Out of Adventism

Book excerpt: From its humble beginnings in the nineteenth century, Seventh-day Adventism has remarkably grown to become one of America's largest, home-grown faiths, numbering nearly nineteen million members worldwide. Yet Adventism harbors dark secrets within its history. This is the true story of how one Adventist pastor, and university and seminary professor discovered these dark secrets and learned through painful, personal experience that neither the denomination nor its doctrine could be trusted. As his odyssey takes him from pastoral assignments in rural and urban congregations and finally into teaching religion at an Adventist university, he suddenly finds himself caught up in the maelstrom of a church's greatest theological crisis. For him, the denomination's theology and practice agonizingly unravel, forcing him to choose between loyalty to his church, his vocation, and his personal integrity. Rich in anecdotes and personal experiences, Out of Adventism guides readers interested in religious history, cults, and sects through the ins and outs of a religious community in crisis. Along the way, the reader not only gets an insider's view of Adventism, but also discovers a careful critique of the peculiar teachings of Seventh-day Adventism.