at the University of California, Berkeley. February 1975, it provided me with an extensive 28 Spectrum paragraph-by-paragraph cntlque of my then vlslons and testimonies are wrong and that evi unpublished manuscript. Assisted by Richard W. dence of her· inaccuracy is invalid. Thus, those Schwarz and Ron Graybill, whom the White who harbor such views must possess a faulty Estate sent to Wisconsin to confer with me, I methodology or be Satanically inspired-or carefully evaluated its arguments and evidence both. (It is ironic that Adventists praise Fawn and revised my manuscript accordingly. Thus, Brodie's excellent biography of Joseph Smith before the publication of Prophetess of Health, I while damning attempts to apply the same was able to incorporate the Estate's criticisms methods to understanding Ellen White.) that I felt were valid. The present review raises I agree wholeheartedly with the Estate that few new issues. It is, as the Estate points out, a "the truth can be approached only by a con condensation of a recently published 24-page scientious and thoughtful investigation of all the pamphlet, which is a lineal descendant of the available evidence on all sides of a question." 1975 critique prepared largely by Ron Graybill, But why, if this is its philosophy, does it con Robert Olson and Arthur White of the Estate tinue to restrict access to so many of Ellen staff. White's manuscripts and to prohibit the use of The points of contention, then and now, are others? Why did it repeatedly withhold primarily interpretative rather than factual. The requested documents-and on one occasion even Estate believes that there is objective evidence to deny the existence of a key manuscript locked substantiate the claim that Mrs. White was in the Estate vault and instruct its staff not to divinely inspired. It maintains, for example, that mention its discovery? Why, too, if it desires to her ventilation of a sickroom in response to a facilitate access to the evidence, does it prohibit vision "goes far toward supporting her claims researchers from taking notes while working in that her light came from the Lord, not from the Estate's collections and require them to physicians." But this kind of "evidence," I am submit all release requests to two committees of afraid, is unacceptable to the historian. church elders for approval? But these are Although I personally do not deny the pos separate issues. sibility that Mrs. White was inspired by God, I n my study of Ellen think that appeals to supernatural explanations I White I say that "by are out of place in strictly historical studies like June of 1863 Seventh-day Adventists were Prophetess of Health. Furthermore, I am not already in possession of the main outlines of the aware of any historical evidence for her inspira health reform message. What they now needed tion besides her own claims, which, I believe, to become a church of health reformers was not must be accepted primarily on the basis of faith. additional information, but a sign from God The Estate singles out as "the crux of the indicating his pleasure" (p, 81). The White matter" the question "Did Ellen White receive Estate claims this is not true, but in proving its her health message from the Lord or from case it distorts what I said. First, it incorrectly earthly sources?" But this is a question the his identifies "message" rather than "outlines" as torian, qua historian, cannot answer. It is unfair the "key word" of my statement; then it to ask him to do so or to fault him for not doing arbitrarily defines message as "a coherent body so. The Estate also claims that to write about a of information with a purpose." Since SDAs did prophet one must have "a correct and adequate not possess "a coherent body of information concept of inspiration." I disagree. That require with a purpose" before June 1863, the Estate, ment would virtually limit the writing of Advent apparently forgetting what I actually wrote, con ist history to members of the church, and it cludes I am wrong. sounds too much like saying that only a devout The Estate also cites evidence, which I alleg Roman Catholic should write about the pope or edly overlooked or suppressed, showing that that only a Communist should write about Lenin. even those Adventists who knew about health Despite its criticism of "unsupported assump reform continued to practice their old habits. tions," the Estate makes two crucial ones of its However, my statement clearly refers to their own: that Ellen White was inspired and that her knowledge rather than their practice of health testimony is generally accurate. It believes a reform, and the evidence is abundant that many priori that naturalistic explanations of her Adventists knew about health reform before the Volume 8, Number 2 29

June 5 vision. Mrs. White herself said that in the desperate parents called in a local physician. "Is months after her vision she was "often" asked it not strange," it asks, "that she [Mrs. White] about the similarity between her views and those failed to use her supposed 'system of medicine' of Trall, Jackson and others. If Adventists knew to save the life of her own son?" Yes, indeed it as little about health reform as the Estate would is-for two reasons. First, the Estate seems to have us believe, then how does it explain the have forgotten that Henry's death occurred six widespread and detailed familiarity with the months after the June 5 vision, when God had writings of Trall and Jackson? shown her "the remedial value of water treat Besides, it is logically fallacious to suppose a ments" -[W. C. White, Review and Herald, 113 necessary relationship between knowledge and (Nov. 12, 1936),4]. Thus, if she did not use practice, as the Estate seems to do. The lapses of water treatments, it was not Jackson's system the Kelloggs, Loughboroughs and Andrewses she was ignoring; it was God's. Second, the reveal as little about their knowledge of health Estate's assertion that the Whites "stood help reform as Mrs. White's continued use of meat lessly by while their boy died" is an unwar until 1894 tells us about what she knew. Using ranted assumption based on the absence of the Estate's reasoning, we would conclude that evidence. We simply do not know what the her knowledge of vegetarianism was only frag Whites did besides calling a physician, and it mentary until the 1890s, three decades after seems likely that they would have tried every God revealed to her the evils of meat-eating. My remedy, including water, which had proved so point was that the content of Mrs. White's June successful the previous winter and which God 5 vision was not new, even to many Adventists. had recently endorsed. And nothing the Estate has presented refutes In its review, the Estate attempts to demon that. strate that Mrs. White's views on health came The Estate says that Prophetess of Health from the Lord, as she claimed, and not from "offers the reader none of the facts cited here earthly sources. It seems to think that if she which show that ... early Adventists continued were not indebted to human predecessors, her to use therapy and indulge in practices which chances of being divinely inspired are increased. most health reformers of the day would have But in so reasoning, the Estate fails to recognize abhorred." This simply is not true. Though more that many uninspired authors have written orig concerned with familiarity than with habits, I inal works. Even if Mrs. White were unique, it did, for example, mention the Kelloggs' use of would add no historical evidence to her claim of beer and ale (p. 221) and Bates' reticence to inspiration. discuss his views on health reform (p. The only historical question in this section 38)-which raises an interesting question: How relates to the accuracy of Mrs. White's denial did James White know that Bates only discussed that she had read "The Laws of Life and other his dietary views when "interrogated upon the publications of Drs. Trall, Jackson and others," subject" if he never interrogated the captain? before writing out her June 5 vision. To justify What did Mrs. White know? In Prophetess of this statement, the Estate unfortunately paints a Health I argue that even Mrs. White knew more picture of the prophetess as a master casuist, about hydropathy and health reform before deliberately misleading her questioners while June 1863 than she liked to admit. I specifically technically telling the truth. When the people cite her successful use of Jackson's water treat asked if she had read the "works" of Trall and ment for diphtheria during the winter of Jackson, they were obviously trying to find out 1862-63 and her undisputed familiarity with if she were acquainted with their views, regard articles on reform appearing in the Review. The less of the source. But, according to the Estate, authors of the Estate review, wanting to attrib Mrs. White cleverly took "works" to mean just ute all her knowledge to the vision, minimize her "books," which enabled her to deny any famil acquaintance with health reform, which leads iarity with previous health reformers without them, it appears, into an unsuspected trap. actually lying. It would be less damning simply To show how little the Whites knew about to admit that she was mistaken. health reform in 1863, the Estate refers to The Estate concedes that she had indeed read Henry's fatal illness in December 1863, when his some brief selections from the health reformers, 30 Spectrum but suggests that "in the flood of light provided from the Life of Paul, and in The Great Contro by the vision, any fainter glimmers paled into versy. Virtually entire chapters from The Great insignifiance in her mind." Surely, the Estate's Controversy were extracted-historical errors and rules of evidence do not permit an assumption all-directly from other books. of such magnitude. The Estate also admits that Since Mrs. White borrowed from sources Mrs. White incorrectly gave the date when her familiar to many of her readers, it does seem husband ordered books from Dansville, but unlikely that she was consciously trying to fool passes it off as a minor biographical error, not anyone. For that reason, I have consistently recognizing that the important question is why refrained from accusing her of plagiarism, which she made this particular mistake. The main implies a conscious attempt to deceive. Before point, it says, is that she did not read the books; this issue can be resolved, we need to know but this is another assumption, based solely on much more about the unconscious processes her own testimony, which, because of the possi that may have been operating. bility of self-interest, is suspect as historical evi In the meantime, it is inaccurate for the dence. Estate to suggest that nineteenth-century Adventists and other Americans winked at pla giarism. In a note on "plagiarism" in the Sept f I have read the Estate ember 6, 1864 issue of the Review and Herald, I correctly, its current the editors accuse a woman named Luthera B. answer to the question, "Did Mrs. White copy?" Weaver of stealing lines from one of Annie is "Yes, but it's not really important." Sur Smith's poems and publishing them as her own. prisingly, the Estate does not seem to be nearly Plagiarism, they say, "is a word that is used to as concerned about the instances of outright signify 'literary theft,' or the taking the produc copying as in trying to show Mrs. White's lack of tions of another and passing them off as one's f4-miliarity with the literature before 1865. own.... We are perfectly willing that pieces Thus, it divides the alleged examples of copying from the Review, or any of our books should be into two categories: those before 1865, when published to any extent, and all we ask is, that according to her own testimony she began read simple justice be done us, by due credit being ing books on health reform, and those after given." If Mrs. White had only adopted this prin wards. Since most of the pre-1865 parallels ciple, she would have avoided much needless cri found so far concern tea, coffee, or tobacco ticism. topics about which she was knowledgeable The Estate argues in its review that I consis before June 1863-the Estate believes they are tently put Mrs. White "in an embarrassing or not significant. As for the post-1865 parallels, unfavorable light," the implication being that I the Estate says that "it is not surprising that have done so unfairly. In other words, if Mrs. since Mrs. White found these men to be 'so White looks bad, it is a result of my distortions, nearly in harmony' with what the Lord had not her actions. revealed to her she would occasionally employ To illustrate my tendency to omit contradic their language in later years when writing on the tory material, the Estate points to my discussion same subjects." Perhaps it would not be so sur of the events surrounding James White's "retire prising if Mrs. White (and the Estate) had not ment" from the editorship of the Review in repeatedly insisted on her literary independence. 1855, claiming that I either misread or omitted The Estate seeks to minimize the importance important evidence. In contrast to the contro of the post-1865 parallel passages by arguing versies I describe, the Estate has White "hap that they were limited to "a few cases," that she pily" stepping down from the editorship. was not trying to fool anyone, and that plagia But-as I am sure any objective reader will con rism in the nineteenth century was not the cede-there is much more to the story, a crucial heinous crime that it is today. But, as they well element being White's attitude toward his wife's know, we are not talking about "a few cases." "gift." His October outburst may not have led di Despite the difficulty of detecting literary rectly to his departure, but the views expressed dependence, we already know that she borrowed in it certainly influenced the committee that extensively in her health writings, in Sketches appointed Uriah Smith as his successor. For Volume 8, Number 2 31 what it's worth, I am not alone in adopting this month" (pp. 157-58). It is "unrealistic," the interpretation. In a still unpublished paper Dr. Estate says, to have so little sex. I agree, but it's Dalton Baldwin, of the Loma Linda University beside the point. Division of Religion, concludes that "it would The Estate admits that Mrs. White never seem that the policy of the Review [under explicitly defined what she meant by marital J ames White 1 in not using the writings of Ellen excess; thus they concede that no evidence con G. White except on the human level fits the tradicts my interpretation. And some important description of the condition that the committee evidence supports it. In Solemn Appeal Relative felt displeased God." to Solitary Vice, and the Abuses and Excesses of The Estate misrepresents my account of this the Marriage Relation (1870), an expanded edi episode when it implies that I intentionally tion of Mrs. White's earlier Appeal to Mothers ignored other reasons than White's controversial (1864) edited by James White, we find this attitude toward the visions for his leaving the advice by O. S. Fowler: " ... to indulge, even in editorship. I specifically stated that "in recent wedlock, as often as the moon quarters [i.e., months he had come to fear that his editorial twice a month 1, is gradual but effectual destruc burdens were threatening his health, and he had tion of both soul and body." Why did James publicly expressed a desire to relinquish his posi White select this passage to accompany his wife's tion" (p. 29). inspired views on the marriage relation? Again, we cannot be sure, but one analagous explana he Estate also criticizes tion seems plausible. We know the material T me for making a num appended to Appeal to Mothers was included ber of "unsupported" assumptions, which I because it was "corroborative of the views pre suppose means that my assumptions are often sented [by Mrs. White 1 in the preceding pages." unwarranted. It also finds it "unfortunate that a And the excerpts added to How to Live (1865) book so largely footnoted would ... frequently were included because Mrs. White found them to employ such terms as 'doubtless,' 'ostensibly' be "so nearly in harmony with what the Lord and 'probably' in its interpretation of various had revealed." Is it unreasonable to think that events." However, I find it hard to believe that Fowler's statement was included for the same the Estate would be happier without the quali reasons? fications. Third, the Estate rejects my explanation of The Estate offers five examples of unsup Mrs. White's 1851 comment that "the visions ported assumptions. First, it says that I errone trouble many." In Prophetess of Health, I wrote ously assumed that the "whining complaints" that "some" Adventists were "doubtless" and "poisonous letters" James White received in puzzled by "her changing stand on the shut 1855 pertained to his attitude toward his wife's door, while others resented her habit of publish visions. Yet, they assume that the letters con ing private testimonies revealing their secret cerned "his handling of the financial affairs of sins-and names" (pp. 27-28). The Estate points the office." Since the letters in question are not out that Christian Experience and Views, the extant, we are unable to settle the issue with book from which her shut-door passages were finality. I suspect that we are both correct, that deleted, did not appear until after her comment the complaints criticized him for his administra about the visions, and it asserts that she did not tion as well as for his views on the visions. But publish "any testimonies containing even the perhaps it would be best for neither of us to initials of those to whom the counsel was make assumptions. directed" until years later. (My italics.) Second, the Estate censures me for suggesting Though it is true that Christian Experience the following interpretation of Mrs. White's and Views appeared in 1851 a few weeks or warnings against excesses of the marriage rela months after Mrs. White's comment, this does tion: "Although she never defined exactly what not mean, as the Estate suggests, that until the she meant by excessive, it seems likely-since she publication of this volume no one was aware of generally agreed with earlier health reformers in her changing views on the shut door. Even the such matters-that she would have frowned on Estate concedes that she had been publicly having intercourse more frequently than once a advocating an open-door policy for some time 32 Spectrum

