Theology

A brief review of the Easter celebration and how it relates not only to the resurrection of Jesus, but why it has become a major festival in the Christian world and how it relates to the biblical record.

Introduction The God of the philosophers, who has influenced the understanding of God in classical theism, is a perfect being. In this view God’s perfection is a fixed and absolute state that does not accept new experiences. With such a definitional assumption, it is easy to read into the Bible ...

The General Conference Biblical Research Institute (BRI) and Andrews University have partnered to published a new book by John C. Peckham titled God With Us: An Introduction to Adventist Theology for general and classroom readers that theologically examines each of the Adventist church’s fundam...

From Doing Theology to Being a Theologian: Principles and Methods of Theology Zoltán Szallós-Farkas. Cernica, Romania: Editura Universitatii Adventus, 2022. 207 pp. ISBN: 978-606-9065-25-9 The book From Doing Theology to Being a Theologian: Principles and Methods of Theology , written by Zoltán...

Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity Roger E. Olson. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2022. 180 pp. USD 18.99. Renowned Baptist theologian Roger E. Olson has written a thought-provoking book in which he compares the basic beliefs of the Christian faith...

Introduction Christian theologians and philosophers have discussed human nature for some two millennia. In light of the daunting smallness of human beings against the backdrop of God’s greatness and the vastness of the universe already the psalmist raised the question: “ What are human beings th...

Roy E. Graf, The Principle of Articulation in Adventist Theology: An Evaluation of Current Interpretations and a Proposal. (Berrien Springs, MI: Adventist Theological Society, 2019, 374 pp. USD 20.00). The book The Principle of Articulation in Adventist Theology: An Evaluation of Current Interpr...

It has been said that “man has been endowed by God with the greatest and most awesome of freedoms: the freedom of choice.” Indeed, the ability of human beings to make meaningful choices is one of the most significant aspects of what it means to be human. Our freedom to choose is crucial for any ...

Theistic evolution lacks a clear, concise, and definitive definition. However, two features are common to characterizations of theistic evolution: 1) an account of origins at odds with the biblical record of history and 2) death before sin. These characteristics appear irreconcilable with biblical Christianity, so how could theistic evolution become acceptable within any Christian tradition? Possible answers include: 1) abandoning the authority of Scripture and 2) defining death before sin differently than death after sin. Both accommodations are achievable through Catholic doctrines, which are examined based on official Catholic statements regarding theistic evolution and creation during the time theistic evolution became accepted as an orthodox Catholic position. These are compared with the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Statement of Fundamental Beliefs.

World War I was a defining moment in world history. It had profound implications for religion, particularly among evangelical Christians. At the same time, it also had profound implications for Seventh-day Adventism. This presentation examines its impact for Seventh-day Adventist theology, particularly in a renewed emphasis upon Adventist eschatology. During World War I the rising fundamentalist movement held a series of prophecy conferences that captured the attention of Adventist church leaders. By the end of the conflict this sense of militarism had pervaded Protestant Christianity with various reactions to the war. This presentation surveys some of those reactions within Adventism, including how this impacted eschatological debates with Adventism and fundamentalism. The focus of this presentation is to survey Adventist eschatology and theological debates from World War I through World War II, leading up to the pivotal 1952 Bible Conference that finally culminated in continued eschatological discussions. This presentation argues that both twentieth-century world wars had a profound impact upon Seventh-day Adventist theology.