Historic Adventism is an informal designation for conservative individuals and organizations with the Seventh-day Adventist Church who seek to preserve certain traditional beliefs and practices of the church. They feel that the church leadership has shifted or departed from key doctrinal "pillars" ever since the middle of the 20th century. Specifically, they point to the publication in 1957 of a book entitled Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine; which they feel undermines Historic Adventist theology in favor of theology more compatible with evangelicalism. Historic Adventism has been erroneously applied by some to any Adventists that adhere to the teachings of the church as reflected in the church's fundamental beliefs such as the Sabbath or the Spirit of Prophecy. They misapply those who hold to mainstream traditional Adventist beliefs as synonymous with Historic Adventist.
Historic Adventists have tended to promote their message through independent ministries, some of which have had a strained relationship with the official church."Hope International and Hartland Institute are expressions of historic Adventism." "Last Generation Theology" shares some elements with Historic Adventism, yet considers itself to have "expanded" the beliefs of Adventism to their logical conclusion. by Julius Nam Historic Adventists are seen as at the opposite end of the Adventist theological spectrum from Progressive Adventists. Prominent figures supporting some of the historic views include M. L. Andreasen, and Colin and Russell Standish.
History
Teachings on Christian perfection and personal holiness were present in the religious revival of the Great Awakening in America and were evident in early Adventist movements such as the "Holy Flesh movement" in Indiana around the turn of the 19th century which Ellen White quickly rebuked.2nd Selected Messages, pp. 36–38, Ellen White They were also evident in some teachings on holiness by medical doctor John Harvey Kellogg, and Jones and Waggoner of 1888 fame.
Joseph Bates was one of the three primary founders of Seventh-day Adventism (along with James and Ellen White). Like many in the early church he focused more on following the requirements of God's law over salvation by grace.Benjamin McArthur, "Early Adventism's Leon Trotsky." Spectrum 33:2 (Spring 2005); alternative link . A review of George R. Knight, Joseph Bates: The Real Founder of Seventh-day Adventism. Review and Herald, 2004
Following the 1919 Bible Conference, in which Ellen White's inspiration was discussed during two days, some defended against what they felt were attacks on her such as Holmes and Washburn, who wrote open letters decrying the alleged "new theology" and the "omega" apostasy of the Adventist church.
Keith Lockhart has described the "Golden Age" of Adventism (from a sociological point of view) as the fundamentalist era of the 1920s–1950s. It is to this time period the expression "Historic Adventism" most accurately applies, not to 19th century Adventism. Along with Malcolm Bull, he says "Adventist fundamentalism" emerged in the 1880s, became dominant in the 1920s, and survives to the present day among conservative groups." They also claim "elements of fundamentalism were re-invoked," becoming discernible in the 1990s.Seeking a Sanctuary, p. 104 "But what many authors take to be historic Adventism is in fact a creation of the twentieth century — a synthesis that took place in the 1920s and remained dominant until the 1960s. It was, moreover, a synthesis that in itself represented an accommodation to the newly formed fundamentalist movement."Bull and Lockhart, Seeking a Sanctuary, p90–91, as quoted elsewhere
Adventist-Evangelical dialogues
It is widely accepted that present Historic Adventism emerged in response to the Adventist-Evangelical discussions that occurred in the spring of 1955 to the fall of 1957. These dialogues were initiated by evangelicals Donald Barnhouse and Walter Martin, who sought clarification on what Adventists believed and took issue with a number of teachings, which at the time were generally thought to characterize Adventist theology. The most significant of these being: semi-Arian views on the Godhead; man's sinful nature taken by Christ in his incarnation; an incomplete atonement at the time of Christ's death on the cross; salvation by obedience to the law; and extreme sectarianism. At least one author considers the various streams existed earlier, as some Millerites came from churches holding Arian views, but this event polarized them.Lowell Tarling claims this
The Adventist leaders who met with Walter Martin presented a fuller description of mainstream Adventist theology, and described the more fundamentalist views as merely the beliefs of a few. (Le Roy Edwin Froom described them as the "lunatic fringe.") In addition to showing it had clearly moved from semi-Arian views on the Godhead, the Adventists asserted that the belief that Christ took Adam's sinful nature after the fall and an incomplete atonement were not part of mainstream Adventist doctrine. Adventist historian George Knight felt it was not a complete picture as it could be, because a majority of Adventists prior to 1950 had held to these teachings concerning the nature of Christ and the atonement.Questions on Doctrine: annotated edition 2005
Martin and Barnhouse were satisfied with the responses given by the Adventist delegation, and concluded that the Adventist church was a legitimate Christian body. Meanwhile, Adventist theologian M. L. Andreasen, who was aware of these proceedings, openly opposed what he felt was a change concerning the nature of Christ and the atonement and represented the many Adventists who held that view. (Those Adventists who believed Christ had taken a fallen nature still believed that Jesus was sinless and committed no actual sins, but they held that it included propensity or desire to sin). Some of these Adventists continue to oppose the theological direction taken by the church leadership on these issues and the more fundamentalist elements are known today as "Historic Adventists."