before publishing Christian Experience and But there are additional reasons. She was much Views. more directly involved with dress reform than The Estate does, however, have some legiti she was with the turn-of-the-century sanitarium mate grounds for criticizing my reference to building, and her dress reform activities shed Mrs. White's "habit of publishing private testi more light on her connection with the health monies." I should not have used the word reform movement than does institutional "habit." Nevertheless, it is.true despite what the growth, important as that may have been. Estate maintains, that she published testimonies Fifth, the Estate has directed some of its exposing individual errors before 1851; see, for strongest criticism against my statement that instance, her reproof of Brother Rhodes in the Mrs. White in 1906 "vetoed a chance to obtain Present Truth, 1 (Dec., 1849), p. 35. But I must the rights to ... Corn Flakes" (p. 189). Accord admit that this practice did not become habitual ing to it, I "not only misread completely the until later. Then, however, she published names, evidence, but also [engaged] in some specula not just initials, as the Estate implies. To pick tion for which it is difficult to see any basis at one of many possible examples, her very all." Correspondence from that time, the Estate personal testimony "Extremes in Health Reform" (now found in Testimonies, II, pp. 377-90) originally appeared with the erring brethren, H. C. Miller and H. S. Giddings of "The Estate finds in 'the demon Monroe, Wisconsin, plainly identified by name strably better health' of Ad and residence. More important, even if Mrs. White was not ventists evidence of Mrs. White's habitually publishing private revelations of sins inspiration. Does the better by 1851, she certainly was publicizing them, which seems ample reason for dissatisfaction. health of Mormons tell anything (See, e.g., Life Sketches, pp. 85-94, 129-35.) In about Joseph Smith's inspiration?" Spiritual Gifts, Vol. II (1860), p. 294, she wrote: In bearing the testimony which the Lord says, makes it "very plain" that "Mrs. White has given me for the last fifteen years [since could not have vetoed a chance for the denomi 1844] , I have been opposed by many who nation to acquire the rights to Corn Flakes became my bitter enemies, especially those because such a chance was never offered." But it whose errors and sins have been revealed chooses to overlook Mrs. White's own testi to me, and have been exposed by me. mony. Writing to J. A. Burden in November Some of these have carried out their feelings 1906, she said: of revenge, as might be expected, in attacking In regard to the health food business, I the humble instrument, and circulating would urge you to move slowly. Dr. Kellogg'S unfavorable reports against me. proposition to sell the corn flake rights to our Thus, although my language was imperfect, my people for twenty years has just been con sentiment was sound. sidered by our brethren here; and I fear, if I Fourth, the Estate apparently sees no valid had not been on the ground, this matter reason for devoting "half a chapter to the most would have been carried through to the loss minute details of Ellen White's efforts to encour of our food business. When a thing is exalted, age dress reform and only a few sentences to her as the corn flakes has been, it would be role in the establishment of health care facilities unwise for our people to have anything to do like Loma Linda University." The explanation is with it. It is not necessary that we make the simple. We often learn as much from failures as corn flakes an article of food. from successes and, according to Mrs. White her From this letter, it is clear that Mrs. White self, "perhaps no question has ever come up understood that Kellogg had made an offer, that among us which has caused such development of he had made it to "our people," and that she character as has dress reform." This alone is was the one responsible for not accepting it. In sufficient justification for discussing it at length. view of this, how can the Estate say that I have Volume 8, Number 2 33

"misread completely the evidence"? And how without James, Ellen today would be remem does it explain not even mentioning this letter in bered only as another Portland visionary of the its discussions of the corn flake episode? shut-door persuasion. And without Kellogg, I doubt if the Adventist medical work would ever oncerning progression have gotten off the ground. By the 1870s, he Cin Mrs. White's teach was already beginning "to eclipse the prophetess ings, the main difference between the Estate and as the church's health authority" (p. 169P), and me is not over the presence of change-though during the last quarter of the century, when Mrs. they prefer to call it "progression" - but in White's interest in health reform waned, he explaining it. I offer historical explanations; the almost singlehandedly kept the Adventist health Estate appeals "to the fact that God was leading reform movement alive. His people along, step by step, as they accepted The Estate finds in "the demonstrably better and lived up to the counsel." (My italics.) This is health" of Adventists evidence of Mrs. White's not a fact as the term is commonly understood; inspiration. But is it willing to grant that the it is an assumption based on personal faith. demonstrably better health of Mormons tells us Despite the numerous changes in Mrs. White's anything about Joseph Smith's inspiration? inspired writings, the Estate accepts her conten What should we conclude from all this? As tion that "nothing is ignored; nothing is cast the Estate says, my study of Ellen White "does aside." But how then are we to explain her not stand or fall on one or two errors of fact or absolute rejection of the reform dress in the interpretation; it stands or falls on whether its 1870s, or her repudiation in the 1850s of her major theses are sustained by the overall weight 1849 admonition never to resort to earthly of evidence." Judged by this criterion-or by the physicians? In its 24-page critique of Prophetess criterion of accuracy-my study stands. The of Health, the Estate attributes the latter to "the most the Estate has found, after investing two fact that the youthful Ellen White did not years and thousands of dollars checking every always in those early days make herself entirely phrase and source of my study, is that on p. clear." Perhaps so, but this explanation severely 216, note 32, I inadvertently give the date of undercuts her claim that she was "just as depen Merritt Kellogg's letter as June 3 rather than dent upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or June 18, '1906, and that my statement that Mrs. writing a vision, as in having the vision." White was in the "habit of publishing private In remarks calling for "candor without con testimonies" by 1851 represents a poor choice descension," the Estate maintains that I have of words. The remainder of the Estate's allega failed to "explain the historical dynamics of her tions are, I believe, either factually inaccurate or success," but what really concerns it, I think, is dependent on appeals to supernatural explana that I have not dealt with the supernatural tions. dynamics, to which the Estate attributes vir Since the appearance of an August 2 Time tually all her accomplishments. Throughout article mentioning that Mrs. White had a vision Prophetess of Health, I offer a number of pos showing "that masturbation could lead to sible explanations for her appeal and her success. 'imbecility, dwarfed forms, crippled limbs, mis In the first chapter, I allude to her personal shapen hands and deformity of every descrip ambition (p. 21) and point out that "despite her tion,' " various church leaders have argued that I occasional inconsistency and insensitivity, most erroneously attributed these problems to mas members clung to the belief that she represented turbation, when Mrs. White in the next sentence a divine channel of communication. To them, describing her vision attributes them to "sins dramatic visions, supernatural healings and and crimes, and the violation of nature's laws." revelations of secret sins were persu

Mental, and Moral Ruin of Many of the Children distortions, if not outright misrepresentations. I of Our Time (1864), Mrs. White writes the fol feel precisely the same way about their critique. lowing: Their fondest hope is that "every reader of Prophetess of Health would examine carefully The state of our world was presented and take into account the whole retord before before me, and my attention was especially reaching conclusions." My hope is that every called to the youth of our time. Everywhere I reader of the Estate's critique will carefully read looked, I saw imbecility, dwarfed forms, crip and evaluate my study and this response before pled limbs, misshapen heads, and deformity reaching a conclusion. of every description. Sins and crimes, and the violation of nature's laws, were shown me as ichard Schwarz is the causes of this accumulation of human woe w. deservedly one of the and suffering. I saw such degradation and vile R most respected historians in Adventist circles. practices, such defiance of God, and I heard He is also a friend of mine. Thus, I was doubly such words of blasphemy, that my soul sick ened. From what was shown me, a large share disappointed by his review, which in places is of the youth now living are worthless. Cor unfair both to me and, I fear, to himself. His rupt habits are wasting their energies, and introductory comments on the writing of con temporary history, for example, sometimes bringing upon them loathsome and compli caricature rather than clarify the art. While it is cated diseases. Unsuspecting parents will try the skill of one physician after another, who true that historians no longer harbor the illusion of writing totally objective history, the best ones prescribe drugs, when they generally know the real cause of the failing health, but for I know try nevertheless to be as objective (i.e., fair and factually accurate) as humanly possible. fear of offending and losing their fees, they They do not arbitrarily pick a thesis and then go keep silent, when as faithful physicians they out looking for evidence to support it. should expose the real cause. Their drugs ·only I find his defense of supernatural revelation add a second great burden for abused nature equally unconvincing, though I admire his to struggle against, which often breaks down valiant efforts to rescue Mrs. White from some in her efforts, and the victim dies. And the embarrassing situations. His suggestions that friends look upon the death as a mysterious multiple inspiration might explain her literary dispensation of providence, when the most indebtedness to others, that her "borrowings" mysterious part of the matter is, that nature may simply be a reflection of God's method of bore up as long as she did against her violated communication, and that her blanket denials of laws. Health, reason and life, were sacrificed earthly influences on her health writings were to depraved lust. "literary hyperbole" rank with the best of F. D. I have been shown that children who prac Nichol's apologies. I suspect, however, that if tice self-indulgence previous to puberty, or the church accepts these explanations, its doc the period of merging into manhood and trine of inspiration will never be the same. womanhood, must pay the penalty of nature's Like the White Estate, at whose request he violated laws at that critical period. originally prepared four-fifths of his review, To anyone familiar with the medical language Schwarz expresses doubts about the reliability and literature of the mid-ninteenth century, Mrs. of my methods. This certainly is fair, but several White's message is clear: the practice of mastur errors and misstatements should be cleared up. I bation will result in "imbecility, dwarfed forms, did not, as Schwarz suggests, set out "to prove" crippled limbs, misshapen heads, and deformity the influence of nineteenth-century health of every description." reformers on Mrs. White's ideas. I discovered Strangely, as I read the White Estate's review, the parallels between their writings and hers and I found myself empathizing with the authors. then described them in good Rankian fashion. They sincerely regard Prophetess of Health as a Even Gottschalk, I think, would admit that such deceptively well-documented study, the con parallels in expression constitute convincing evi clusions of which are based on arbitrarily dence of intellectual indebtedness. selected evidence, unwarranted assumptions and Schwarz states that I occasionally use what Volume 8, Number 2 35 he considers to be hyperbole, overly broad p. 238) I pointedly reject Canright's claim that generalizations, and poor witnesses, but some of Mrs. White wrote Testimony No. 12 to justify his allegations are without any basis at all. He her husband's tearing down of the sanitarium. charges me with overgeneralizing in saying that As for J. H. Kellogg, I question his veracity (pp. the Millerite movement caused some cases of 120-21), say that he occasionally "had a ten insanity. But all I said was that it "allegedly dency to embroider" the truth (p. 250), and [ drove] some distraught souls to suicide or refer to him as "the sometimes haughty czar of insanity" (p. 12). He takes me to task for writ the Adventist medical institutions" (p. 101). ing that poor health was "the 'one constant' This hardly seems like preferential treatment. during Ellen White's early difficult years." (My Whenever I accepted the testimony of a critic italics). But I did not say that. I wrote that over an apologist, I did so for good reason. One "through the years of uncertainty and hardship example will suffice. The White Estate in its one constant in Ellen White's life was poor pamphlet criticizes me for relying on M. Kellogg health" (p. 31). rather than J. N. Loughborough in dating the By far the most potentially damaging of last of Mrs. White's visions in 1879 rather than Schwarz's cntlclsms concern my allegedly in 1884. The Estate suggests that I arbitrarily irresponsible use of the testimony of former chose the version I personally preferred. But the Adventists who rejected Mrs. White's claim to real reason I opted for 1879 was that Kellogg's divine inspiration: H. E. Carver, D. M. Canright, account seemed far more convincing than Frank Belden, Merritt Kellogg and J. H. Kellogg. Loughborough's comment that Mrs. White's Similarly, the White Estate in its 24-page cri "last open vision" occurred at the Portland, tique claims that I consistently give "preferential Oregon, camp meeting in 1884. Writing to his treatment" to such hostile witnesses. brother John on June 18, 1906, Merritt Kellogg said: The unsuspecting reader would no doubt con When in Australia in 1894, I boarded in clude from these observations that my study of Mrs. White's family, and while with her there Mrs. White rests heavily on an uncritical use of I asked her how long since she had a vision. these sources. But such is not the case. A quick She then told me that she did not know if she count shows that Prophetess of Health contains had one since her husband died. She said she roughly 1,185 citations: 31.7 percent from Mrs. might have had one in the night at one time White herself, 32.9 percent from traditional when in Portland, Oregon, but she thought it Adventist sources, 31.5 percent from neutral his was a dream. She said Sister Ings was with her torical documents and a mere 3.9 percent from in Portland at the time. what might be called persons hostile to the I saw Sister Ings a few days ago and asked prophetess. Thus, nearly two-thirds of my docu her about it. She knew nothing of Mrs. W. mentation comes from decidedly pro-Ellen having a vision in Portland, never saw her in White materials. vision. I asked W. C. [White] when his mother But more important than the number of my had the last vision he knew anything of. He references to hostile witnesses is the use I made said it was in 1879, before his father died. of them. Over half of all the citations to such I was down in Oakland a few days ago and sources appear in my last chapter, where I I had an hour's visit with Sister L. M. Hall. I discuss the Battle Creek schism. To understand asked her many questions about her travels the difficulties that perplexed the Battle Creek and association with Mrs. W., also about Mrs. brethren, no sources are more pertinent than W.'s visions, and when she had the last one of their own words. This leaves approximately 20 which Mrs. Hall had any knowledge. citations from critics in the first seven chapters: She said that the last one was in 1879 Carver (7), J. H. Kellogg (7), Canright (3), M. before Brother White's death. Kellogg (2) and Belden (1). Except in one Given a choice between Loughborough and instance, the citations to Carver, Canright and Kellogg, I think 99 of 100 historians would Belden refer either to the words or opinions of unhesitatingly pick Kellogg. other persons, not to the views of the critics Finally, Schwarz wonders why I did "not use themselves. And in the one exception (note 20, the favorable comments of Canright and the two 36 Spectrum

