Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2010 Principles of Church-State Relationships in the Writings of Ellen G. White Marcio D. Costa Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Costa, Marcio D., "Principles of Church-State Relationships in the Writings of Ellen G. White" (2010). Dissertations. 27. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/27 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 PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE by Marcio D. Costa Adviser: Jerry Moon ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE Name of the researcher: Marcio D. Costa Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jerry Moon, Ph.D. Date Completed: March 2010 The Topic Since the beginnings of Seventh-day Adventism there have been real or perceived tensions between two contrasting perspectives of church-state relationships: (1) the “eschatological view” that a union of church and state will lead to persecution in the times preceding the second coming of Christ, and (2) the “temporal view” that in order to accomplish its mission in the present, the church needs to work in an independent, but non-conflictual relationship with the state as far as it can do so without violating its primary allegiance to God. The Purpose In order to discover Ellen G. White’s position on the two perspectives, the study analyzed all the writings of Ellen G. White on the topic of church-state relationships, searching for her principles of church-state relationships. Her principles were compared with the views of others during the colonial and early federal periods of American history, and with the historical records of the church-state debate among Adventists until the end of her life. The Sources The search for principles used all relevant published and unpublished writings of Ellen G. White. The studies of the American historical background and the progression of the debate among Adventists used both primary and secondary sources. The Conclusions Ellen White’s principles of church-state relationships grew out of her worldview of a Great Controversy between good and evil. She believed that both church and state had been established by God as separate institutions with distinct purposes for the benefit of humankind. However, in the conflict between good and evil, both church and state are objects of Satan’s attack. According to White, the state has divinely given authority to enforce the last six of the Ten Commandments which define human responsibilities to other humans, and to safeguard the freedom of humans to obey the first four commandments which describe their responsibilities to God. Thus the proper role of government is to protect both the religious and civil liberties of its citizens. Ellen White expected the church to pursue its mission in compliance with the laws of the land, but with nonnegotiable loyalty to God, and that Adventist participation in social and political activism should always be subordinate to the requirements of the church’s mission. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Marcio D. Costa March 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................... vii PREFACE ........................................... viii Background ....................................... viii Statement of the Problem ............................... xiv Statement of the Purpose ............................... xvi Justification for the Research ............................. xvii Scope and Delimitations ................................ xix Review of Literature and Prior Research ...................... xx Published Documents ............................... xx Unpublished Documents .............................. xxvi Methodology and Primary Sources .......................... xxviii Design of the Study ................................... xxix Chapter I. EARLY AMERICAN VIEWS OF CHURCH AND STATE ......... 1 Religious Liberty and the Founding of the United States of America . 1 Ideals of Liberty in the New Republic ................... 1 Freedom and Disestablishment of Religion ................ 3 The Separation from the State ....................... 5 Entering a New Relationship ........................ 8 Summary .................................... 10 The Influence of the Restorationist Movement on Millerite Adventist Views of Church and State ......................... 10 The Second Great Awakening ....................... 11 The Emergence of Denominational Christians .............. 13 Politics and Publishing ........................... 15 The Christian Connection and Millerite Adventists ........... 20 Summary ................................... 25 Ellen White’s Early Contacts with Church-State Issues .......... 25 The Harmon Family and Religion in Maine ............... 26 Early Civil Movements in Portland, Maine ................ 28 The Challenges for the Churches in Maine ................ 30 Summary ................................... 34 Summary and Conclusion ............................ 35 iii II. ELLEN WHITE’S VIEWS OF DIVINE GOVERNMENT .......... 39 Principles of God’s Government ....................... 39 A Heavenly Government of Choice .................... 40 The Problem of God’s Government .................... 42 The Law without Obligation ........................ 43 Eternal Principle of Love .......................... 46 Jesus: Representation of God ........................ 48 Not of This World .............................. 50 Summary ................................... 52 God’s Method of Governing the Earth .................... 53 The Problem of Temporal Ruling of God ................. 54 Enforcement, Reward, and Punishment .................. 56 Delegated Authority and Accountability ................. 58 Balance and Limits .............................. 61 Summary ................................... 63 Biblical Religious Leaders' Supreme Loyalty to God ............ 64 Old Testament ................................ 64 New Testament ................................ 72 Summary ................................... 75 Methods and Goals of God’s Opposition (The Devil and His Angels) . 75 Two Rival Governments .......................... 76 Methods Used in the Controversy ..................... 76 The Agents and Agencies of Satan’s Government ........... 77 Hierarchy of Satan’s Government ..................... 79 Satan Struggles for Earthly Power .................... 80 The Apostate Church Leadership as Agents ............... 82 The Strategy of intemperance ....................... 84 Summary ................................... 86 Summary and Conclusion ............................ 87 III. ELLEN WHITE’S VIEWS OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT ........... 91 Law and Order in the Land ........................... 91 General Concepts of Government ..................... 92 The Rule of the Land ............................. 94 Laws That Allow Evil ............................ 96 Laws That Promote Evil ........................... 99 Religious Intolerance and the Power to Persecute ............ 101 Republicanism and Law above the Laws ................. 103 Summary ................................... 105 Responsibilities to Civil Power ........................ 106 Issues about Complying with Government Standards .......... 106 Contribution to the Maintenance of Peace and Order .......... 109 Peaceful Conscientious Subjection .................... 109 Politics and the Process of Selecting Government Leaders ...... 113 iv The Secular Cause .............................. 114 Rallying for a Moral Cause ......................... 115 Rallying for a Person ............................. 116 Political Parties ................................ 117 Occupations in the Political Sphere .................... 118 Summary ................................... 121 Adventists and Established Authorities .................... 121 Shaping Adventists’ Perceptions ...................... 121 The Question of Liberty ........................... 126 Dealing with Civil Authorities ....................... 129 Civil Disobedience .............................. 131 Summary .................................... 134 Favors Extended ................................. 135 Gifts and Benefits .............................. 135 Working for Society ............................. 138 Appreciation for the Nation ......................... 142 Summary ................................... 144 Summary and Conclusion ............................ 145 IV. E. G. WHITE’S PROPOSITIONS IN