Product Description
Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists was published at the pivot point of the denomination's mission development. By 1886 the young church had been in the foreign mission business for a dozen years. But as yet it had only four missions (three in Europe and one in Australia/New Zealand), and those four were just moving beyond their infancy stage. By late 1886 the Adventists were becoming ever more committed to foreign missions. As a result, their first book-length document on missions represents a valuable historical record of the denomination's early missions. It also contains revealing reports from a variety of authors, including Ellen G. White, on the strategies developed to further those missions and a call for a much more expanded mission work in the future. Thus Historical Sketches, when seen in its context, was both a summary sketch of Adventism's missiological past and a pointer and an appeal to the future. ... Read more

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Chapters: Opus Dei, First Baptist Church of Manila, Seventh-Day Adventist Telugu Work: Malaysia, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Temple Beth Israel (Bergen County, New Jersey), Cooneyites, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, Samoan Assemblies of God, St. James-Bond Church, Psychiana, Christian Millennial Fellowship, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, Roman Catholic Diocese of Surabaya, Roman Catholic Diocese of Barrancabermeja, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bellary, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rhodes, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bragança Do Pará, Roman Catholic Diocese of Assis, Roman Catholic Diocese of Yanji, Roman Catholic Diocese of Guide, Christadelphian Isolation League, Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Marajó, Roman Catholic Diocese of Nellore, Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 116. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the governance of a prelate (bishop) appointed by the pope. Opus Dei is Latin for "Work of God", hence the organization is often referred to by members and supporters as "the Work". Founded in Spain in 1928 by the Catholic priest St. Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei was given final approval in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. In 1982, by decision of Pope John Paul II, the Catholic Church made it into a personal prelaturethat is, the jurisdiction of its own bishop covers the persons in Opus Dei wherever they are, rather than ge...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=100390 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unbiased look at Seventh-day Adventism
This is a good, sometimes compelling look at the fastest growing church. (Mormons often bill their "Mormon Church" as the fastest growing church, but their attitude is lways me-me-me and their missionaries aren't sent out to do good works such as opening clinics, plus their religion attrits very quickly.) I was happy to read about the beginnings of Seventh-day Adventism as an off-shoot of the Millerite movement in some depth, because encyclopedias never do a good job covering the Millerites. Overall my friends who are Seventh-day Adventists are pretty decent, but sometimes quirky. These attributes are fairly represented in this history. I was amazed at the number of schools, colleges, universities, clinics, and hospitals that are run by the SDA. As the author attests, SDA'ers have not lost the Millerite zeal for scaring the pants off potential converts with doomsday interpretations of prophecy. I was recently invited to a weekend seminar held by SDA's in a local banquet hall. The promotional pamphlet came complete with fierce beasty things and thermo-nuclear detonations - pretty sobering stuff. The cost was $25 a the door to defray the cost of lunch served both days by the hotel caterer. Unfortunately, I don't handle money money on the Sabbath, and I don't expect people to be paid to serve me on the Sabbath. As Anne Devereaux Jordan notes, the Adventism comes first, the Seventh-day part came much later. ... Read more

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Examines the challenges faced by Puerto Ricans in comparison to other Latino groups. ... Read more

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1969 Revied Edition of 1958 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wordy, informative
A lot of words, conveying very little new information for me.I am a gay-fiction writer and enjoyed the few chapters that dealt with life stories.I'm an ex-Seventh-day Adventist and am familiar with all of the denominational information presented.For my own novels, I've extensively researched online and communicated with my friends in the GLBT community, so I am also familiar with the additional subject matter in the book.For a person without my background, the book will present a treasure-trove of information and garner more than three stars, which it deserves, as it is well compiled.

Passionate and prophetic
We were excited when Christianity and Homosexuality: Some Seventh Day Adventist Perspectives was released earlier this year, as the editor is a friend of ours. We've eagerly followed the development of the book from when it began as a convocation of Adventist academics and luminaries presenting papers on this issue, an issue of some controversy within the SDA church, as it is with many religious denominations. While the book was particularly targeted at an Adventist audience, it should prove a very useful resource to parents, parishioners, and gay people of any Christian denomination. The collection of essays is grouped into five thematic areas: autobiography, medical science, social science, theology, and social policy. In each section, echoing the structure of the conference, several viewpoints are presented followed by an independent closing response to the preceding views. The choice of thematic areas was wisely considered, as they address the breadth of common concerns -- is homosexuality biologically caused? is it a pathology? what does the Bible say about it? -- and reflect a distinctly Adventist way of thinking which puts weight on medical as well as biblical views. It was also very wise to begin with personal stories -- those of a lesbian church member, the mother of a gay son, and a gay ex-pastor -- which powerfully ground the academic discussion in the realization that we are talking about real people's lives. The contributors are varied in their background -- university professors, pastors, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, all with strong Adventist credentials -- and they are varied in their viewpoints, some themselves gay or lesbian, some straight but sympathetic, and one or two less than gay-positive views. The book (and the conference) did not set out to contrive an arbitrary balance of views, with an equal weight to a "pro" and "con" point of view, nor should it have. To paraphrase Rush Limbaugh, this book is the balance, as the arguments against homosexuality are well-known and pervasive in the church, and need no additional rehearsals. But it does present a thoughtful range of views.

