2025
ASDAH Newsletter
The Newsletter of The Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians
Posted: February 2025
Editor(s): Katharine Van Arsdale & Howard Munson
Posted: February 2025
Editor(s): Katharine Van Arsdale & Howard Munson
In this issue…
Office Bearers
NAD-sponsored meal at the American Society
of Church History Conference, January 2025 |
From the ASDAH President
Lisa Clark Diller
Dear Friends,
The tired saying that we live in “unprecedented” times has less salience for those of us who are Adventist historians. We have the privilege of academic training which affords us access to the many, many who have gone before who also lived in challenging times. More importantly, we have comfort because we walk through our lives with the presence of a God who is the Beginning and the End. The technological, social, economic or political developments that threaten our well-being can be faced with the testimony of those who have gone before and the perspective of being held in the hand of God.
And yet, I’m so grateful to have the company of this community as we provide context and education to our communities. One of my librarian friends recently sent me a Bloomberg article “The Business of History is Booming.” With the fragmentation of communication channels and a growing sense of how overwhelming it is to face the onslaught of information, people are craving the stories of the past and connections to what has brought us to where we are. Our discipline is more important than ever.
I know that it can feel that we work in isolated pockets, and perhaps the burden of our daily tasks doesn’t allow us to back up to see the significance of what we do but let me remind you that your work is important. Thank you for doing it.
It was a pleasure to see Adventist scholars gather over the last year—whether at the American Society of Church History, the Sixteenth Century Society Conference, the Conference on Faith and History, or at the Adventist Society of Religious Studies, historians showed up to share their scholarship, encourage each other and provoke each other to keep up the good work. We continue to be at the intersection of church-facing work and our particular scholarly communities, and this gives us a role as cultural translators. We connect the past to the present and our scholarship to a wider public.
I hope as many of you as possible attend our triennial meeting in September at Rosario Beach, hosted by Walla Walla University. Look out for information from Greg Dodds about that event. We want to remind everyone that this is an association of Adventists who do historical work in a variety of topics, not just people who do Adventist history. Please join us no matter what your scholarship emphasis is. We have things to contribute to this larger endeavor.
Wherever we are, we work to preserve the past, share its meaning with others, and to contribute to the flourishing of the Body of Christ through our knowledge. I pray you know this is a holy effort.
With joy in our labor,
Lisa Clark Diller
President, Association of SDA Historians
The tired saying that we live in “unprecedented” times has less salience for those of us who are Adventist historians. We have the privilege of academic training which affords us access to the many, many who have gone before who also lived in challenging times. More importantly, we have comfort because we walk through our lives with the presence of a God who is the Beginning and the End. The technological, social, economic or political developments that threaten our well-being can be faced with the testimony of those who have gone before and the perspective of being held in the hand of God.
And yet, I’m so grateful to have the company of this community as we provide context and education to our communities. One of my librarian friends recently sent me a Bloomberg article “The Business of History is Booming.” With the fragmentation of communication channels and a growing sense of how overwhelming it is to face the onslaught of information, people are craving the stories of the past and connections to what has brought us to where we are. Our discipline is more important than ever.
I know that it can feel that we work in isolated pockets, and perhaps the burden of our daily tasks doesn’t allow us to back up to see the significance of what we do but let me remind you that your work is important. Thank you for doing it.
It was a pleasure to see Adventist scholars gather over the last year—whether at the American Society of Church History, the Sixteenth Century Society Conference, the Conference on Faith and History, or at the Adventist Society of Religious Studies, historians showed up to share their scholarship, encourage each other and provoke each other to keep up the good work. We continue to be at the intersection of church-facing work and our particular scholarly communities, and this gives us a role as cultural translators. We connect the past to the present and our scholarship to a wider public.
I hope as many of you as possible attend our triennial meeting in September at Rosario Beach, hosted by Walla Walla University. Look out for information from Greg Dodds about that event. We want to remind everyone that this is an association of Adventists who do historical work in a variety of topics, not just people who do Adventist history. Please join us no matter what your scholarship emphasis is. We have things to contribute to this larger endeavor.
Wherever we are, we work to preserve the past, share its meaning with others, and to contribute to the flourishing of the Body of Christ through our knowledge. I pray you know this is a holy effort.