Kelloggs that exist from the period before they While I am delighted to have Guy (and others) became disenchanted and bitter toward Ellen use my study of Ellen White as the occasion for White." But here he overlooks the fact that I theological reinterpretation, I prefer to leave an quote J. H. Kellogg as saying to Mrs. White "I evaluation of his insights to others more theolog have loved and respected you as my own ically competent than I. However, I can com mother" and that I mention his belief in the ment on three historically related points. First, scientific accuracy of her testimonies (p. 191). the view that Mrs. White's pen was "literally Fritz Guy finds two positive benefits in my guided by God" is not mine, as Guy implies. The study of Ellen White: a spur to further investiga credit (or blame) for that opinion belongs to tion and an opportunity for him to correct the Jerome Clark, who wrote in the second volume "theological misunderstandings" of Seventh-day of his 1844 trilogy, published by one of the Adventists regarding inspiration. Other than Adventist publishing houses: "Seventh-day that, he seems to have little regard for what I Adventists believe that she [Mrs. White] wrote have done, believing it to be fundamentally under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that her imbalanced, one-sided and biased. pen was literally guided by God" (p. 255). Unlike the White Estate and Schwarz, who are Second, it seems premature for Guy to say that at least specific in their criticisms, Guy prefers the "systematic coherence and conceptual con innuendo, leaving the impression that my work sistency" of Mrs. White's voluminous writings is is historically unreliable but never explaining "remarkable" when serious analysis has just exactly why. He suggests-without providing any begun. And finally, I can assure Guy that in the supporting evidence-that I have distorted "the area of health reform Mrs. White's differences 'shut door' theology of the 1840s, Mrs. White's from other reformers, taken collectively, were relation to other health reformers and the signif negligible. icance of the health reform vision of 1863, the plan to enlarge the Western Health Reform t obviously would be Institute, the final dispute with J. H. Kellogg, et I self-serving for me to cetera." Here, apparently, he is relying uncriti dwell on the essentially favorable reviews of cally on the widely circulated White Estate cri Norwood, Brodie and Sandeen, but I would like tique, which makes the same points. to reemphasize a few of the points they make. Frankly, I cannot understand why Guy thinks Norwood's distinction between the work of a I have intentionally ignored evidence regarding theologian and a historian is absolutely essential. the shut door but that F. D. Nichol and A. L. If only this separation of function were appreci White have "done their homework well." If ated, I believe that nine-tenths of the church's Nichol deserves such high marks, why did he discomfort with my study would vanish. deliberately suppress the single most important Brodie, in discussing the psychodynamic document relating to Mrs. White's view of the elements in Mrs. White's life, touches on the shut door, her 1847 letter to Joseph Bates? most sensitive and unexplored area in Adventist (According to one who assisted Nichol in pre historiography. Although I am not in a position paring Ellen C. White and Her Critics, he ignored to evaluate her observations, I do think that the letter because it might raise too many ques Adventists should not shy from psychological tions.) And why did White overlook such crucial analyses of the prophetess. If we are truly com documents as Joseph Turner's Advent Mirror, mitted to discovering the truth about Ellen Otis Nichols' 1846 letter to William Miller, and White, we cannot afford to leave any explana other early manuscript sources? Surely, Guy tion-no matter how lfnpleasant-untested. should judge Nichol and White by the same stan Of all the reviews, Sandeen's most nearly dards he applies to me. captures my own feelings. I t is not easy to The reason I did not deal with the arguments examine critically the beliefs that have given of apologists like Nichol and White in Prophetess meaning to one's life. Sometimes the task can be of Health was to avoid polemical debates. It excruciatingly painful, but it is always seemed much more constructive simply to write immensely rewarding. As the Apostle John once from the historical sources without constantly said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth alluding to my differences with others. shall make you free" (John 8:32). Ellen White's Authority ~ Bible CDmmentator

by Joseph J. Battistone

wo of the most vexing and Elijah the prophets. Instead of the second Tquestions concerning coming of Christ they see in the transfiguration Ellen White's writings concern her interpretation the atoning work of Jesus. Support for this and use of Scripture and our interpretation and interpretation can be found in the New Testa the use of her writings. The two questions are ment. 3 related. For example, there is Ellen White's Some persons in the church view these two interpretation of the story of Jesus' transfigura interpretations as complementary rather than tion (Matt. 17: 1-8). The glorious appearance of contradictory. Others, however, find difficulty Moses and Elijah with Christ on the mount is in accepting an interpretation of Scripture that understood as a miniature representation of the differs from one advanced by Ellen White. This second coming of Christ. Moses typifies the difficulty arises, to some extent, from the fact saints who will be resurrected at that time; that Ellen White's writings are viewed by Elijah represents those who will be translated. l Seventh-day Adventists as an inspired-and The credibility of this interpretation is enhanced hence authoritative-commentary on the Bible. when we consider the preceding passage (Matt. But the problem may also develop from a failure 16:21-28). At its end is the problematic text, to understand in a precise way the purpose of "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing Ellen White's writings. And if we do misunder here who will not taste death before they see the stand the nature of her commentary, we will Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matt. inevitably misinterpret and misuse her work. 16:28, RSV). By interpreting the transfiguration It is important to distinguish between belief as a symbolic portrayal of the second advent of in the inspiration of Ellen White, and the theory Christ, Ellen White resolves the difficulty. of how inspiration functions. I may believe her Nevertheless, there are commen tators who writings are inspired and, at the same time, fail interpret the figures in the transfiguration scene to understand and use them correctly. This is differently.2 For them, Moses represents the law, why faith cannot be a substitute for skills in thinking and reading. We need also to clarify the functional differ Joseph J. Battistone has recently become the pastor ence between contemporary biblical commen of the Fletcher, N.C., Seventh-

abound in the form of brief homilies, object les value of her wntmgs. These writings abound sons and general counsel. According to Ellen with insights into the crafty schemes which White, Elijah typifies the saints living at the time Satan employs against the world to counteract of Christ's return. lO The crisis Israel faced on the redemptive purpose of God in Jesus Christ. Mount Carmel represents the great test awaiting She wishes, first, to alert her readers to the the church in the last days. Baal worship in reality of Satan's presence in the world, to his ancient Israel corresponds to apostate Protes cunning influence in the church, and to the tantism today.u Thus, the message to be pro subtle temptations. he employs against individ claimed by the remnant church-the "Elijah uals. She wishes, second, to clarify the nature message" -is essentially a message of judg and consequences of the great· controversy ment. 12 between Christ and Satan in order to persuade One further observation is important. In her her readers to choose the way of righteousness study of the Old Testament prophets, including and truth. While this takes her over many topics Elijah, Ellen White focuses more attention on and fields of study-history, religion, theology, their actions than on their words. She is more science, health, education and others-the basic interested in relating the practical results of the framework throughout is the theme of the great prophetic preaching than in explaining the theo con troversy. logical significance of the actual messages. 13 Consequently, her writings tend to be more hat, then, do we mean homiletical than exegetical. This becomes more W when we affirm a apparent in the frequent parallels she draws unique place-a place second only to the Bible between the time of the prophets and the period for her writings in the church? We mean that we of the church today. These parallels enable her cannot simply place them on the same level of to draw lessons from the biblical material which importance and authority as that of other com relate to the theme of the great controversy. 14 mentaries. Such a high view of her writings, can be easily misunderstood and misapplied, how This points ~o a fundamental feature of her ever. It would be inappropriate to use her writ writings-an' interest in the practical nature and ings to settle questions relating to the reading of value of Bible study. To her way of thinking, a text,' the meaning of a word, the authorship or Bible study is more than a matter of learning date of a biblical book, etc. We would consider facts or concepts. It is an exercise that generates it quite strange, for example, to defend the use from an attitude of prayer, faith and humility, of the King J ames Version against modern trans culminating in the spiritual edification or enrich lations on the grounds that Ellen White used the ment of the student. IS In other words, there is former and gave no explicit instruction for the an inseparable relation between Bible study and need of the latter. And yet, an "all-purpose character development. The study of the Bible, approach" to her writings leaves us vulnerable to Ellen White believes, will eventually lead to a such reasoning. dynamic change in the thinking and behavior of On the basis of the observations advanced the student. above it seems more accurate to describe her The tendency of Ellen White to draw atten interpretation of Scripture as primarily a reli tion to the controversy between Christ and gious exposition of the great controversy theme Satan, particularly as it relates to the individ on a cosmic, historical and personal level, than ual,16 clearly demonstrates her own understand to characterize it as scientific exegesis in a tech ing of the practical significance of Bible study. nical sense. In no way is such a classification At the same time, it offers insights into the denigratory. To the contrary! It may help pre uniqueness of her prophetic ministry. Through vent further misunderstanding and misuse of her her inspired writings, we gain a better under writings. If her writings were designed to answer standing of the role of Seventh-day Adventists, questions of a scholarly nature, their significance collectively as well as individually, in the closing would be restricted to a relatively small group, stage of the great controversy.17 and would in time become dated. Such is the The very nature and purpose of her work, nature of scholarship. But her writings have a then, determine the uniqueness and, hence, the deeper purpose and a wider scope. 40 Spectrum

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. See The Desire of Ages, p. 422, and Prophets and 8 Ibid., pp. 120, 127, 133. Kings, p. 277. 9. Ibid., p. 186. 2. The different interpretation is not due to a liberal or 10. "Elijah was a type of the saints ... who at the close modernist mindset. See, for example, Charles R. of the earth's history will be changed from mortal to Erdman, The Gospel of Matthew: An Exposition (Phila immortal, and be translated to heaven without seeing delphia: The Westminster Press, 1966), p. 155. death" (Ibid., p. 227.). 11. Two features characterizing apostate Protestantism 3. During the New Testament period, the figures of as the antitype of apostate Israel in the time of Elijah are Moses and Elijah were understood to represent the said to be Sunday legislation and liquor traffic supported essence of the law and the prophets. See, tor example, by Protestants (Ibid., p. 186). Matt. 23:2, Luke 16:29; cf. also Luke 24:44 and John 12. According to Ellen White, it is the message of the 1: 17 for Moses. References to Elijah appear in Matt. three angels of Revelation 14 (Ibid., pp. 188-189). 16:14; 17:10-11; cf. Mal. 4:5-6, where Elijah is depicted 13. As a case in point, we cite her study of the book of as the one who prepares the way for the coming of the Daniel. For the most part, it is not the prophecies that Messiah. receive attention, but the stories of Daniel and his com 4. By the expression "prophetic significance," I wish to panions. Six chapters (Chapters 39-44) contain moral include more than the predicatory aspect of her min lessons which stress the practical value of the biblical istry. Without attributing canonical value to her writings, narratives for the life of faith. While she affirms the I believe her role in the formation, development and relevance of the prophetic portion (Daniel 7-12) for the sustenance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is com church in the last days, she offers no comment on the parable in some respects to the part performed by Elijah, material. Jeremiah, or John the Baptist in the history of Israel and 14. In connection with her study of the book of Jonah, Judaism. for example, she underscores the urgency of our mission 5. The dominant role of this theme in her writings is in the world today, particularly in the great cities. The evident in the titles appearing in the ';Conflict of the imminence of God's final judgment is proclaimed Ages Series." Note, for example, such topics as '·Why through conditions of moral decadence and social Was Sin Permitted?", "Satan's Enmity Against the injustice, coupled with natural catastrophes. During this Law," and "Ancient and Modern Sorcery" in Patriarchs period of probation, the church must rise to its task and and Prophets. The importance of the theme is reflected, announce· the "glad tidings of salvation" (Ibid., pp. moreover, in Ellen White's selection and application of 274-278.) biblical passages. Often the amount of space that she 15. The inquiry characterizing this type of Bible study devotes to a passage is out of proportion to the emphasis has more than academic significance since it has to do given to it in the Bible. Her discussion of the sin of with questions of ultimate concern, namely, the eternal Nadab and Abihu is a clear example. She devotes a full destiny of the individual. Far more is at stake here than chapter to an incident that is presented in the Scriptures the solution of a literary riddle or a historical problem. in three ve.rses (see Chapter 31 in Patriarchs and Proph At the center of such Bible study are questions relating ets. Compare this with Lev. 10:1-3), whereas she makes to issues of life and death. no comment on a large portion of the book of Leviticus. 16. This is evident in the numerous character sketches of While she quotes from other portions of Leviticus, she Old Testament personalities. Some examples are her por does not offer a systematic exposition of the book. The traits of Aaron, Miriam, Korah, Balaam, Moses, Gideon, great controversy theme appears also in connection with Samson, Samuel and Saul (see Patriarchs and Prophets, numerous character sketches, is found in the object les pp. 319-320, 360-361, 385, 395, 447, 449, 452, sons which are frequently drawn from the Bible and, 475-477, 557-558, 561-562, 568, 572, 575, 602, 635, finally, in a typology that is peculiar to Ellen White. 684-688). 6. In Prophets and Kings, she devotes six chapters 17. The idea of a controversy between Christ and Satan (Chapters 9-14) to the prophet Elijah. The book of is not, of course, unique to Ellen White. What is original Daniel is given about the same coverage (see Chapters to her, however, is her understanding of the place of the 39-44). Seventh-day Adventist Church in the scheme of the con 7. See Prophets and Kings, pp. 140-142, 147, 152, troversy. This seems to be one of her foremost concerns 156-157. in volume one of Spiritual Gifts. THE CHURCH AND THE WAR IN LEBANON

