Cultural Roots of Adventism

[Gregory Matthews]

For a view of the cultural roots of Adventism see:

Reinder Bruinsma: How Do European and American Adventism Differ? | Adventist Today (atoday.org)

 

[Kevin H]

Good points pointed out .  He left out some major influences, such as the methods of historism as restored by Joachim of Flore and developed by the Franciscans. And how Miller and others were impacted by the age of Jackson, and how it took ideals from the American Revolution and applied them to religion rather than politics. Also, when it comes to events around 1844ish we find the birth of the rediscovery of the ancient world that opened up the age of exegesis. 

Had the Reformation started among the Franciscans it would have looked a lot more like Adventism than it having started among the Augustinians. 

We cannot minimize the threefold ideas of Joachim's historism as developed by the Franciscans, and have that basic principle meet the exegesis that was starting in the mid 1800s, and the application of the American Revolution, especially Jefferson/Madison and it's application to the age of Jackson for their influence on the church. The other things he listed played parts as well, but these 3 seem to make up the core of the development of our church. Our church would have looked a lot different without Joachim, or Roger Williams, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison and the culture of the age of Jackson. 

An interesting side note: The dispensationalists took one point of Joachim (not one of his strongest points but not as bad when seen in context). Take it out of context and build a whole theology on it. Sort of like if some group was to build a whole theology on Mrs. White's close door statements. This use assumes that Joachim was a true prophet of God. Yet, to avoid Mrs. White being a prophet, the dispensationalists say that prophecy stopped with Revelation. (Of course John pointed out the need and importance of prophets after the apostles die off). This puts them in a hard place. 

Mrs. White used a broader scope of what we find in Joachim updated to the mid-19th century. and interestingly her message also appears to have incorporated a 19th century application of the basic principles of Hildegard of Bingen and Julian of Norwich. I wonder what could have developed among the Franciscans if they clung to these two women as well as Joachim?