With joy in our labor,
Lisa Clark Diller
President, Association of SDA Historians
Announcements
ASDAH 2025, September 3-7, 2025
By Greg Dodds, Walla Walla University.
The next ASDAH conference will be hosted by Walla Walla University at the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, just north of Seattle, Washington, September 3-7, 2025.
Rosario Beach is a spectacular setting on the Pacific Ocean and a perfect location for fellowship, worship, good food, and, of course, scholarship. While there are hotels a short drive away, the best and least expensive option is to stay in the cabins at Rosario. Lodging options include a range of private and shareable cabins and there will be food provided for all the meals. The call for papers and reservation information are available at http://wallawalla.edu/asdah
We look forward to seeing lots of you at Rosario where we will share research and spend time together, all while surrounded by the outstanding natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Rosario Beach is a spectacular setting on the Pacific Ocean and a perfect location for fellowship, worship, good food, and, of course, scholarship. While there are hotels a short drive away, the best and least expensive option is to stay in the cabins at Rosario. Lodging options include a range of private and shareable cabins and there will be food provided for all the meals. The call for papers and reservation information are available at http://wallawalla.edu/asdah
We look forward to seeing lots of you at Rosario where we will share research and spend time together, all while surrounded by the outstanding natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Above, Rosario Beach: “The Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory is located on Rosario Beach, next to Deception Pass State Park in the northwest corner of Washington state. The lab includes more than 40 acres of timberland, hills, wetlands, and beachfront on the beautiful Rosario Strait. From our cabins you can view the Straits of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Mountains, Vancouver Island, and the San Juan Islands.”
William Miller’s Correspondence Digitized by Center for Adventist Research and Adventist Digital Library
By Katharine Van Arsdale. Digital Librarian, Andrews University

We are excited to announce the first stage of a multi-year collaborative project between Aurora University (Aurora, Illinois), Andrews University’s Center for Adventist Research (CAR), and the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) to digitize Aurora’s Jenks Memorial Collection of Adventual Materials. The Jenks collection comprises over 350 linear feet of printed and handwritten materials, including books, tracts, periodicals, broadsides, personal correspondence, diaries, and unpublished manuscripts that represent the life and work of William Miller, Joshua V. Himes, and countless other Adventists. These sources are very rare and are difficult for researchers to easily access—indeed, this significant collection at Aurora University is primarily known only to those with word-of-mouth information. For years, devoted scholars have made the trek to rural Illinois to consult the Jenks Collection, and particularly 800 letters of William Miller’s correspondence held by Aurora University. Thanks to the partnership between Aurora, CAR, and ADL, scholars now enjoy free access to these precious documents through the Adventist Digital Library.
L-R: Kevin Burton, Fabio Batista, & Katharine Van Arsdale preparing Miller Boxes 8-14 for transport.
In August, CAR Director Dr. Kevin Burton and ADL Digital Librarian Katharine Van Arsdale traveled to Aurora and picked up the first seven boxes of the William Miller collection, as well as a broadside by Ellen Harmon titled “To the Little Remnant Scattered Abroad,” published April 6, 1846. The broadside is in impeccable condition and may be the finest copy extant. The seven Miller collection boxes contain letters from about 1814 to 1842, a record book kept during Miller’s tenure as Sheriff (1809-1811), and drafts of essays and sermons, among other treasures. The first boxes have been scanned and over seven hundred documents are already uploaded to the new Adventist Digital Library website.
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Aurora University was founded in 1893 by Advent Christians, a denomination that, like the Seventh-day Adventist Church, arose in the wake of the Great Disappointment. However, Aurora University dropped its denominational affiliation in 1971. While these historical religious materials remain important to Aurora’s heritage, their library has no budget to improve access to the Jenks Collection. Only an outside partnership could enable Aurora to preserve and share these important Adventist resources. With a similar denominational history, a Seventh-day Adventist institution seemed like a perfect fit. Since nearby Andrews University is home to both the Center for Adventist Research and the Adventist Digital Library, Aurora University asked if collaboration was possible, and Andrews University enthusiastically agreed.
Shania Mamarimbing processes scans from the Miller Collection.