Herbert Douglass has stated,
According to historian George Knight,
1970s Desmond Ford convinced Robert Brinsmead his views on perfectionism were incorrect in about 1970. Robert Brinsmead himself however denies that Ford convinced him to abandon perfectionism and further states that he abandoned perfectionism as a result of his intensive study of the issues of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, and justification by faith. During the 1970s, what is now the Adventist Review carried articles by editor Kenneth Wood and associate editor Herbert Douglass rejecting Questions on Doctrine and arguing for a final perfect generation."Righteousness by Faith" entry in Historical Dictionary of Seventh-day Adventists by Gary Land
The General Conference addressed this controversy over "righteousness by faith" by holding a conference in Palmdale, California in 1976. Ford was the "center of attention," and the resulting document known as the "Palmdale Statement".Adventists: Heirs of the Reformation, chapter 1 of The Shaking of Adventism by Geoffrey J. Paxton However the controversy continued and critics of the "new theology" of Ford and others formed institutions to respond them.
Julius Nam has written,
The 1975 book Perfection: The Impossible Possibility (Nashville: Southern Publishing Association, 1975) edited by Douglass, contained essays by Douglass and C. Mervyn Maxwell supporting traditional Adventist views, and Edward Heppenstall and Hans LaRondelle supporting their view.
Theology Historic Adventist theology tends to differ from mainstream Adventist theology in the areas of Christology, hamartiology (sin), soteriology (salvation) and eschatology (end times). They often use the term "new theology" as a pejorative term for perceived doctrinal shifts in the church.e.g.
With regards to Christology, according to Adventist historian George Knight, most early Adventists believed that Jesus Christ was born with a human nature that was not only physically frail and subject to temptation, but that he also had the fallen predisposition and inclination to sin.Questions on Doctrine, annotated edition, 2005. Since 1950, the "historic" wing of the church continues to hold this "fallen" view of Christ's human nature, though it is now a minority position among theologians and mainstream Adventism.
Historic Adventists, like mainstream Adventists, believe that sin is defined in terms of personal transgressions of the commandments, over against an inborn corruption of the human nature inherited from Adam.
Historic Adventists tend to place more emphasis on sanctification than justification. Following Andreasen, they define the atonement in terms of God's work to cleanse our character from sin as well as payment of the penalty for sin. The work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary is regarded as a continuation of the work of atonement begun on the cross, rather than the application of the benefits of an already completed atonement.
"Eschatological perfectionism" is the teaching that a final generation of believers must achieve a state of perfection or complete sinlessness in the final period just before the second coming of Jesus (see Last Generation Theology) and most Historic Adventists hold to that teaching. This belief in sinlessness arose particularly from M. L. Andreasen's interpretation of the investigative judgment doctrine, which is one of the pillars of Adventism and found in The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White.
Historic Adventists generally place more emphasis on the writings of Ellen G. White as a doctrinal authority compared to mainstream Adventists, some considering her writings as infallible and having near-equivalent status to the Bible.
Historic Adventists have a differing perspective on the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference arguing that Ellen White in addition to have supported Jones and Waggoner, but also perfectionistic theology, which some say came from them.
Some historic Adventists, like many mainstream Adventists, are advocates of the King James Only movement, which promotes sole use of the King James Version of the Bible. (A classic book in this movement, Our Authorized Bible Vindicated (1930), was written by an Adventist, Benjamin G. Wilkinson. One critique is by Alden Thompson.Alden Thompson, critique (RTF). March 24, 1995) Some historic Adventists (smyrna.org) reject the SDA 28 fundamental beliefs and only accept the 1872 and 1889 Fundamental Principles. Ellen White has stated that the fundamental principles are based on unquestionable authority. "He calls upon us to hold firmly, with the grip of faith, to the fundamental principles that are based upon unquestionable authority." 1SM 208.2
Last Generation Theology
"Last Generation Theology" (LGT) or "final generation theology" is a belief system held by some conservative members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which claims that perfection like the 144,000 will be achieved by some people in the last generation before the Second Coming of Jesus. It is closely related to "Historic Adventism," but as one supporter claims, it differs in that it forms an extension or development of traditional Adventist beliefs, or takes them to their logical conclusion.
Criticism Mainstream and progressive Adventists have criticised the use of the term "historic." It is observed that numerous doctrinal positions that were common among the Adventist pioneers are generally not held by those who profess to be "historic Adventists," such as semi-Arianism, what time of day the Sabbath should begin, certain understandings of Systematic Benevolence, the "shut door," and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. It is argued that the over-valuing of "historic" beliefs leads to an unhelpful neglect of "new light" and "present truth," which Adventists have always held as defining beliefs.