I IntetView with A Union President

by Malcolm Russell

Robert Darnell was most recently president of 'Ashrafiyya Church, for example, which lies near the Middle East Union of Seventh-day Advent the Museum and the dividing line in Beirut, ists. He holds a doctorate in Near Eastern lan every window has been broken. On Sabtiyya guages and literature from the University of hill, where most of our institutions are located, Michigan, and is a new member of the faculty of the damage was generally less, particularly Lorna Linda University. The following interview before the fighting around Tal al-Za'tar. took place Aug. 25, 1976, shortly after Darnell's Our members likewise generally remained return to the United States. A note about the safe, although Krikor Yessayan, a dedicated interviewer may be found on page 46. binder at Middle East Press, was killed last fall -The Editors while buying food for his family. Others have recovered from wounds, or lost some posses Russell: In your score of years in the Middle sions, but God has blessed and cared for his East, you have been through many crises, but members. this one has probably been different in duration Russell: Was this protection observed by and destruction. How have our church members others? and institutions fared up to the time of your Darnell: Certainly. Until this latest fighting departure in July? around Tal al-Za'tar, children played in Sabtiyya Darnell: The Lord has shown remarkable Street, and refugees came to the area "because providence over us and our properties. Despite God was protecting the hill." You must remem the heavy fighting, physical damage has been ber that tragedy has struck almost every home, limited mostly to broken windows, the results of that proportionately 2,000,000 Americans stray bullets rather than malice. At the would have died. 42 Spectrum

Russell: Aside from the physical destruction, interrupted: How did the college manage how could our institutions operate during the throughout the school year? fighting? How did Middle East College complete Darnell: It was probably the best learning a full academic year when no other institution experience the students ever had. They did learn of higher learning in the country managed to do their normal courses, but in addition they so? experienced God's care in a very personal way. Darnell: To answer the second question first, One result of this was the special Pine Echoes when the battles first started, it was not unlike [the Middle East College yearbook] , which con the past-the periodic turmoil which we have tained student testimonials of God's care. experienced in Lebanon in 1958, 1971 and Now all this does not mean that we did not 1973. We thought that the fighting would pass; have problems, particularly with supplies. certainly, it would be over for the summer tour Herbert Faimann, at the college bakery, tried to ist season. Thus morale was high, and problems continue deliveries of his bread, but eventually . at the college escalated at a slow pace: if the the trucks could not cross the demarcation line shell had hit the cafeteria in the beginning, the to stores in West Beirut. New outlets opened up, school would naturally have been closed and he continued to produce at the usual level. quickly. However, Brother Faimann had no inside track Russell: What's this about shelling the cafe on flour, and the high-grade imported quality teria? which he uses became very scarce after the port Darnell: Both the college administration was closed by fighting. At one point, it seemed building and cafeteria were hit by shells in July, that his supplies would be exhausted; almost during the fighting for Tal al-Za'tar. The admin none were left. Then a truck entered the city, istration building was not structurally damaged, carrying flour for other bakeries. The driver, although the glass around the stairwell was sent fearing cross-fire and even murder, decided to flying. On the other hand, the cafeteria suffered cut his route short and asked for nearby bak eries. He was directed to Middle East College, where he sold the whole load-right at the time "The serious question is really, of exhaustion. Similarly, gasoline reserves were used up. 'Can a national constituency Some of our people went down to the main survive?' There is little doubt street, to hail down tanker trucks and ask for that when peace comes there will deliveries. One who refused'to deliver his present load promised to do something in the future. be fewer members, but hopefully Now our workers thought that this was polite there will also be wider evasion, but two days later the same driver brought so much oil that the storage tanks were opportunities for witness." filled to overflowing, and they had to call in families to bring their cars and cans to purchase all that the driver had supplied. a direct hit, at the end of mealtime, by a 122 Fuel oil, used for heating, seemed miracu mm shell. This knocked one of those hewn lously to last until spring, when the weather was limestone blocks out of the wall and sent it fly warmer and the heat was no longer needed. ing across the room, missing the students seated There was always enough water and food, but within before it hit the opposite wall. The shell prices were sometimes high. Gasoline was very itself did not follow the stone inside the build scarce, and was stolen from some cars, but there ing, but rather fell back outside, and there was nowhere to drive most of the time, anyway. exploded. To those who were there, the absence Russell: Besides the college, how did the of serious injuries was evidence of God's provi larger Adventist community manage during the dence-but I doubt that we would have con fighting? tinued the school year if something like this had Darnell: Church attendance grew. Elder happened at the beginning. Schantz, then the president of the East Mediter Russell: Back to where you were before we ranean Field, conducted several excellently Volume 8, Number 2 43 attended evangelistic series despite nearby gun Russell: You mentioned nationals and fire. Amid the fighting, there were people who foreigners. Was there any tension between these looked for something spiritual. two groups as a result of the troubles? Russell: Would you say, then, that the Darnell: No, not really. There was fear that Lebanese, long famed for worldly sophistication, when it became too dangerous only the mission are in their suffering turning to God and seeking aries would be evacuated. It wasn't so much a comfort in spiritual things? point of controversy, but of concern. Elder Darnell: Unfortunately, that's not really the Schmidt [C. E. Schmidt, the Afro-Mideast case. Satan uses war to influence the minds of Division treasurer] did point out the particular man, and while people look for security, and obligation of the church to return a worker to more come to church, Christ's love and teach his homeland; there were also assurances that ings actually have almost no place in most the Lebanese would not be ignored. In fact, people's minds. there was no serious talk of evacuation by local There are also serious disadvantages in trying denominational leaders until the final battle (Tal to operate a church mission under these circum al-Za'tar). stances. The literature evangelism, work was Russell: Did the outside funds, foreign halted by the kidnappings, torture and killings. workers and large institutions give the impres Then there have been the tremendous economic sion in Lebanon that the Adventists were costs of continuing to operate during the con American-oriented, and likely to be aligned with flict. The Middle East Press, for example, which particular political groups? previously shipped books directly from the air Darnell: The question really assumes too port now has had to truck them through one much. I do not think that Adventism is per militia checkpoint after another, finally leaving ceived as particularly American-there have been the country and reshipping them abroad. The too many European missionaries for that. On five primary and secondary schools also suf the other hand, we are viewed as "western." But fered: with the students' parents out of work, we have avoided alliances with political groups they were not able to pay tuition. Rather than or objectives and we do not seem to be iden turn away students who in some cases had been tified in the public mind with any particular attending our schools for years, we allowed political group. Geography placed most of our them to continue. Now, of course, our schools institutions and members within the Kata'ib owe great debts and in practical terms are bank (Phalangist) zone, but our welfare work has rupt. Only large aid from the church in the rest served all. of the world will reestablish our work again. Russell: What kind of relations has the Russell: With much of your income dried Adventist Church in general, and the College in up, how were you able to pay the teachers and particular, had with the various sides which are other workers during the fighting? now fighting in Lebanon? Darnell: To understand how that was done, Darnell: With the political groups as such, we you will have to remember that the major insti have had very little official contact. It has not tutions-the college, press, division and union been our policy to become involved in local are all located on one hill, which lies within the politics. On the other hand, we have let our Christian zone. One bank remained open in beliefs be known, and students from all com J ounieh [the small port north of Beirut which munities came to Middle East College over the has served as the Christian" capital"] , and main years. tained ties with a bank in Paris. The General Russell: Could you be more specific? Conference sent funds through France to us; Darnell: Well, take the Druze community, for while a couple of times the payroll was late example, one of whose leaders, Kamal Jumblat, because the roads were closed, the funds is a nonsmoking vegetarian. He is now the num eventually got through. While talking about help ber one leftist. Druze students have come to from the General Conference, I would like to Middle East College and enjoyed the clean air, mention the special gift the General Conference food and life style. The Adventist community sent to each of our workers, national as well as would probably welcome certain of the goals of foreign. the Left, such as the establishment of a secular 44 Spectrum state and the abolishment of confessionalism in and often ransacked, with the household lined the government. On the other hand, if secular up against the wall. For them it was a very ization meant the elimination of parochial frightening experience. Had they possessed any schools, there would be great hardship. guns, they would have been executed. Russell: Well, what about the Right? Russell: Has this position of noninvolvement Darnell: Much the same could be said here. led to serving the interests of those around? The Maronite Community has also given stu Have the militias, for example, tried to fight dents to Middle East College. They have given from our institutions? Lebanon its uniqueness-a character which has Darnell: Well, obviously we will not oppose made it a bridge between east and west. Advent armed men, but our policy has been to inform ists chose Lebanon as the site for M:iddle East any would-be occupiers that the area by agree College because of the nation's special character. ment is not to be involved in fighting because it We remain aware, of course, that there are fanat is religious and educational property. This may ical religious elements who are not pleased to see make the group leader halt and check with his Seventh-day Adventists in the country. We don't headquarters, which will know of the under think they dominate the right any more than the standing. left is dominated by its extremist elements. Russell: Turning from the recent past to the Russell: As a result would our work be hurt if near future, what do you expect will happen to the "left" won? the Adventist Church in Lebanon? Darnell: As far as what might happen if any Darnell: This is obviously a most critical time particular party achieves complete victory, it is for decisions. Most of the Middle East College difficult, and probably unwise, to conjecture in student body has decided to transfer to another print. A negotiated peace, by confirming a college for the coming year, and many of the pluralist society, might be particularly beneficial faculty have done so, too. and at the same time lie within Lebanese tradition. Much of the Lebanese population has been At any rate, whoever wins, our work is under forced by the war circumstances to abandon God's care, and we will continue to carryon, perhaps with greater liberty than before. "We remained when other Russell: But given the brutality and closeness of the civil war, hasn't the Adventist communi foreign organizations pulled ty, deliberately or not, been linked with a partic ular side? out. The population has generally Darnell: We have been a help to all communi recognized that the Adventists ties. We remained, and paid our workers when did not come merely to other foreign organizations pulled out, leaving their workers unemployed. The population has enjoy Lebanon's prosperity, generally recognized that the Adventists did not and then leave in adversity." come merely to enjoy Lebanon's prosperity, and then leave in adversity. Even the local Phalangist militia saw this: we were specifically exempted their homes. The general experience is that an from the shakedowns and demands for protec unoccupied property is looted. However, we still tion money. However, the Adventist community have workers remaining at each of our institu had already collected a sum of about $1,500, tions. which was made available for use at this time. Our Lebanese members recognize that Informed of this, the militia commander opportunities for .jobs with the church and for exclaimed, "Other churches talk, the Adventists schooling for their children may be lost. This do!" leads to emigration. The serious question is In fact, it has been a very good thing that our really "Can a national constituency survive?" members have stayed out of the fighting. For There is little doubt that when peace comes example, once in leftist-held territory, a local there will be fewer members, but hopefully militia commander was assassinated. Like other there will also be wider opportunities for per homes, those of our members were searched, sonal witness. 'Volume 8, Number 2 45

Russell: Isn't this what some have said for likely to see any necessity of doing this in some years-that our membership in Lebanon and dangerous spot. much of the Middle East was far too dependent If we really believe that we're going to on denominational employment? complete the work under difficulties, as we have Darnell: This war does emphasize the been told, then we need to have a growing trust obvious-that if the church stopped employ in God's care; we need to improve our threshold ment, Sabbath problems, economic needs and for handling difficulty, and we must gain a well other matters might make our members leave. defined image of ourselves individually and as a church. Only then can we achieve its purposes. Russell: Leave the church? Thinking specifically of Lebanon, we have Darnell: No; leave the country, emigrate. For learned how easily the spirit of brutality and many of our members, there is no real alterna inhumanity can possess people who are normally tive. This, of course, is a weakness. It shows how courteous, hospitable and kind. What has hurt difficult it is for the Church to set deep roots in the most, even more than the daily tragedies of the community, but perhaps that is God's will destruction, is the hatred in people's hearts we are, after all, pilgrims here. Our church is not towards others of whom they know nothing: the alone in this problem. Emigration from Lebanon label "Moslem," or "Christian" is enough to is something of a national tradition. evoke the darkest passions. Russell: You have now told us about the Russell: What about our wider mission experiences of the past year and the difficulties work-will strife in Lebanon between Christians looming in the immediate future. Are there any and Moslems hinder our work in other Islamic long-term lessons which you can see resulting countries? from these events? Darnell: It will increase the difficulties. Darnell: Certainly. We found that God pro Reports of atrocities have often been slanted for vided everything we needed. His care was local consumption, and the news from Lebanon unbelievable compared to the sufferings of the has led to a new bitterness towards Christians in people around us. the rest of the Moslem world. However, the We can perhaps generalize somewhat about increase in Moslem opposition only challenges us the specific qualities of those who decided to to reach an excellence of Christlikeness that God remain at their posts in hazardous times. In the can use to remove that bitterness. The Moslem first place, of course, some people can tolerate Christian confrontation is further reason for us more danger than others. Secondly, there must to seek out the means by which the Holy Spirit be a faith in God as a sustainer. One phrase works in the Moslem world. The Holy Spirit seemed obvious to those of us who remained, may work as the Moslem world consolidates and was frequently repeated: "We can go ahead against the Christian to expose the real aims of because God is with us." the apostate forces in the Last Day. Without this The third requirement for effective work in reinforcement of resistance to Christianity, the conditions of personal risk is an understanding Moslem lands might suffer a cultural collapse of the objectives and purposes. One must have which at this time could further the spread of the feeling "I'm here for a purpose, I know it, apostasy in the Moslem world more than open and I must fulfill it." Some jobs are obviously doors to righteousness. While current events in more purposeful than others-the welfare direc the world may increase difficulties for our work tor, the baker and the local teacher all serve here and there, we also see them controlled so as specific needs. On the other hand, someone to accomplish the divine purpose. The strife in teaching American students the same courses as Lebanon is doubtless an example of this fact. they would receive in the United States is less Russell: Thank you very much. 46 Spectrum

