Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2009 Image-of-God Motif in the Writings of Ellen G. White : A Search for a Distinct Voice in Educational Philosophy Kevin D. Grams Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Education Commons Recommended Citation Grams, Kevin D., "Image-of-God Motif in the Writings of Ellen G. White : A Search for a Distinct Voice in Educational Philosophy" (2009). Dissertations. 400. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/400 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT IMAGE-OF-GOD MOTIF IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE: A SEARCH FOR A DISTINCT VOICE IN EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY by Kevin D. Grams Chair: John V. G. Matthews ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: IMAGE-OF-GOD MOTIF IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE: A SEARCH FOR A DISTINCT VOICE IN EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY Name of researcher: Kevin D. Grams Name and degree of faculty chair: John V. G. Matthews, Ph.D. Date completed: April 2009 Problem Ellen White’s image-of-God motif and its influence on Seventh-day Adventist educational philosophy has not been examined thoroughly by thesis, dissertation, or other academic research. This dissertation is a significant effort toward fulfilling this need by examining and contextualizing White’s writings on the image of God as well as examining the educational ramifications of the motif. Method This is a historical/analytical investigation involving a search of Ellen White's writings to locate, identify, and examine passages that refer to the image of God, especially as it relates to education. These passages were then contextualized and studied to determine how White used the motif in her writings. The historical chapters of this dissertation examine the context of her image-of-God motif while taking into consideration earlier and contemporary writers who might have utilized a similar concept. Conclusions White’s image-of-God motif is not original with her. However, her combination of the concepts relating to restoration of the image of God, holistic education, and a great controversy theme does appear to introduce a new approach. Adventist educators can build on this unique blend of concepts to develop an educational system that integrates directly the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions in a distinctive manner. Andrews University School of Education IMAGE-OF-GOD MOTIF IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE: A SEARCH FOR A DISTINCT VOICE IN EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Kevin D. Grams April 2009 © Copyright by Kevin D. Grams 2009 All Rights Reserved IMAGE-OF-GOD MOTIF IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE: A SEARCH FOR A DISTINCT VOICE IN EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by Kevin D. Grams APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: ___________________________ ___________________________ Chair: John V. G. Matthews Dean, School of Education James R. Jeffery ___________________________ Member: Jerry A. Moon ___________________________ Member: Larry D. Burton ___________________________ ___________________________ External: Merlin D. Burt Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE . vii Background and Overview . vii Statement of the Problem, Rationale, and Importance of Dissertation . x Purpose . xiii General Methodology . xiv Review of Related Literature . xvi Chapter I. A HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS OF ELLEN WHITE’S WRITINGS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVENTIST EDUCATIONAL THEORY . 1 History and Background of Ellen G. White’s General Writings . 1 Ellen White’s Vibrant Conception of Truth . 2 Adventism’s Female Leader and Crusader . 4 Ellen White’s Optimistic Legacy . 6 Ellen White: Writer and Speaker . 7 A Brief Synopsis of Ellen White’s Major Works . 11 Ellen White’s Grand Central Theme . 13 History and Background of Ellen White’s Educational Writings . 14 Ellen White’s Writings on Education prior to 1872 . 15 Ellen White’s Writings on Education after 1872 . 22 The Influence of Ellen White’s Educational Writings on Adventist Schools in the Twentieth Century . 33 Ellen White and Educational Change: A Visionary’s Challenge . 36 Ellen White’s Influence on Educational Developments to 1915 . 39 Battle Creek and Emmanuel Missionary College . 39 Ellen White’s Influence in the Emergence of Two Parallel Tracks in Adventist Education . 42 Examples of Other Denominational Schools in North America (to 1915) . 51 Ellen White’s Influence on Schools outside North America . 