The Prophet and the Presidents is a fun and compelling read of one of the most controversial periods in denominational history. The narrative picks up in 1888 and concludes in 1913 and follows the successive presidencies of world church presidents O. A. Olsen (1888-1897), G. A. Irwin (1897-1901), and A. G. Daniells (1901-1922). Valentine focuses on the “charismatic” prophetic leadership of Ellen G. White juxtaposed with these same leaders. The book is neatly organized into three main sections: chapters 1 and 2 analyze spiritual leadership as “political” skill (29-61), followed by chapters 3 through 10 that uncover the relationship between Ellen White and the presidents under scrutiny, and perhaps the most important part of the book is the last chapter (304-337) that suggests a “hermeneutical paradigm for understanding Ellen White in the 1890s.”

At the heart of Valentine’s thesis is the notion that the “gift of administration” and the “gift of prophetic guidance” were intended to balance one another. Valentine furthermore suggests that Ellen White was an astute church politician (cf. 198). Perhaps her most significant contribution was to lead a “revolution” at the 1901 General Conference Session that established a new church structure. While it is admirable that Valentine notes her political prowess, it appears that at several points he moves beyond historical documentation when he alleges that in her political maneuverings she took church leaders on rides in the country while conveniently sidestepping “certain topics of conversation” (198). How does he know? The author provides no documentation.

As a “believer’s study” he concludes that a hermeneutic of Ellen White must not only include “time” and “place” but also her “personal experience.” In this sense Valentine makes assumptions that become much clearer in the final chapter. To what extent does “time” and “place” limit the authoritative message of the prophet? Was she simply in a bad mood when she wrote a message of reproof? In essence Valentine utilizes a conditional hermeneutic for interpreting Ellen White that, although he allows for her “charistmatic” gift, lessens her authoritative role within the church at that time, and by extension, her continuing legacy within the church.

Perhaps this is best seen in Valentine’s narrative of the power struggle between J. H. Kellogg and denominational leaders in the events surrounding the 1901 General Conference Session (perhaps the most compelling part of the book). He asks the rhetorical question if White and other church leaders possibly made a strategic mistake and thus a “failure” of leadership on the part of Daniells and by extension Ellen White? (208). Such questions move beyond the realm of hermeneutics to one with practical implications for the inspiration and authority of Ellen G. White and her prophetic role within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Was she a politican who “would abandon a particular approach when it appeared not to be effective and then adopt another?” (208). She was a pragmatist in that she was open to using various means to achieve an “end” that she knew (by revelation) was God’s will for the church. For example, when a vision and her best persuasion failed to convince church administrators to purchase the land for Avondale College, she took a different approach. She asked each member of the committee to individually pray for God to reveal to each one what they should do about the land. (See EGW to WCW, Nov. 5, 1894, quoted in Jerry Moon, W. C. White and Ellen G. White [AU Press, 1993], 200-202). When they did so, they all came back and said essentially, we think the land is not perfect, but it is the best available for our purposes and we should buy it even though it has some drawbacks—which was exactly what she had argued all along. She didn’t change her goal, but she took a different approach to the committee when her initial attempt failed to convince them.

An even more foundational question that Valentine addresses appears to be the underlying question of whether the human dimension of her prophetic role overshadowed the prophetic? Historically Adventists have maintained that the source of Ellen White’s writings (revelation) is from God and although the human messenger is imperfect her prophetic life and writings remain authoritative for the church (inspiration). Thus as an “agent of change” Valentine notes that she was not always effective, but the hermeneutical implication for letting “time” and “place” take front seat in the hermeneutical interpretative driver’s seat is to diminish her prophetic authority. Clearly Ellen White was a pragmatist, but her prophetic warnings were letters written not because she was in a bad mood but because she discerned the spiritual peril of the denomination!

On a more historical level it is no surprise therefore that Valentine is biased in favor of W. W. Prescott in her interpretative framework since he did his doctoral dissertation (Andrews University,1982) and two later biographies on Prescott. For example, Valentine takes Prescott’s word that Ellen White wanted him to become General Conference president based upon a no longer extant letter referenced in a later letter by Prescott. Was Prescott completely reliable? Later he credits the Fundamentalists with overthrowing the presidency of A. G. Daniells in 1922 (267-269) but such a cursory reading does not allow for the fact that Daniells and Prescott both urged leaders at the 1919 Bible Conference to become the “Fundamentalists of the Fundamentalists.” Valentine would have you believe that Prescott was the hero when he contributed to the theological polarization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. As such it appears that he weights the historical evidence in favor of Prescott.

Despite disagreeing with Valentine’s interpretation, I loved reading a narrative of one of the most controversial periods in Adventist history because of the painstaking and extensive historical research. What sets this book apart and how it makes a remarkable contribution is that this is currently the most extensive and detailed analysis published to date on this period of Ellen White’s life. It exposes the reader to hundreds of unpublished letters only accessible in major archives and research centers. Nevertheless, readers need to recognize that this book was designed as a provocative study to challenge the typical interpretative framework for interpreting Ellen White, and I disagree with this central thesis. Unfortunately, the hermeneutic he proposes will tend to diminish her prophetic authority within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.