Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Religion, Adventist Studies PhD

First Advisor

Denis Kaiser

Second Advisor

Abner F. Fernandez

Third Advisor

Denis Fortin

Abstract

The Topic

The soteriology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, originally shaped in the mid-nineteenth century around the preparation for the imminent Second Coming, has undergone gradual development over time. By the mid-twentieth century, various perspectives emerged due to the continuation of traditional teachings from the late nineteenth century and challenges from external theological influences. In particular, throughout the debate over Last Generation Theology, each theologian defined and interpreted “righteousness by faith” according to their own theological background and historical context. The resulting tensions and conflicts continue to persist to this day.

The Purpose

This study aims to describe and examine the varied views of selected representative Seventh-day Adventist thinkers on the doctrine of salvation from 1930 to 2000. Outlining their perceptions of justification and sanctification, including various theological subtopics, will be necessary to identify their diverse views and delineate a history of Adventist perceptions of soteriology.

Conclusions

This study identified that the historical development of soteriology in the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1930 to 2000 can be summarized as follows: (1) Opposition to Last Generation Theology began gradually even before the publication of Questions on Doctrine in 1957. The theology that emphasized Christ’s fallen nature and sinless perfection was systematized by M. L. Andreasen, but was clearly rejected as early as the 1930s by leaders such as C. H. Watson. (2) From the 1960s onward, scholars such as Edward Heppenstall, Desmond Ford, and Hans K. LaRondelle began to use Reformed terminology and quote Protestant theologians, demonstrating that Adventist soteriology was increasingly influenced by broader Protestant theology. (3) The 1976 Palmdale Conference centered on the theological question of whether righteousness by faith includes only justification or both justification and sanctification. The conference concluded that righteousness by faith encompasses both aspects. Nevertheless, tension remained between the positions of Ford and LaRondelle, which continued to coexist within the church. (4) During the 1980s, efforts emerged to move beyond legalism and perfectionism. Theologians increasingly proposed more pastoral and grace-centered understandings of the gospel, placing greater emphasis on God’s love and trust rather than fear.

In this historical context, this dissertation also analyzes and describes the soteriological positions of twelve key Seventh-day Adventist theologians by examining their views on topics such as original sin and guilt, prevenient grace, the human nature and atonement of Christ, faith, justification, sanctification, righteousness by faith, perfection, and judgment. Each of these thinkers developed their own theological positions within their respective historical and theological contexts. Significant differences emerged between those who supported Last Generation Theology and those influenced by Reformed theology. Even among those who opposed Last Generation Theology, diverse understandings appeared regarding the scope of righteousness by faith and the nature of salvation in the judgment. In recent decades, more relational and grace-oriented perspectives on salvation have been emphasized, leading to a decline in perfectionistic theology. Nevertheless, various soteriological views continue to coexist within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Subject Area

Salvation--Seventh-day Adventists; Justification (Christian theology)

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