IT. Recent Political HSoty in Lehman

by Malcolm Russell

n the summer of 1974, of the Biqa' valley to the East. The port of I the Daily Star, Beirut's Tripoli, with excellent communications to the English newspaper, printed a satirical article sug interior, was also added, as was the predomi gesting that the south of Lebanon be rented as nantly Shi'a Moslem area bordering on Palestine. an arena to settle military conflicts around the Thus, what had been a largely Maronite and world. After all, the Palestinians and Israelis Druze (heterodox Moslem) principality under were already using it for that purpose. Ottoman rule became a state with a slight Chris The author could hardly have realized that tian majority holding to one culture while a within little more than a year Beirut itself, the large Moslem minority looked to union with commercial center and flesh pot of the Middle Syria, defined by fluctuatingly limited or expan East, would itself be blown apart by its Leba sive borders. nese and Palestinian residents. With the coming of independence from The suddenness, ferocity, and duration of the France in 1943, relations between the major fighting caught many by surprise, for as recently communities were defined by the National Pact, as the spring of 1975 political analysts were still which stipulated national policy on the chief commenting on the "remarkable stability and issues of the day. Both Moslems and Christians absorptive capacity of the Lebanese system in were to turn away from political links with the face of the country's pluralistic, hetero other nations, and support an independent coun geneous makeup."l try. Internally, a confessional government was In many ways, however, the conflict does not established, with the president of the republic seem surprising. Lebanese politics, while demo and the military commander both from the cratic in form, have been more akin to an inter Maronite sect. The National Pact was reaffirmed national balance of power rather than any model by the 1958 civil war, which blocked an attempt of a nation state.2 The Republic of Lebanon, in by a Maronite president to gain greater power fact, was and is a state at best. It is not a nation, and _a second term. Foreign policy, too, was but a unit drawn up to meet the requirements of affected: henceforth, it would be basically neu the modern world and the past desires of a cer tralist, rather than pro-Western. tain section of its population. Leadership and power in the country have Greater Lebanon was formed by France, in generally gone to traditional notable families, 1920, as a colonial enterprise, in contrast to the who have been compared to city bosses in traditional Jabal Lubnan (Mt. Lebanon). The lat American cities at the turn of the century. Their ter had remained an outpost of Christianity and careers have spanned almost the entire indepen a refuge for minorities for centuries. The new dence period; Kamal Jumblat, Pierre Jumayyal state was the fulfillment of Maronite Catholic and Camille Cham'un, today respectively the aims: to the lean but free Mountain was added leader of the Moslem left, Christian right, and the commercial wealth of Beirut and the fertility interior minister, united in 1952 to oust a presi dent. All three of these men, and many other deputies like them, established "parties" and Malcolm Russell, a doctoral candidate at Johns Hop organized private militias, but in fact gained and kins University, is writing a dissertation on the modern history of Lebanon and Syria. He will shortly join the maintained power as individuals. In this, they history department at Andrews University. were aided by the electoral system, under which Volume 8, Number 2 47

the unicameral parliament was apportioned on were allowed exclusive franchises on their goods, the basis of religion, and voters generally thus allowing some monopoly profit. Despite a selected only the local representative of their steep revaluation of the Lebanese lira, greater religion. Electoral reform, by creating larger dis than that of the German mark against the dollar tricts or even a single one for the whole nation, ( 19 7 3-74), prices of imported goods rose rather might have upset the traditional aristocracy by than fell. Beirut was no longer an attractive forcing them to appeal for votes in other reli place to purchase merchandise ranging from gious communities and to create alliances Swiss watches to American pens and Japanese parties-with ideologically similar politicians of cameras, and certain goods-inexpensive textiles other sects. To date, however, no uniquely from the Far East, for example-did not seem to Lebanese party spanning the religious divisions find their way into the country. From this the of society has appeared. poor suffered, but Parisian fashions were dis played for the wealthy at prices the poor could ithin such a pluralistic not imagine. 3 W state, it was natural Certainly, the economy was growing, at a rate that many freedoms would be maiqtained. The close to ten percent annually, but the lower press, worship, education and even personal income groups were not helped by government status have been largely beyond the govern policies such as a monopoly concession granted ment's control; similarly, the levantine mercan to one company in 1975 for fishing rights for tile traditions continued, with private enterprise the whole coast. Even those who had done well providing services which elsewhere in the Middle in the capitalist economy were strongly critical East and Europe were state responsibility. As a of the government's corruption and ineffi center of banking and commerce, few controls ciency,4 and in recent years both left and right were placed on the economy, and imported agreed on the need for significant reform. goods were widely in evidence. Given the favorable Middle East economic But behind the facade of the new skyscrapers situation, it is conceivable that concessions by and land values among the highest in the world, the Maronites and Sunni Moslem notables could there were certain crucial government weak have satisfied many of the relatively moderate nesses, which are generally conceded to have demands of the leftists. However, concession been an element in the growing dissatisfaction and change seem to have been contrary to the which provided the background for the present personality of the president, Sulayman conflict. Personal income lay largely beyond the Franjiyya, and the catalyst necessary for fu11- tax structure, which was generally based on scale bloodshed was present in the form of the indirect taxation and was largely regressive. Palestinian guerrilla movement. The Lebanese Income was very unequally distributed: about state no longer could claim that most significant half the pu pulation, in 1959, was considered characteristic of governmental authority: a poor or destitute, while four percent of the monopoly on the use of force. inhabitants earned a third of the wealth. These Operating out of refugee camps which the statistics have not been updated, but there is Lebanese military were unable to defend from reason to believe that the gap between rich and Israeli attack, the Palestinian Resistance in all its poor has been growing. The gap certainly has splintered forms soon became a state within a . become more visible, despite a growing profes state. Guerrillas crossing the border were not sional class in some ways akin to a "middle subject to the same passport controls as civilians. class" in the United States. Related to this Checkpoints of Palestinians demanded the iden socially undesirable feature was relatively high tity papers of Lebanese citizens on Lebanese unemployment, despite a system of labor per soil, and camouflaged as guerrillas, thieves stole mits which excluded many Palestinians (who automobiles and lesser valuables. Insecurity might have even been born in Lebanon) and reigned, there were political kidnappings and other non-Lebanese. murders, and the Lebanese press, despite legal Other aspects of the economic system were freedoms, could no longer objectively report not so free, and the general public frequently Palestinian affairs. suffered from governmental measures. Importers Both sides of the political spectrum utilized 48 Spectrum the Palestinian presence in the political struggle. nations and groups, each side prepared for a con The left demanded reforms as a pre-condition flict that was increasingly probable. for treating the "security issue," and the right, When it did come, and heavy fighting broke in keeping with tradition, required order· first, out, all Lebanon, not just the south, became the then concessions. In effect, a new National Pact arena for a war among gladiators who had begun was needed to unify the country over new fighting over local issues but increasingly repre issues, and the leftists for the first time had a sented regional and international power strug military force as disciplined and organized as gles. Preserving the unity and integrity of Leba their Maronite rivals on the right. Instead of non required the introduction of a peace compromise, Franjiyya attempted to bypass the keeping force which would have conflicted with traditional Moslem leadership and crack down another currently popular ideal, that of not on the guerrillas in 1973. He fail~d, and the intervening militarily. Countries outside the Mid inability of the police and army to halt fighting dle East made nonintervention their highest between the rightist, Maronite Kata'ib priority and so could do little but await the end (Phalange) Party, and the Palestinians became of a conflict whose sides had been largely deter evident over the next year. Armed and supplied mined by religion, but whose goals were now from abroad, liberally financed by foreign almost completely political.

NOTES AND REFERENCES 1. Peter Gubser, reviewing "Pluralism and Party Trans Lebanese lira each. The youngsters had looted them formation in Lebanon: al-Kata'ib, 1936-70." Middle East and were selling them for far below their value. Journal, vol. 29 no. 2 (Spring 1975), pp. 220-221. 4. The postal service, while moderately successful in 2. See Michael Hudson's aptly entitled The Precarious handling incoming mail for Beirut's main post office Republic, probably the best book on Lebanese politics. boxes, completely failed internally. A letter would take 3. A reporter for the British press was amazed tofind a week to ten days from posting in Beirut to delivery in refugee urchins hawking gold cigarette lighters for 1.50 Tripoli, 60 miles away. ill A Sociologft Looks At His Homeland

by Anees Haddad

he Seventh-day the west, have received their full or partial TAdventist Church has education at Middle East College. Situated about made Lebanon the nerve-center of its work in seven miles from the heart of Beirut, it sits the Middle East and East Africa. In and around astride a hill occupying about 70 acres, with a Beirut are the headquarters of the Afro-Mideast majestic view of the city and the Mediterranean Division, the Middle Eastern Union, the East Sea beyond. Mediterranean Field, Middle East Press, the Just to the northwest of the college sits Mid Voice of Prophecy Correspondence Schools, and dle East Press, a multilanguage literature power very significantly, Middle East College, a senior house for millions of people. Less than a block college affiliated with Lorna Linda University. downhill is the headquarters of the Middle East Most of the denominational workers from Union Field, which has jurisdiction now over Istanbul in the north to Khartoum in the south, what used to be the Middle East Division. One and from Teheran in the east to Alexandria in half-mile downrange towards the capital is the headquarters of the Afro-Mideast Division of Anees Haddad, a sociologist, is director of the Seventh-day Adventists, a fence-encircled com Division of Behavioral Sciences at Lorna Linda Univer sity. He was formerly youth director of the Middle East pound from which the affairs of 165,000 Division. Seventh-day Adventists are managed. 48 Spectrum the Palestinian presence in the political struggle. nations and groups, each side prepared for a con The left demanded reforms as a pre-condition flict that was increasingly probable. for treating the "security issue," and the right, When it did come, and heavy fighting broke in keeping with tradition, required order· first, out, all Lebanon, not just the south, became the then concessions. In effect, a new National Pact arena for a war among gladiators who had begun was needed to unify the country over new fighting over local issues but increasingly repre issues, and the leftists for the first time had a sented regional and international power strug military force as disciplined and organized as gles. Preserving the unity and integrity of Leba their Maronite rivals on the right. Instead of non required the introduction of a peace compromise, Franjiyya attempted to bypass the keeping force which would have conflicted with traditional Moslem leadership and crack down another currently popular ideal, that of not on the guerrillas in 1973. He fail~d, and the intervening militarily. Countries outside the Mid inability of the police and army to halt fighting dle East made nonintervention their highest between the rightist, Maronite Kata'ib priority and so could do little but await the end (Phalange) Party, and the Palestinians became of a conflict whose sides had been largely deter evident over the next year. Armed and supplied mined by religion, but whose goals were now from abroad, liberally financed by foreign almost completely political.

by Anees Haddad

When the hill where these institutions are terannean Field. The third location is in western located was inhabited by more coyotes than Beirut between the Christian and Moslem areas. men, it was called Sabtiyeh (meaning Sab It was in this area that two of the workers of the batarians), after the majority of inhabitants. But church had their homes attacked and looted. as the area flourished and $2,OOO-a-month apart Fortunately, no one was killed or hurt in the ments were built, the elite who moved into terrifying incidents. Sabtiyeh soon outnumbered the Adventists. Sab Ninety-nine percent of the Adventists in bat arianism smacks too much of Jewishness-not Lebanon come from solid Christian back exactly an advantage in the Arab world. Con grounds, as do other Middle Eastern Adventists. sequently, the non-~dventist population success As far as their political loyalties are concerned, fully petitioned the authorities to change the the missionaries have done a good job of divest name from Sabtiyeh to Firdous, meaning Para ing them of any political loyalties. It is very dise. But the old name stuck, so that today clear, however, that they do consider themselves when a puzzled taxidriver asks a passenger, a part of the Christian communities, and "Where on earth is Paradise?" the ready answer Adventists socially identify themselves with is, "In Sabtiyeh, of course." Christians. Avery, very tiny percentage of The Adventists of Lebanon have a few con Adventists in Lebanon (mostly the northern centrations of members. Paradise is the biggest Lebanese) may have some political life. It is my and the most influential. During any troubles understanding, however, that no Adventists were between Christians and Moslems, or between actually involved in the recent battles for Lebanese and Palestinians, Paradise is potentially Lebanon. in trouble. Directly to the north of the hill is a large settlement of Shi'a Moslems. Directly to the southwest, less than one mile away from the hill, is the site of Tal al-Za'tar, on~ of the largest he Adventists in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. It was besieged T Middle East universally for two months and finally captured by the espouse the basic denominational stand that the Christian Phalangists during the summer of creation of the modern state of Israel is in no 1976. way to be interpreted as a fulfillment of proph Another Adventist stronghold is in north ecy. They are in sympathy with the Palestinians, Lebanon, on the way to the remaining forests of and in general they would say that the basic cedars. This center is in the midst of a fertile problem in Lebanon is not between the Chris plain with mostly Christian villages. From this tians and the Moslems, but between the edgy general area the immediate past president of Lebanese Christians supported by some mod Lebanon, Sulaiman Franjieh, comes; despite his erate Moslems on the one hand, and the Pales strong rightist position, many of these villages tinians, supported by militant leftiest Moslems, have leftist Christian elements. South of Beirut on the other. the Adventists have another concentration of But it must be made absolutely clear that any members in a village whose inhabitants are opposition to the Palestine Liberation Organiza mainly Moslem Druze. tion or the Palestine Liberation Army is not In Beirut itself there are three major Advent opposition to these groups' cause. The Christians ist centers. One is near the Christian Armenian of Lebanon have been among the most indignant community, but close enough to the Moslem at the injustices done .to their southern neigh Kurds of the Karantine area that it was threat bors and fellow-Arabs-the Palestianians. Some ened and eventually occupied at one time by of the most articulate defenders of the Pales Kurds fleeing the fighting and seeking refuge. tinian cause on both the national and interna Another center is by the Damascus-Beirut main tional levels are Christian Lebanese. Many of highway, within a block of the Beirut National these are not even politicians, but rather men Museum at the foot of Christian' Ashrafieh, a hill and women of letters who defend the Pales that dominates Beirut. The Voice of Prophecy tinian cause because of their strong conviction headquarters is there, along with a large evange that the inalienable rights of the Palestinian listic center and the offices of the East Medi- people have been violated. 50 Spectrum