The essays are all respectably argued and respectfully voiced, although in a few passages one can sense justifiable anger simmering below the surface. Adventism, like Judaism, is more than "just" a religion, it is a culture and a way of life, part of which is strong tradition and familial loyalty. Thus, it is especially traumatic for gay Adventists to be estranged or ostracized from their church family, not unlike being kicked out of one's own family. One's family has a special ingrained demand on the love of its members, even when they are angry at having been hurt by it. That poignant tension is a palpable undercurrent in some of the essays. I am hopeful that those passionate expressions might inspire the appropriate righteous indignation in others rather than defensiveness. I am also impressed that some of the essays, rather than the usual arguing for (or even begging for) acceptance, are prophetic cries against hypocrisy and injustice, and open challenges to the church to stop falling short of its own ideals. I think those are called for, and well answered.

As an avid student of religion, I jumped to the theology section first. John R. Jones, of La Sierra University, presented an intriguing and thorough exegesis of the typical Bible passages used to condemn homosexuality, illuminating many of them by historical context, and ending with a positive vision of biblical hermeneutics as a continuation of Paul's efforts to evolve the church beyond its original Judeo-centric views. This was countered by Roy Gane of Andrews University, who brought to my attention one of the most appalling New Testament texts I have ever read. But there were interesting theological insights to be found outside the theology section too. Mitchell Tyner, an attorney (formerly counsel for the General Conference), grounds his policy recommendations in insightful readings of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son stories. And Catherine Taylor, a clinical social worker, writing the response to the behavioral science section, has clearly given much thought to theology. I am thankful to her for her thoughts on creation: the implication of stewardship in dominion, the injunction to care for the weaker among us embedded in the Sabbath commandment, and most of all, the reminder that God said it was not good that man should be alone. And of course it was bittersweet to read the essay written by our late pastor Mitch Henson.

As a "member of the choir being preached to", I found the book intriguing, thought-provoking, and full of new insights. I hope that it will be as useful and as well-received by those who really need to read it.

It's about time!
For too long the term "homosexuals" had been whispered in SDA churches and other conservative Christian groups. Cultivated ignorance was the rule. Now here are stories about actual Gays and Lesbians and how ignorance has hurt them badly (it really hasn't helped the non-gay Christian brethren either). It goes into scientific, moral and theological aspects casting light or, at least, less darkness onto the topic. A few of the theological articles are a bit negitive but, overall, it is a positive book that will help both non-gay and gay believers (even non-believers).

Advancing and challenging our knowledge
This book goes beyond an explanation of the regular biblical texts used to condemn homosexuality from the conservative religious point of view.Written by OT and NT scholars, and some lay contributors, the book provides rich background information along with spiritual challenges for those seriously studying homosexuality and religion. While rigorous in its biblical approach, the various contributors that provide personal accounts add a face to the issue. This is a real gem in the religious literature examining the issue of homosexuality and the Bible. ... Read more

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An ad hoc committee on hermeneutics and ordination from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary provides thoughtful answers to good questions: Why ordain elders and pastors? What does the Bible teach about priesthood and ministry? Does Paul really prohibit women from speaking in church? What does Ellen White say about ordination? What role did women play in ministry in the New Testament? How is ordination related to the ministry? How does culture influence the way we understand the Bible? Does the Bible forbid the ordination of women? What does the Bible teach about "headship"? How did Ellen White relate to the Women's Rights Movement? Who were some of the nineteenth-century Adventist women in ministry and what did they do? ... Read more

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A systematic approach to theology, presenting and discussing the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with striking simplicity and clarity. The theme of God's reign over His creation and His creatures unifies the entire presentation. Suitable for use in beginning courses in religion at the college level or for the layperson wanting to better understand basic Adventist beliefs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Bible is its own expositor (interpreter). Sola Scriptura!
The book, REIGN OF GOD, is an excellent introduction of Biblical
Christian Theology from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective. The
author, Dr. Richard Rice, M.Div., M.A., Ph.D. engages the reader
in a discussion of theology that emerges from the Bible itself
so as to seriously evaluate one's own beliefs.

Good review
The book was received in good condition and in a timely manor.Thank you so much for your honesty and promptness.

Suitable Study for All
This introductory text to Christian theology is quite readable. Though the author understands his primary audience to be students of general-ed religion courses offered at Seventh-day Adventist colleges, the book also certainly appears to be suitable for the lay person and for anyone desiring to more fully understand Seventh-day Adventist beliefs. Pointing to the Bible as the authoritative source of religious truth, Rice proceeds to use not a proof-text-method (though relevant scriptural passages are listed on the title page of each chapter) but an approach to the study of theology which focuses on the reign of God. Readers are encouraged not to swallow the interpretation of the doctrines which is presented, but to ponder the issues carefully and determine whether they have been nourished in their study. Each chapter concludes with questions for review and for further study, along with suggestions for Bible study and for further reading, all of which can motivate the reader to seek a greater understanding of God and to further investigate His Word. ... Read more

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Discusses the differences between the beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists and other Christian denominations. Foundations for Faith, Vol. 2. ... Read more