Category: Theological Forum

Statement of Consensus

Post author By admin
Post date November 18, 2015

CENTENNIAL REFLECTIONS ON ELLEN G. WHITE

We, the attendees at the 18th AIIAS Annual Theological Forum, with full confidence in the end-time prophetic guidance through the ministry of Ellen G. White (1827-1915), adopt the following Statement of Consensus:

We reaffirm our full commitment to the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice, recognizing that the Bible itself lists the prophetic gift among the gifts of the Spirit intended to build up the Christian church toward “the unity of the faith” and “the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:11-14).

We reaffirm our confidence that God has blessed His end-time remnant with the gift of prophecy (Rev 12:17; 19:10) in the life, ministry, and writings of Ellen White, to keep His children faithful to the Bible and its teachings.

We reaffirm that the inspired writings of Ellen White are as authoritative today as they were during the formative years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

We reaffirm that when interpreting Ellen White’s writings, we should seek their most natural meaning, considering all her writings within their historical and literary contexts, recognizing the need for human reason to be aided by the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

We reaffirm that the principles found in Ellen White’s writings dealing with the practical aspects of Christian life and behavior are still relevant and necessary for us today.

We reaffirm that sermons should be based on Scripture and informed by the writings of Ellen White.

We reaffirm that the mission of the Church and its outreach methods should be informed and guided by sound biblical principles and the writings of Ellen White.

We reaffirm our commitment to read and study the Bible and Ellen White’s writings, as well as to encourage others to do so.

We reaffirm our responsibility to reach and engage new generations whose questions and challenges require innovative approaches in making Ellen White’s prophetic ministry relevant.

As Seventh-day Adventist theologians, editors, pastors, and teachers, we reaffirm our unconditional commitment to the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and to the theological and practical guidance and end-time applications given in Ellen White’s writings.

Drafting Committee: Alberto R. Timm, Chair; Reuel Almocera, Secretary, Michael W. Campbell; George R. Knight, Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Silang, Cavite, Philippines, November 14, 2015

Tags Adventist, egw, ellen white, statement of consensus, Theology

Theological Forum

Abstracts

Post author By admin
Post date October 1, 2015

Below is the list of abstracts that has been submitted. Please visit this page again to see more abstracts and additional updates.

Abstracts

God does nothing without His Prophets!!! Really???

Post author By admin
Post date October 1, 2015

George R. Knight, retired professor of church history, Andrews University

Amos 3 suggests that God does nothing without revealing it to His prophets. But for most of history He has been silent. Why does God speak sometimes and not others? And what does that mean for us in 2015?

Abstracts

Old Prophet, New Approaches: 45 Years of Crisis and Advance in Ellen White Studies

Post author By admin
Post date October 1, 2015

George R. Knight, retired professor of church history, Andrews University

What might be thought of as ‘The Wonderful World of Ellen White’ came to a crashing halt in the 1970s and early 1980s. The 1980s experienced the construction of a more adequate view, while the past 25 years have seen an extension and consolidation of the new insights. Yet there is still more to do as we move beyond the centennial of her death.

Abstracts

The Role of Ellen G. White in Doctrinal Controversy

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Post date October 1, 2015

Donny Chrissutianto, PhD Candidate, AIIAS

While the role of Ellen G. White in development of Adventist doctrine and lifestyle has been widely studied, her role in the doctrinal controversy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church since its establishment in 1863 is rarely discussed. This paper attempts to look the prophet’s role when the church faced some doctrinal disagreements from 1888 to 1907.

There are several doctrinal controversies that will be taken as the examples of the issue in observing her role. They are the righteousness by faith (1888), the Holy Flesh Movement (1900), doctrine of sanctuary crises (a challenge from A. F. Ballenger in 1905) and Pantheism (1903-1907). The purpose of this study is to find out the role of the prophet and how she used her writings at those critical situations.

Abstracts

In the Vortex of Imperialistic Machinations: Toward an Understanding of Ellen G. White’s Position on the 1894 Solusi Land Grand

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Post date October 1, 2015

Watson Mbiriri

In 1894, Mr. Cecil John Rhodes of the British South African Company offered representatives of the then young but expanding Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), as much land as they could use for missionary purposes in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). This offer generated much debate among members of the Foreign Mission Board of the Church, on the grounds of the Church’s principle on separation of Church and state. A direct appeal to Ellen White drew an affirmative response and the matter was settled.

This paper will seek to explore just one question: how should Ellen White’s advice with regards to this land offer be understood, considering that the land was effectively ‘stolen property’? Mr. Rhodes’ ‘generosity’ saw him parcel out large portions of the country without any regard to or consultation with the owners (inhabitants) of that land. The SDA Church was neither the first, nor the last beneficiary of his ‘generosity.’ This paper seeks a biblical paradigm that may mediate the dialogue on this otherwise awkward situation for Ellen White as a person and the SDA Church as a Bible-based community of believers.