In seminars in Middle Eastern Studies (a pro 2) The Global Conspiracy Theory. There are gram I coordinate at Lorna Linda University), in some who even believe that there is an interna conversations with Arabs from all kinds of back tional, big- and small-power conspiracy to settle grounds, in direct contact with the situation in the problem of the Palestinians and their Lebanon during past summers, especially that of national rights at the expense of the Christians 1975, I have come to believe that there are ~ome of Lebanon. This theory sees a plan that would theories of the cause of the crisis that many hold give half of Lebanon to the Palestinians as a almost hysterically. Here they are: "National Home" with the same shamelessness 1) The Outside Intervention Theory. I should that gave Palestine to International Zionists as say "Outside Intervention Theories" and not a "National Home." And why not? Let the just one "theo~y." Whether the intervention is world's future generations come to terms with seen as coming from Syria, the Palestinians, Iraq, what might become the Lebanese Commandoes Libya, Israel, or the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Lebanese Liberation Army seeking to most Lebanese believe that their tragedy is regain their national and natural homeland-just caused by direct outside intervention. Lebanon, as the Palestine Liberation Organization and the with its totally open society, has been a haven Palestine Liberation Army are trying to do now for any kind of activity desired. Some feel that and have succeeded internationally in world Syria, Iraq and Libya are intervening to bring opinion support. According to this theory, it would take 30 years before the Lebanese Libera tion Organization and the Lebanese Liberation "A tiny percentage of Adventists Army could really disturb the world with the same ferocity the Palestine Liberation Organiza in Lebanon (mostly the northern tion and the Palestine Liberation Army have. Lebanese) may have some political Until then, Israel and all its other neighbors would have had a generation of peace. And let life. It is my understanding, the next generation pay the "international however, that no Adventists were debts" accrued by this generation. There is a actually involved in precedent for such a policy. 3) The Christians-Are-at-Fault Theory. This is the recent battles for Lebanon." advanced by the political left and by some Chris tians in and out of Lebanon. For years, it was very apparent that the Christians were getting the Christians to heel once and for all. Some fewer in number, mostly because of emigration believe that Israel and the Central Intelligence and smaller families, and the Moslems were get Agency lit the fire in order to remove the Pales ting more numerous for exactly the opposite tinian Commando pressure from Israel and to reasons. Since 1932, the Christians, in their tran weaken the Arabs through internal fighting. sition from a majority to a minority, have Even if this theory is true, the results have back refused to allow a national census, have elected fired. If Lebanon becomes a "confrontation to believe that Lebanon is a "Christian Nation" state" like Syria, Jordan and Egypt, Israel for no matter who says what, and have believed that the first time in 28 years would have gained a France in particular and other Christian nations new, active enemy. in general would always keep Lebanon "Chris There seems to be no question that the Pales tian." Perpetrating this myth of Lebanon as a tinians and the Lebanese Leftists have received a Christian nation is responsible for the fighting. lot of support from Arab states. And if one Lebanese Mohammedans have felt enough out reviews the freedom with which Israeli agents rage from fellow-Moslems in the Arab world to have been operating in Lebanon for years, and if precipitate the current major explosion in one reviews the recent revelations about CIA Lebanon. The presence of mostly Moslem Pales activities around the world, then one does not tinian refugees (some 400,000) added impetus find it so far fetched to believe that indeed these and opportunism to the Lebanese Moslem cause. two parties may have been contributing their 4) The Palestinians-Are-to-Blame Theory. This share in fueling the fire. is very strongly believed by the Christians fight- Volume 8, Number 2 51

ing in Lebanon and by many of their supporters Thus, the Moslems are blamed for not fighting outside Lebanon. The Palestinians are guests in for their own country, Lebanon, taking advan Lebanon, but by and by, the theory goes, they tage of the neighboring Moslem countries, taking have almost totally forgotten that fact. Instead, advantage of the Palestinian presence, and using they have rejected their role as guests in favor of all this in their illegitimate fight against the their role as co-equal and even superior to the "true" Lebanese. The argument makes the Chris indigenous Lebanese. Lebanon, like any other tian Lebanese as ethnocentric as possible. "The Arab country, owes them not only the debt of only true Lebanese is the Christian Lebanese," hospitality while away from their home-s in sounds like a counter-reaction to the bigoted occupied Palestine, but also the greater debt of stand of some Moslems who claim that "the total aid in their quest to return. Both Jordan only true Arab is the Moslem Arab." and Syria, for national security reasons, have 6) The Political Ideology Theory. In reading kept the Palestinians very much under control. about the situation in Lebanon in newspapers So has Egypt. But Lebanon, because of its and. magazines, in hearing and seeing news and pacific nature, small army, relatively free press commentary on the air, there was a clear shift of and economy and general neutral,ity, was in emphasis from calling the conflict "Christians some ways unwilling and in other ways unable, against-Moslems" to '1\lmost-all-Christians-against to control the Palestinians inside its borders. The almost-all-Moslems." This came about because it result is a state within a state and friction became more and more apparent that there is a unparalleled in recent Lebanese history. The minority of Christians fighting on the side of the dual role of guest and lord created the seeds that Moslems and a minority of Moslems fighting on were to blossom into hatred and bloodshed. the side of the Christians. This is where the right Both Lebanon's former president, Camille ist ideology is pitted against the leftist. The right Chamoun, now leader of a Christian militia in Lebanon sides with the West, and the left sides called the Tigers, and Pierre Gmayel, president with the East. And given the current socialist of the Phalangist Party and leader of their drift throughout the Arab world, it is only militia, have declared on several occasions that natural for the political left in Lebanon to see the Lebanese Christians and the Lebanese every possible opportunity to conquer the politi Mohammedans have lived in peace for genera cal right. tions and will continue to do so if no outside influences come in to divide them. They believe 7) The Economic Ideology Theory. In Leba that once the problem of the Palestinian refu non, as in most of the world, it is the educated, gees is settled, the problem of Lebanon will the Protestant-ethic-oriented, that constitute for again assume manageable proportions. the most part the "haves." The "have-nots" are 5) The Moslems-A re-to-Blame Theory. This the uneducated "others." It so happens that the theory posits a situation in which the Lebanese Left in Lebanon is composed of those who are Moslems took advantage of the presence of the less educated than the Right, composed of those Palestinian guests in Lebanon to press their who have larger families than the Right; and, in demands for equality at least in government. general, composed of those who have not had The Christians believe that it is not true that equal opportunity and access to the good life . they have the major power in the country. They and the power structure. There was a lot of cor point to the fact that in many departments of ruption in government. Bribery was a way of government the opposite is true, that the life. The rich were getting richer before the very Moslem demands stem not from real grievances eyes of the poor. Economic reform was needed but from imagined ones. The Moslems in Leba at every level of government policy. The pres non are blamed for not being "true Lebanese." sure was mounting incessantly. And when the They are more Arab Arabs than Lebanese Arabs, explosion came, the destruction of the places it is said. And much as the Moslems believe that and palaces of the rich, the looting at every turn, the Christian Lebanese are more pro-West than were manifestations of the "proletariat" getting pro-Lebanon or pro-Arab, the Christians sin back at the "bourgeoisie." Social justice could cerely believe that the Moslems in Lebanon are have gone a long way toward preventing civil at any time more pro-Arab than pro-Lebanon. war, according to this theory. 52 Spectrum

one of these theories ment. The Seventh-day Adventist denomination N can totally explain the has been a full member of that council. For Lebanese problem today. But probably each one years, while I lived in Lebanon, I was the official of them has a kernel of truth. One needs to be representative of the Adventist denomination to eclectic, and stress a multicausality model rather the Supreme Council. As such, I found myself than one that is monistic if he wants to describe doing some odd things such as serving as a accurately the cause of the Lebanese crisis. "judge" with "judges" from other evangelical Is there hope for Lebanon to continue as a churches, interpreting and applying the "law of coun try? Yes. The reason is as fundamen tal as personal status" to Protestant cases. the history and geography which produced the Political power has always been held through cultural diversity of Lebanon. Because of the negotiating alliances among competing groups. It combination of a pleasant Mediterranean climate may be that the effect of both the protracted and mountainous terrain (some peaks reaching fighting and outside intervention will be to con 9,000 feet), for centuries Lebanon has attracted vince both the warring sides that despite the new persecuted minorities fleeing from every area of reality of the Palestinians and now the Syrians, the Middle East. The principal actors in the pres neither can impose a settlement on the other; sent drama all came that way: the Maronites, the perhaps the time-honored Lebanese custom of Greek and Armenian Orthodox among the finding new combinations of groups from two Christians; the Druze, Shiites, Ismailites, Nusayris apparently monolothic opponents is still the among the Moslems. The Palestinians are only way to establish the basis for a new life in Leba the most recent arrivals to a nation of refugees. non. Lebanon's ancient and seemingly endless list The future, politically, is very murky, to say of military conquerors further contributed to the least. But it is not necessary to give up on the diversity of the population and its traditions. Lebanon as destroyed once and for all. There are A few miles north of Beirut, at the mouth of the some indications that after all the battles, all the Dog River, at least 19 different inscriptions are bloodshed and tears, a changed but viable Leba etched into the rock left by conquering armies non will yet emerge. After their initial panic at stretching as far back as the Assyrian and Baby leftist and Palistinian victories, the Christian lonian empires, continuing through Greece and rightists have convinced themselves that they Rome up to twentieth-century England and can successfully draw on outside resources and France. Even today many Lebanese are trilin internal will to defend their interests. But it is gual, combining Arabic, English and French obvious to many smaller groups among the phrases into a single sentence. Today, the return Christians that the Maronites will have to give up of troops from France, the country's last some of their cherished power and that they can occupying power, is urged by one side or the no longer speak for a Christian Lebanon. other, depending on which side is losing the civil The struggle may also open Moslem eyes. war. They will win major concessions, but they will The genius of Lebanon's prosperity since the be aware of the futility of any attempt to Islami establishment of the republic in 1946 has been size Lebanon as, say Syria, Iran, or Egypt have its dizzyingly confusing pluralism. Religious been. Just as there are Christians cooperating divisions, so important in Lebanese life, have with the predominantly Moslem leftists, some of never been simple as Christian and Moslem. the heretofore less powerful Moslem groups are Moslems adjudicated all cases dealing with "per already making signs of working with the pre sonal status" -marriage, divorce, inheritance, dominantly Christian rightists. While various etc.-in different sectarian courts, with varying countries around the world dramatically illus interpretations of Koranic Law. The Christian trate how religion can fuel civil war, it may be groups developed separate court systems, with that the sheer profusion of religious sects in the Catholics having their own courts, the Greek Lebanon will still help to break up the solidarity Orthodox theirs, and the Seventh-day Adventists of the armed camps presently dividing the coun theirs. All Protestant denominations in Lebanon try. It may be that with their wounds to tend to, formed a Supreme Council responsible for. all the various factions in Lebanon will eventually their external/legal affairs vis-a-vis the govern- come back to some sort of accommodation, and Volume 8, Number 2 53 the Cedar Tree will have weathered and flour "foreign missions" should multiply their efforts ished through yet another of its thousands of to convert these institutions from foreign to years of storms. national at the earliest possible time. These insti As for Adven tism, it is not wise to assume tutions will have a foreign history behind them, that in a new Lebanon the foreign missionary but if the conversion is done with genuineness, will be able to remain indefinitely. Such a faulty speed and total integrity, the national church assumption will delay the speedy preparation of can reasonably hope to maintain their operation, national leadership as well as the actual turning ownership and administration. over to local Adventists-Arab and African-of It is my firm belief that wherever possible and all the administrative· functions of all Adventist as long as possible the cooperation of foreign institutions. With the threat of possible loss of and national missionaries is a great asset to the accustomed liberties and freedom in the new church. However,· it is imperative to recognize emerging Lebanon,· a corollary threat will that a strong position is always rooted in a emerge: the loss of institutions that are per strong national church, a church that is cul ceived to be foreign. Schools, hospitals and pub turally acceptable to the society in which it lives lishing houses have not fared well, in the sur and operates, a church that bears an unmis rounding countries when these institutions were takable indigenous identity and self-image, while seen as foreign in aims and administration. still connected with the mother church through Therefore, it can be expected that the leaders of the spiritual ties of faith and fellowship. Analysis of the 1976 Annual CDuncil

by Tom Dybdahl

mong the 260 agenda work. But a more careful examination of this A items acted on at the document raises some questions. 1976 Annual Council in Takoma Park, actions on First, it paints a very bleak picture of the divorce and remarriage, on licensed ministers church. "Not only is our membership failing to and on the use of the tithe, together with a long fit into God's redemptive plan of personal spiri proposal for "finishing God's work" are espe tual growth and service, but more regrettable cially interesting. Although most Annual Coun still, far too many leaders are occupied with cil business has been reported in the Review, lesser things. To say that the church is in crisis is these four items deserve a closer look. to express it only mildly and the crisis is brought The theme for the meeting was "Together, on by our inexcusable delinquency in failing to for a Finished Work." The first agenda item was adopt God's plan for finishing the work." a IS-page, single-spaced proposal entitled "Evan Consequently, the main portion of the pro gelism and Finishing God's Work." Briefly, it posal contains a plan of action. There are ten described the current crises in the church, points in this plan which focus on organizing including "failure to fully implement God's both pastors and lay people to do effective plan," "serious slippage in standards" and witnessing and using all the resources of the "delay of our Lord's return." But the main por church to accomplish this goal. Each division is tion was a plan of action for "finishing the also requested to set up a Primacy of Evangelism work."* Committee to meet quarterly and study the One cannot find fault with the intent of the local progress of this plan, and help insure that it proposal. We would not be Adventists if we did is properly implemented. not look forward to the return of Christ, and But in order to have a plan for finishing the work and pray that it may be soon. The church work, of course, there must be a clear definition should be greatly concerned about doing God's of what "the work" is. And a very specific