53 Ellen White’s Influence on the Accreditation Issue . 59 Ellen White’s Influential Legacy: 1920 to the Present (2008) . 66 The Blueprint and Fundamentalism in Adventist Education . 66 Adventist Educational Philosophy Defined: The Howe Statement, 1949 . 70 iii The 1950s and the Hammill/Cadwallader Statements . 74 The 1960s to the Present: Ellen White’s Influence on Select Seventh-day Adventist Authors . 78 II. ELLEN WHITE’S CONTEMPORARIES AND THE IMAGE-OF-GOD MOTIF . 86 The Nineteenth-Century Environment from Which Ellen White Wrote . 86 Millerism and Antebellum Reforms . 86 The Regeneration Impetus . 94 Nineteenth-Century Optimism and the Transcendentalist Movement . 96 Wesley and the Methodist-Arminian Connection to Nineteenth-Century Optimism, Thought, and Reform . 99 Wesley, Methodism, Education, and the Restoration Theme . 105 Restoring the Image of God, Ellen White, and the Reformation Educational Tradition . 110 Ellen White, Restoring the Image of God, and the Lutheran Philosophy of Education . 111 Ellen White, Restoring the Image of God, and Calvin’s Philosophy of Education . 117 The Reformation Heritage, Restoring the Image of God, and the Pietist/Moravian Movements . 125 The Image-of-God Motif and Selected Historic and Contemporary Influences in the Nineteenth-Century World of Ellen White . 128 John Milton and the English Puritans . 129 John Amos Comenius . 132 Jonathan Edwards and Timothy Dwight . 136 Perfecting Society through Education: Selected Eighteenth-Century Influences . 138 Nineteenth-Century Educational Reforms in Antebellum America . 141 Was Ellen White’s Restoration Motif a Singular Perspective? The Case of Ira Mayhew and Edward Mansfield . 147 Ira Mayhew . 147 Edward Mansfield . 154 Trends in Nineteenth-Century Education Compared with Ellen White’s Restoration Motif . 157 The Role of Education in Reform . 157 Educating the Character . 160 Educational Reformers, Educating the “Whole Man,” and the Classical Curriculum . 161 The Puritans and Educating the Entire Being . 162 The Battle over the Classical Curriculum . 163 Manifest destiny, Darwinism, and pragmatism . 164 iv Christian colleges and the classical curriculum . 169 Manual labor, agriculture, and vocational education . 171 The Morrill Act and the end of the classical curriculum’s dominance . 175 Ellen White, Adventist Education, and Nineteenth-Century Reforms . 177 III. ELLEN WHITE AND THE IMAGE OF GOD . 185 Ellen White’s Great Controversy Theme . 185 Ellen White’s World View . 185 Selected Illustrations of a Great Controversy Concept in History and Its Influence on Nineteenth-Century American Thought . 186 Ellen White’s Great Controversy Theme . 194 The Development of the Great Controversy Theme with the Restoration of the Image-of-God Motif in the Writings of Ellen White . 203 Education, the Great Controversy, and Restoring the Image of God . 206 Ellen White’s Book Education, Restoring the Image of God, and the Great Controversy . 211 The Connection between the Great Controversy Theme and the Restoration of the Image-of-God Motif . 214 Investigating the Image-of-God Motif in Ellen White’s Writings . 217 The Restoration of the Image-of-God Motif and Ellen White’s Optimistic Anthropology . 218 Freedom to Grow . 219 Steps to Individual Restoration of the Image of God: The Role of the Will and Cooperating with the Divine . 221 Character Building, Transformation, Regeneration, and Restoring the Image of God . 224 Restoring the Image of God and Perfection: How Optimistic Is Ellen White’s Anthropology? . 227 A Very Optimistic Anthropology: Ellen White and Perfection . 229 The Restoration of the Image-of-God Motif, Love, and the Gospel . 235 The Role of the Bible in Restoring the Image of God . 238 The Restoration of the Image-of-God Motif and “Glorifying God”: A Major Impetus for Reform . 242 Glorifying God and Social Reform . 242 Glorifying God through Health and Lifestyle Reform . 244 Summary . 249 v IV. EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE IMAGE-OF-GOD MOTIF . 251 Prologue: Ellen White and the Need for Quality Adventist Schooling . 252 The Spiritual Dimension, Education, and Restoring the Image of God . 254 A Spiritual Worldview . 254 Education and Absolute Truth . 255 The Bible as a Major Source of Truth . 258 Character Transformation, Education, and the Restoration Motif . 259 Service and Outreach as a Channel for Spiritual Development in Schools . 262 Uncompromised Mental Excellence and Restoring the Image of God . 263 Prologue: Glorifying God . 263 “Independent Thinkers” versus Transmissive Education . 264 Academic Cooperation versus Competition: Ellen White’s Work Ethic . 268 What Serves as Truth? Science and Revelation.