Froom on Pantheism

[Hanseng]

"But, we repeat, it was his [Kellogg's] pantheistic teaching concerning the presence of God in all living things, that brought about the actual crisis—through such statements as:
"There is -present in the tree a power which creates and maintains it, a tree-maker in the tree, a flower-maker in the flower." (The Living Temple, p. 29.) (MOD 350)

"In a talk in the General Conference session of 1901, on the "divine life in man," Kellogg had said in language that was daringly explicit:
"Take the sunflower, for example. It looks straight at the sun. . .. It is God in the sunflower that makes it do this. . .. There is an intelligence that is present in the plant, in all vegetation. . .. "Wherever God's life is, God himself is. You can not separate God and his life. That is the reason why God is everywhere." (GC Bulletin, 1901, pp. 492-495.) [He also speaks of the] "divine presence" [in the cell.] (P. 495.)" (MOD 352)

"It is amazing that the full significance of these words did not seem to register at the time. But there was a growing concern among some.
These thoughts were then developed and emphasized in The Living Temple, where Kellogg boldly stated:
"God is the explanation of nature, —not a God outside of nature, but in nature, manifesting himself through and in all the objects, movements, and
varied phenomena of the universe." (P. 28.) This philosophy is boldly expressed, simply in different words, on another page:
"We have a physiological proof of the existence within the body of some power superior to the material composition or substance of the body, which
exercises a constant supervision and control whereby individual identity is maintained. This can be nothing less than the Power which builds, which
creates, —it is God himself, the divine Presence in the temple." (P.52.)" (MOD 352)

It [Kellogg's pantheism] harked back to the mystic philosophy of the Orient. Notwithstanding, Kellogg strangely insisted that he still believed in the "personality of God. {MOD 354)

According to Froom, these were the issues regarding the pantheism Kellogg embraced. It wasn't his belief in the "trinity" that caused problems.

[Gustave]

Hanseng, I'll take a page out of your book and say, 'that's only Froom's understanding of what Kellogg believed'. J.H. Kellogg DENIED being a Pantheist. 

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. . Do not imagine I am a pantheist. The pantheist believes God is in the tree and then concluded the tree is God and bows down and worships the tree. In believing in the universal presence of God, the pantheist is right, but when he looks at it that he should worship everything he is wrong. I assure you I have not the slightest disposition to pose as an apostle of any new doctrine, and in writing my book, "THE LIVING TEMPLE" I did not dream that such a thing would be suspected of me........

To read Kellogg's above comments in context go to: 1903-9-30-Kellogg-to-GIButler.pdf - Google Drive

The fire Kellogg was playing with was his new belief in the Trinity Doctrine that wherever Christ or the Holy Spirit was - GOD WAS. You will notice in Kellogg's letter he makes specific mention of this.

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Kellogg said: You remember Christ said he was the express image of his Father's Person, BUT HE ALSO SAID, "HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER". Not somebody like him, but Him, not his imagination BUT HIMSELF....

Ellen White's answer to John Kellogg was explicit. 

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“You are not definitely clear on the personality of God, which is everything to us as a people. You have virtually destroyed the Lord God Himself.” (Ellen White to John Harvey Kellogg, Letter 300 1903.)

What Kellogg had run afoul of was asserting that God was ONE SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE with Kellogg using the example from Scripture where Jesus said anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father (because the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father). Kellogg had ATTACKED the SDA Personality of God Doctrine which asserted that the Father was a flesh hominid "BEING" and that the Son was a separate flesh hominid "BEING". The SDA's argument was if the Father was in heaven in His Temple He COULDN'T be anywhere else - because He was over there and not somewhere else - because God (The Father) was an actual Person WITH A BODY. 

Here are a couple of examples of which there are MANY more where they come from.

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Signs of The Times, Doctrines of Devils:

For if God be not a tangible being, what of His "begotten Son "? We ate told that Christ is all there is of God; then who managed the universe when Christ was dead? Who spoke from heaven at His baptism, saying, " This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased?" Who, again, spoke from the cloud, on the mount of transfiguration, and said, "This is My beloved Son, hear Him?" To whom was Jesus praying, when He said, "0 Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" ? Was He praying to Himself in heaven, when He Himself was yet on earth? We note that He " lifted up His eyes to heaven, " when He uttered that prayer. If Christ is the only personality of God, at whose right hand did He sit down when He ascended to heaven ? Mark 16: ie. If Christ is the only personality of God, who gives Him His "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom," and before whom does He come to receive these things ?

To read the above in context go to: ST19020416-V28-16.pdf (adventistarchives.org)

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Pantheism is very widely held at the present day. The Buddhists of India and other countries in the Orient are pantheists; and so are plenty of others, even in America, who may be members of orthodox Protestant churches. But pantheism, wherever it is held, is a denial of the personality of God; it identifies God with the universe, making the totality of the universe all the god there is. Thus, it denies the reality of God, as we Christians know Him.

to read the above in context go to: ST19380705-V65-26.pdf (adventistarchives.org)

The case is closed by Ellen White herself when she affirmed that God WAS NOT AN INTANGIBLE SPIRIT.

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Ellen White said: . He was not an intangible spirit, but a living ruler of the universe.

to read Ellen White repudiate the Trinity Doctrine in context go to:ST18780425-V04-16.pdf (adventistarchives.org)