Tom Dybdahl, press aide to a New York congressman and graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, is *Quotations from Annual Council actions are from on the Editorial Board of SPECTRUM. the meeting minutes. Volume 8, Number 2 55

definition is given: "It is the reaching of every "Evangelism and Finishing God's Work" quotes person on earth with the claims and promises of the Bible twice and Ellen White 34 times.) Is a God's message of love and salvation, so that this cup of cold water given in Jesus' name not evan generation may have opportunity to be restored gelism? What about the judgment scene in Mat in His image, now and forever. Thus, the 'finish thew 25 where the only criterion is what we have ing of the work' means one thing: communicating done in Christ's name for the poor, the naked, God's message through the power and ministry the sick and the imprisoned? of the Holy Spirit to all bf earth's population so And what happens to those whose talents and that God can proclaim His work finished. When interests do not lie in the area of public evan this happens, Jesus will come." gelism? Should they feel that unless they force But is it that simple, that mechanical? If we themselves to take part in these activities that simply confront everyone with the gospel, will there is no place for them in the church? Hope that mean the work is done? fully, these problems will be faced as this God has commanded us to share the gospel document is implemented. with our fellowmen. And He has promised that He will come again. But He is not bs>und by our mong the other agenda actions. If we could guarantee a way of reaching A items, three are of everyone with the gospel tomorrow, He would particular interest. These were actions on not have to come tomorrow night. We do not divorce and remarriage, on licensed ministers bring in the second coming. God is Lord of his and on the use of the tithe. tory, and He will bring it to its consummation, On divorce and remarriage; the council voted not the church. to set up a basic structure to deal with these Further, this approach tends to produce problems on a case-by-case basis. This action was severe ups and downs in experience. People gear based on recommendations by an ad hoc com up for great efforts, and reach high levels of mittee that had been studying the issue for two emotion that cannot be sustained. And if these years. They suggested that each conference set efforts do not get fairly immediate results, they up a standing committee on divorce and remar cause cynicism and further doubt about God's riage, and that all readmission requests be promises. We need a level of experience that is referred to this committee. In addition, each active, but that can also be maintained over the uniqn conference is to set up a similar commit long haul. tee, to deal with appeals. Another problem with this proposal is that it With licensed ministers, it was decided that in opts for a restricted definition of evangelism. North America they could perform all the func "Evangelism is the communicating of the essen tions of the ordained minister, provided they tial elements of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the had two years of seminary study or one year of setting of the three angels' messages in such a seminary training and one year of pastoral way as to make possible a response in the hearts expenence. of the hearers to accept God's provision of salva On the use of tithe, it was agreed to allow tion from sin." tithe money to be used for some purposes that Thus, by default, anything that does not fall had previously been funded by non-tithe money. within this definition is not evangelism. Specif Under the new plan, tithe money can be used to ically, such "excellent programs and projects" pay up to 30 percent of the salary of the church that are concerned with diet, health, welfare and schoolteacher. This figure is based on a rough "other social benefits" are labelled "pre approximation of the amount of time the evangelistic." And "worthy as they may be, if average teacher spends in Bible teaching and they do not lead to the new-birth experience in spiritual counseling. Christ and acceptance of the doctrinal tenets of But these actions are also interesting because God's remnant church, they consume the time, each one shows a trend, namely, the accom attention and money of the church and its work modation of the policies and standards of the ing force without achieving God's ultimate church to existing practices or current situa objective of saving a man for eternity." tions. A look at the reasons behind these actions But is this definition biblical? (Interestingly, makes that clear. 56, Spectrum

With divorce and remarriage, the biggest not able to baptize, perform marriages, or cele pro blem was a lack of consistency in dealing brate communion, they were not technically with church members. In some areas, people eligible for IRS considerations, even though who divorced and remarried contrary to church most of them claimed this right. doctrine were disfellowshipped and refused The 1974 Annual Council dealt with this readmission; in other churches, they were hardly problem by ambiguously defining the rights and disciplined at all. privileges of a licensed minister. But this was not To deal with this inconsistency, the council really a satisfactory arrangement, and some voted not only to set up machinery for individ individual licensed ministers still faced problems ual cases to be consider:ed, but also proposed with the IRS. guidelines to help committees, as well as local As a result, it was voted that licensed minis pastors and churches, make decisions. ters, given the training qualifications, could per Specifically, these guidelines suggest that "a form all the functions of ordained ministers. period of years shall be required between the There was some opposition to this change, but time of divorce and application for readmission when it was limited to North America, and when to church membership where there has been no it was indicated that special consideration would remarriage or between remarriage and applica be given in unusual cases, the change was voted. tion for readmission to church membership." This action, however, carries some additional implications. will setting this special ministerial policy for North America establish any prec "Anything that does not fall within edent for other changes? The ordination of women comes immediately to mind. A major this definition is not evangelism. objection to this has been that while it may be Such 'excellent programs and acceptable to ordain women as ministers in some projects' that are concerned areas of the world, it would be completely unacceptable in other places. will various fields with diet, health, welfare, now be able to have different policies on this and 'other social benefits' question? There is also an important theological point are lab eled 'pre-evangelistic.' " here. What is the specific point of ordination? Does giving a licensed minister all the rights and privileges of the ordained minister change the The purpose of this time period is to show value or meaning of ordination? These questions "renewed Christian experience," to show the will need to be considered. healing of wounds from the old marriage and the stability of the new one, and also to be regarded erhaps the most inter as a "disciplinary" period. How long this period Pesting change had to should be is not spelled out. do with the use of the tithe. A growing problem In some places, the "waiting period" is in the church had been that while tithe income already practiced. This action will help the had increased regularly, free-will offerings had church deal with divorced and remarried individ not increased proportionately. Treasurers often uals in a regular and orderly manner everywhere. found themselves with more tithe money than Thus, we can take a more positive and helpful they could use, and with too little non-tithe view of people and their problems, and still up money for their needs. hold the current church standards. To deal with this problem, the tithe exchange In the situation of licensed ministers, the program was developed to launder these funds. catalyst for change was the United States Inter A union with an excess of tithe money could nal Revenue Service. Under IRS regulations, send this money (up to a certain amount) to the ministers are entitled to special tax treatment General Conference, and receive in return an only if they are full-fledged ministers, able to equal amount of non-tithe funds. This proved to perform all the functions of the church's minis be a great b~essing, and helped solve a financial try. And since in the past licensed ministers were problem. Volume 8, Number 2 57

But in recent years, even this program was use of tithe was certainly legitimate. And the not sufficient to keep up with needs. Conse fact that the problem had been studied for three quently, General Conference treasurers found years supports that view. themselves sending back tithe for tithe, and this But that meant, in some sense, a tacit admis money was then used for non-tithe purposes. sion that revelation is progressive-that some This particularly became clear as fund account "new light" had been discovered. As one admini ing-with its careful separation of accounts-was strator put it: "Sister White made some modifi phased in. The treasurers were unhappy with cations in her position during her lifetime. We this situation, and so they brought the question felt an administrative responsibility to take the out into the open. counsel we had and apply it to our current set As a result, a group began to study the prob ting." And so they did. lem in terms of what the Scriptures and Ellen Yet, this raises questions about whether or White said about the use of tithe money. The not the same thing migh t happen in other areas of old policy had restricted tithe to the exclusive church practice and policy, such as Sabbath use of "the ministry," and a few support person keeping, standards, etc. Might there be changes nel. But there were some inconsistencies, that should be made in these areas? Some pres because sustentation funds, some of which came ent pointed out that this action might set a from tithe money, went not only to ministers dangerous precedent within the church. but to teachers, secretaries and other workers. But this point of view did not prevail, and for Further, overseas fields had not all made a care the time being that question has not been ful distinction between tithe and non-tithe answered. But the change in tithe-use policy has monies, and used tithe for almost anything that raised it in a concrete way and, no doubt, there supported the work of the church. After a will be more discussion in the future. lengthy study, the group concluded that a One other item is worth mentioning, a tenta broader use of tithe was appropriate. tive statement on the Adventist position on crea tion. The statement was prepared, but some There were, however, differences of opinion. brethren came to feel that it was not in a form Some at the council felt that the use of the tithe appropriate for presentation to Annual Council, should not be changed. Others felt that it could so in the end it was not introduced for discussion. be used to pay for the full salaries of church Nevertheless, it has received considerable circula schoolteachers. And in the end, a compromise of tion. (This statement appears on page 58.) sorts prevailed. This working document was prepared by a Specifically, it was decided that tithe money committee under the direction of General Con could be used for up to 30 percent of a church ference Vice President willis J. Hackett, chairman schoolteacher's salary. Also, it was agreed that of the board of the Geoscience Institute. It has "personnel in a supportive role who directly been revised a number of times, and more drafts relate to the work of soul-winning agencies" are likely. The purpose of the statement is to could also be paid from the tithe. These changes clarify the church's official position on such are expected to ease the financial bind. thorny problems as the age of the earth, the fiat But this action also represented to some creation of the earth in six literal days, the rela degree a particular understanding of how inspira tionship of creation to the Sabbath, etc. Some, tion works. An important question was whether however, see it as an· effort to put pressure on this tithe-use change represented a real change in those who have serious questions about some of interpretation of Scripture and Ellen White, or the specific points of this issue, so they will whether it simply represented a policy change as make a commitment one way or the other. a result of financial pressure. The official view, This statement is still being worked on by of course, was that while the problem may have Hackett's committee. It will probably be re-intro prompted further study, this broader plan for duced at some point in the future. 58 Spectrum Tentative Creation Statement 1. In harmony with the basic position of 5. We believe furthermore that an under the Seventh-day Adventist Church regarding standing of the creation and nature of man the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, we and of his salvation rests on the recognition of accept the historical accuracy of the book of the literal intent and factual account of Genesis (including chapters 1-11) as providing Genesis. Man was divinely created in the the only authentic account of the divine crea image of God as a unique being, capable of tion of this earth and the creation of life upon fellowship with God. The harmonious God it in six literal days, of the fall of man, of the man relationship was broken through the his early history of the human race and that of torical event of sin in Eden when man became the noachian flood of worldwide dimensions. unfaithful to the divine command and fol (See Medical Ministry p. 89; Testimonies to lowed the suggestions of Satan to place alle Ministers, pp. 135, 136.) giance in someone or something other than 2. We accept the chronological data of the God Himself. The fall brought about for the first eleven chapters of Genesis as providing first time the entry of sin into this world with the basis for our belief in the biblical chronol its effects upon men and nature. " ...the ogy. moral image of God was almost obliterated by 3. We accept the Bible teaching that the the sin of Adam, ... " (Ellen G. White, Bible earth was unorganized and void (Gen. 1: 2) at Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 1078. the commencement of the creation of living 6. We also believe the Bible teaching that things during the creation week. The fossil man's separation from God could only be record of past life is largely the product of the remedied through the substitutionary atoning catastrophic worldwide deluge (Gen. 7:21-23) death of Christ. The cross is the basis of rather than being the result of a gradual or Christ's continuing heavenly ministry of sequential development over vast periods of reconciliation which will climax in the eradi time. cation of sin, the restoration of the image of 4. We believe that in the divine plan the God in man, and the reestablishment of com weekly Sabbath, the observance of which was plete harmony between God and man on the instituted by the Creator Himself at the end 'recreated new earth. of the literal creation week, has great signifi 7. We believe that there is a consistent link cance. It is a continual reminder to men, ing, in Scripture, of a literal creation, a factual especially since the entrance of sin, of their fall, and an adequate redemption at the Cross Creator and their relation to Him as His crea with a short chronology of man on the earth tures. Its observance is a perpetual sign of and a biblical eschatology that looks for the their loyalty and their allegiance to Him. Its imminent return of Christ. Then God's plan rest is a sign of His recreative and redemptive for total reconciliation with and recreation of power, in human lives in this age, and of the His people will be complete. If anyone of whole earth in the age to come. these Scriptural teachings is denied, the ten dency to deny others will be equally strong, Note: The above version of the creation statement is the third draft, revised in the fall of 1976. and ultimately irresistible. Lets Stop Arguing Over the Wedding Ring

by C. G. Tuland

he fact that the ques or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh Ttion of jewelry and women professing godliness) with good works" wedding rings came up again in connection with (I Tim. 2:9, 10). the General Conference Session in Vienna shows These admonitions of the apostles warned that this is by no means a trivial concern of against excessive outward embellishment to illus Adventist life. 1 Our church takes the position trate the contrast between two types of adorn that her teachings are based on clear confirma ment, a mere outward appearance versus an tion of Scripture. Can this be said of the tradi "unfading loveliness of an inner personality." tional prohibition (in America, at least) of wed (Phillips). This principle is as valid as ever also in ding rings? When an issue stirs emotions as this modern times. one does, it is worthwhile to ask such a ques I asked my colleague whether these texts con tion. stituted a basis to prohibit church members to Years ago I discussed the wearing of wedding wear wedding rings. "Did the apostles intend to rings with a fellow minister. who quoted two prohibit the braiding of hair as the words of texts from the New Testament in support of the Peter are said to state?" "That is correct," he traditional position: "Whose [the wives'] adorn answered. When I asked: "Did the apostles in ing let it not be that outward adorning of plait these texts prohibit the use of ornaments of ing the hair, 'and wearing of gold, or of putting gold, rings and similar adornments?", he replied, on apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the "That is the way I understand it." Thus I con heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the tinued: "To be logically consistent, did the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in apostles also prohibit women from wearing the sight of God of great price" (I Peter 3:3,4); robes, garments and apparel?" He only said, "I and "In like manner also, that women adorn have not looked at these texts from that angle." themselves in modest apparel, with shamefaced My friend finally conceded that those texts ness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, do not prohibit the braiding of hair, the use of wedding rings or ornaments and the wearing of garments but merely stressed the necessary change from the former pagan outward adorn C. G. Tuland is a biblical scholar who writes from ment to the Christian ideal of a changed, spiri Santee, California. tual character. 60 Spectrum

While hairstyles, dresses and matters pertain those who have their marriage ring; let them ing to fashions in today's Christian society are wear it if they can do so conscientiously . .. 2 generally subject to only low-keyed and mild This issue is quite clear. Mrs. White's universal criticism, the use of wedding rings has been a outlook on some matters took into considera matter of perpetual discussion among Seventh tion not only the social concepts of the conser day Adventists, way out of proportion to the vative religious movements of the nineteenth relative importance of the subject. Strangely century in America, she also considered the cus enough, the Bible does not present the use of toms of other nations and countries. This is the rings as a specific problem. To the contrary, Joseph accepted Pharaoh's signet ring (privy seal) on his finger with a garment of fine linen "We are much vexed in our church and a gold chain around his neck (Gen. 41:42). Likewise, Mordecai the Jew received the ring of by the fear that 'standards are the Persian King Ahasuerus which entitled him being lowered.' What I am to act on behalf of the king (Esther 8:2, 8, 10). In the New Testament, the father put a ring on saying is that the wedding the finger of the returning prodigal son as a ring is not one of .them." token of renewed acceptance to his filial posi tion (Luke 15:22). Monuments and documents from ancient history together with biblical records indicate that rings and other ornaments very reason for the above-mentioned statement: belonged to a man's attire almost to the extent " ...we have no burden to condemn those who that garments did, serving artistic and social as have their marriage ring." Central Europe, well as commercial purposes. They were used as Sweden and many other countries around the seals on documents, denoting the position and world had already definitely established rules in authority. Beginning with the fourth ,century, this matter. Our American ministers appointed Christians engraved their rings with invocations. to leading positions in Europe in the mid twenties had to accept these customs while serv he position of the ing in such countries. While Mrs. White lived in T Seventh-day Adventist Australia, May Lacey White-the wife of her son, Church rests mainly on the understanding-or William Clarence White-wore a wedding ring misinterpretation-of the two above-cited New with Mrs. White's consent, because it also was a Testamental passages as well as upon at least custom there. But times and customs have also partly misapplied statements by Ellen White. changed in our United States. Many believers also forget that a large number of Throughout the years, articles and comments her earlier statements are today entirely ignored, appeared in denominational publications as well as they no longer refer to contemporary situa as a plethora of official pronouncements often tions (length of garments, trimmings, playing confusing the issue and complicating matters, tennis, acquiring bicycles, etc.). without offering clear and valid guidance. Often Answering an inquiry from overseas regarding the explanation of the permissibility of the wed the use of wedding rings, Ellen White did make ding ring for church members overseas has been: the following statement: "It is the custom there." What seems confusing "Some have had a burden in regard to the is that now the same custom prevails in America:, wearing of a marriage ring, feeling that the and still many Adventists look askance at per wives of our ministers should conform to this sons in this country who conform to the cus custom. All this is unnecessary ... .Americans tom. One lady I knew about-and' I imagine can make their position understood by plainly many share her feeling-wanted a united, world stating that the custom is not regarded as oblig wide opposition to the wedding ring, saying its atory in our country. Not one penny should use or nonuse was a matter of morals: "If it is a be spent for a circlet of gold to testify that we sin to wear a wedding band in the United States, are married. In countries where the custom is then should it not be a sin in Great Britain, imperative, we have no burden to condemn Where is our consistency?" Volume 8, Number 2 61

That is the crux of the matter, for wearing a and that the Bible does not support our posi wedding band is not a question of morals or sin; tion. it is merely one of the customs, which vary with -Quoted Mrs. White and found that her national and social concepts. counsel (given in 1892) applied to a time 84 We are much vexed in our church by the fear years ago and was intended for believers in that "standards are being lowered." What I am America only. That counsel granted freedom to saying is that the wedding ring is no..t one of other nationalities with different social customs them. The Old Testament does not legislate on in regard to the use of the wedding ring. It indi it, neither does the New Testament, including cates that the church has not correctly inter our key texts, the exegesis of which has been-to preted and followed the counsel by Mrs. White. put it mildly- unwarranted. Mrs. White's coun -Seen that what is merely a matter of sel was primarily directed to the wives of minis national and social customs is still mistakenly ters in other countries, in 1892, or 84 years ago; regarded as a matter of morals. since then changes have taken place in America -Seen that, according to all evidences, not regarding the wedding ring custom. Thus, we wearing a wedding ring cannot be classified as a need not fear that we are contradicting teachings church standard. of the Bible or the writings of Mrs. White in -Seen that without justification this issue denying that the prohibition of the wedding ring has caused dissention and meaningless contro is a standard of the universal Seventh-day versy among church members. Adventist Church. Yet, in spite of Mrs. White's What should the church do in this (or other statement, "In countries where the custom is similar) situations? Mrs. White stated in 1898: imperative, we have no burden to condemn "And in comparing scripture with scripture, we (emphasis mine) those who have their mar might discover errors in our interpretation of riage ring ...", many not only still condemn but Scripture."3 She also said that the fact that cer are evidently not conscious that they condemn tain doctrines have been held for many years by without cause. our people is no proof that our ideas are infalli ble.4 And if we add to her testimony that of the hy do problems like New Testament we find that Peter, Paul and the W the above still exist in primitive church made serious mistakes. There the church? Is there no solution? We have: was but one way to go: admitting them, they set -Quoted Scripture only to discover that our things straight, even though they could not interpretation failed in hermeneutical principles always remove some bitter consequences. 5

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. See Review and Herald, Oct. 2, Nov. 30, 1976 3. Review and Herald, July 12, 1898. 2. Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, No.3, 4. See the Review and Herald, Dec. 20, 1892. p. 6; 1892, quoted in Outline Studies from the Testi 5. See E. G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 399, monies, by Clifton L. Taylor, 1918, Canadian Publishing 418. Association Press, Oshawa, Ontario. Testimonies to Min isters, pp. 180, 181. (Emphasis mine) Do the Authorities CDnflia on Perfeaiorusm?

Review by Timothy Crosby

Perfection: The Impossible Possibility the topic. His main point is that Jesus is waiting by Herbert E. Douglass, Edward Heppenstall, for a quality people who perfectly reproduce His Hans K. LaRondelle, C. Mervyn Maxwell character; and this, rather than the state of the Southern Publishing Association, 200 pp., $9.00 world or any other consideration, is what will determine the time of His advent. Taking off on his work, the third in the parable of the harvest found in Mark 4 and TSouthern Publishing's Revelation 14, Douglass shows that Christ Anvil series, brings together essays by four cannot return until the "grain" is fully ripe and Adventist scholars. On the issue of perfection, "the fruit is brought forth" which, according to Douglass and Maxwell tend to take the "pos Ellen G. White, means "the reproduction of sible" posltlOn against Heppenstall's and Christ's character in the believer."l Douglass LaRondelle's "impossible" (the subtitle was well points out that saying that calamitous world chosen! ). One must be willing to overlook the . conditions will determine Christ's return is like a nine-dollar price tag for a 200-page indexless farmer's saying, "It looks as if there will be a paperback, but the attractive gold cover, innova bad thunderstorm; it must be time to pick my tive layout and quality of the contents make the corn." book worthwhile. In the second half of his paper, Douglass As a collection of rather controversial essays, delves into the subject of the nature of Christ in this book is certainly a step in a new direction His incarnation, another unsettled issue in the for the Adventist press. In the last decade or so, church. Douglass emphasizes a Christ who took we seem to have lost a good deal or our reti on man's nature "with all its liabilities," includ cence about putting conflicting opinions into ing our "fallen, sinful nature," for which he print. This is not an unmixed blessing, but it does offers a battery of supporting quotations from stimulate worthwhile discussion, and it helps to the Spirit of Prophecy, ignoring those which do point up the unfinished areas in the house of not support his view. To Douglass, this is a cru Adventist theology. It also provides fascinating cially important point since, if Christ's nature reading. were superior to ours in any way, we could not Douglass takes an eschatalogical approach to be expected to overcome as He did. Douglass goes on to show that "what Jesus achieved will be reproduced in the last genera Timothy Crosby is a senior theology major at tion," quoting such passages as The Great Con Southern Missionary College. troversy, p. 623: "He [Jesus] had kept His Volume 8, Number 2 63

Father's commandments, and there was no sin in living "like a display piece in a shop window," Him. . . . This is the condition in which those we must "walk with God in love. This is Bible must be found who shall stand in the time of perfection. " trouble." Thus, God will be fully vindicated: LaRondelle, with less polemic and more "The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is exegesis, asks "How can man attain to sinless involved in the perfection of the character of His perfection? ...Our specific purpose now is to people."2 investigate the inspired answer ... recorded in Heppenstall begins his article by noting that the [scriptures] ." LaRondelle then takes us on a many who have "laid. upon themselves the gall guided tour through the entire Bible, elucidating ing yoke" of achieving sinless perfection "have the texts having a bearing on this topic. turned themselves into a moral machine without LaRondelle's biblically derived definition of per peace and without security before God." Then fection is similar to Heppenstall's. Perfection in his thesis: "If Christian perfection means the gospels is "the revival of the principle of restoration here and now to Adam's sinless state perfect love as proclaimed by Moses and the and complete harmony with God, so that a man prophets." In Paul's writings, perfection is "a need no longer be classed as a sinner, then the present gift and reality; yet, in another sense, it Bible knows nothing of it." is a promise to be realized only at the ultimate According to Heppenstall, it is our present establishment of the kingdom of glory." day definition of perfection as an absolute acme LaRondelle's conclusion: perfection is "living beyond which there is no further progression daily out of God's forgiving and keeping which causes the confusion. In the Bible, perfec grace .... The only absolutely perfect, that is, tion does not imply sinlessness, but "full com inherently sinless, character has been revealed in mitment, a mature and unshakable allegiance to the life of Jesus Christ .... Through faith and Jesus Christ." Noah was termed "perfect" (Gen. baptism, the believer participates legally and 6: 9) even though three chapters later we find dynamically in the perfection of Christ. Man has him in a drunken stupor (Gen. 9:21). Even "per no perfection in himself." fect" Job (Job 2:3) had to confess his sins (Job Like Douglass, Maxwell approaches perfec 42:6). And in the New Testament, those who tion from the standpoint of preparation for the are "perfect" still have to press on toward the second coming. Maxwell sees a difference goal, not having reached it yet (Phil. 3:13-15). between "resurrection holiness" and "transla Heppenstallleans toward Calvin in his view of tion holiness," the latter requiring sinlessness. man's fallen nature, speaking of "the depravity This is because "God can blot out the sins of the under which he is held in bondage." Accord victorious dead by simply attending to their ingly, "nowhere does man reflect the perfection records. They are dead and cannot sin again. It of God in whose image he was made." This is in will be a vitally different thing for those who are contrast to Christ, who possessed a "spiritual alive when their cases are called up in the judg harmony and elevation of character unknown in ment. Can their sins be blotted out in heaven our experience. The facts that Christ Himself unless they are also blotted out on earth? was God as His incarnation and was born of the Hardly! ... Suppose just after their sins were Holy Spirit deny His being was in any part out blotted out, the saints committed new ones of harmony with His Father. Christ was unique what would the blotting out of sins have in this, these conditions we do not have." Thus, meant?" we cannot achieve Christ's sinlessness. As exhibit number one, Maxwell portrays the Heppenstall does believe that it is possible to pre-Great-Disappointment Millerites who, reach a .state of "conscious deliverance from according to Ellen G. White, were "unreservedly known sin," where "there is nothing we know of consecrated to God" and whose "faces shone between us and Christ." Yet, "imperfection per with a heavenly light." Judging by these and sists, not in ... committing willful sin, but other Ellen G. White statements about them, in ... coming short of the ideal in Jesus Christ." these people were perfect, according to Heppen He maintains that "there is a limit to the temp stall's and LaRondelle's definitions of perfec tation that man can withstand in his sinful tion. Maxwell then quotes The Great Con state." Rather than striving for sinlessness and troversy, pp.- 424, 425: "But the people were 64 Spectrum not yet ready t9 meet their Lord.... Those who this issue. There are exceptions, of course, but are living upon the earth when the intercessions generally the "impossibles" are the Bible schol of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are ars and the "possibles" are the Ellen G. White to stand in the sight of a holy God without a scholars. Notice the differing use of quotations mediator. Their robes must be spotless .... from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy in the When this work shall have been accomplished, following table: the followers of Christ will be ready for His Author Bible Spirit of Prophecy appearing. " Douglass 47 101 Like Douglass, Maxwell goes to great lengths Heppenstall 53 8 to carefully define his terms, since the term "sin LaRondelle 232 4 less perfection" has been abused to mean a state Maxwell 60 148 beyond the reach of sin, something Maxwell All four authors are guilty of biased selection repudiates. He also disavows the possibility of of sources, but this is to be expected in essays absolute perfection beyond which there can be of this type. Only Maxwell looks at passages that no progress. seem to contradict his interpretation of the problem. All four scholars employ, for the most ince the words do not part, some well-reasoned arguments, although appear in the Bible, S Heppenstall has a penchant for making unsup Maxwell takes issue with the cry "by grace ported theological pronouncements which are alone," overlooking the fact that the phrase far from self-evident. Neither side has a monop appears in one of the passages he quotes from oly on the truth. It cannot be doubted that sin Steps to Christ several pages later. True, he says, lessness is not implied in the biblical concept of there is a sense in which we are saved solely by perfection; the "impossibles" have proven their grace, as works have no merit, but men can only point. Yet, they have largely ignored the Spirit become conquerors over evil "through the grace of Prophecy in doing so, as the above table of God and their own diligent efforts.,,3 Max shows. And it is difficult to deny that Ellen G. well rejects the use of the opinions of the church White taught that God's people'in the last days fathers and Christian theologians in this debate would reach such a state of holiness that they ("Luther knew nothing of the third angel's mes could stand faultless before God without a medi sage."). He devotes an entire section to defining ator; many of her statements are simply too sin, and another to answering objections to his plain to be explained away. position, which the other three writers tend to ignore, making his paper the longest of the four. s there a real contra This is where the issue stands. Four compe I diction here, or is tent Adventist theologians have started with the there a deeper underlying harmony as yet same givens and reach opposite conclusions. Can unexposed? Is this a case of complete misinter we find a reason for this? pretation on the part of one side or the other, or First of all, it should be noted that each might the apparent discrepancies be explained as author's opinion of the possibility of sinlessness a case of progressive revelation (Compare is determined by his definition of sin. To Max Heppenstall: "If Christian perfection means res well, sin is yielding to temptation. Heppenstall toration here and now to Adam's sinless takes a much broader view of sin. It is a natural state .... then the Bible knows nothing of it, JJ consequence of separation from God, a state with Ellen G. White quoted by Douglass: into which' all men are born. It is disharmony "Everyone who by faith obeys God's command with God. Since this state will always exist until ments will reach the condition of sinlessness in Christ comes, there will always be sin. As is so which Adam lived before his transgression.") often true of theological debate, much of the Such questions as these the authors have not problem here is one of definition. Much, but not dealt with. all. NOTES AND REFERENCES As I was reading the book, it occurred to me that there seemed to be a definite pattern to the 1. E. G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 67. 2. E. G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 67l. way Adventist pastors and teachers take sides in 3. E. G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 425.