Prior to transferring the material, Aurora University’s cataloger recorded item-level metadata for the Miller Collection using Dublin Core, the standard used by the Adventist Digital Library. A small grant provided funding for ADL to hire two students to digitize the Miller papers according to industry standards. When scanning is done, both Aurora University and CAR will receive complete copies of the digitized collection to preserve, thereby backing up the work in multiple locations. The files will be shared freely online by each institution according to the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND License.
Interested supporters are invited to follow the progress of digitization and upload by regularly visiting the Manuscripts and Papers of William Miller on the Adventist Digital Library. Financial support is vital to make this project possible. Invest in the work here Letter written by William Miller, as seen on the Adventist Digital Library.
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Report from the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists (ESDA)
By Dragoslava Santrac, ESDA Managing Editor

The Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists (ESDA) continues to grow as an essential resource for understanding the history and global impact of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. With nearly 4,500 articles and over 12,500 images, the ESDA is an invaluable tool for researchers and anyone interested in the history and heritage of Adventism.
Added Functionalities
The ESDA has recently introduced an Audio feature (accessible via Audio button under each article title) and two upgrades to its Advanced Search utility to enhance user experience:
1. Expanded Filter by Category: The “Filter by Category” option now includes new categories, making it easier to find specific types of biographies: Couples, Died/Imprisoned for Faith, Educators, Groundbreakers, Medical Workers, Missionaries, and Women. Additional categories will be added as needed.
2. Sort by Results: A new “Sort by Results” filter has been introduced, allowing users to sort their search results by Best Match (default), Publishing Date, and Alphabetical Order by article title, making it easier to find the most relevant or timely content.
Call for Writers and Mentors
The ESDA editors seeks writers to help expand the encyclopedia’s breadth. If you’re interested in contributing, especially in areas where articles are still needed, please contact us at [email protected]. We also encourage educators to mentor students in writing short ESDA biographies, inspiring the next generation of scholars and fostering a deeper connection to the Adventist faith.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Contributors
The continued success of the ESDA is only possible with the contributions of many individuals. To all who have already shared their expertise, we offer our heartfelt thanks. Your work is making a lasting impact and helping to preserve and share the Adventist Church’s legacy.
For more information, visit www.encyclopedia.adventist.org.
Added Functionalities
The ESDA has recently introduced an Audio feature (accessible via Audio button under each article title) and two upgrades to its Advanced Search utility to enhance user experience:
1. Expanded Filter by Category: The “Filter by Category” option now includes new categories, making it easier to find specific types of biographies: Couples, Died/Imprisoned for Faith, Educators, Groundbreakers, Medical Workers, Missionaries, and Women. Additional categories will be added as needed.
2. Sort by Results: A new “Sort by Results” filter has been introduced, allowing users to sort their search results by Best Match (default), Publishing Date, and Alphabetical Order by article title, making it easier to find the most relevant or timely content.
Call for Writers and Mentors
The ESDA editors seeks writers to help expand the encyclopedia’s breadth. If you’re interested in contributing, especially in areas where articles are still needed, please contact us at [email protected]. We also encourage educators to mentor students in writing short ESDA biographies, inspiring the next generation of scholars and fostering a deeper connection to the Adventist faith.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Contributors
The continued success of the ESDA is only possible with the contributions of many individuals. To all who have already shared their expertise, we offer our heartfelt thanks. Your work is making a lasting impact and helping to preserve and share the Adventist Church’s legacy.
For more information, visit www.encyclopedia.adventist.org.
Institutional News
General Conference, Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research
David Trim, Roy Kline, and Elizabeth Henry conducted several accreditations throughout the year. The East Indonesia Union Conference, West Indonesia Union Mission, East-Central Africa Division (ECD), the South Pacific Division’s Adventist Heritage Centre, and the Inter-American Division were accredited for the first time. The West-Central Africa Division was reaccredited for another five-year term.
David Trim presented at multiple camp meetings on Adventist history on the theme of “United for Mission”, and he gave the annual Pierson Lectures at Southern Adventist University. Ashlee Chism presented at the biennial conference of the Conference on Faith and History, held October 10-12, 2024, about Estella Houser and her work with the Foreign Mission Board and at the General Conference headquarters between 1897 and 1906.
David Trim had a book published by Pacific Press. A voice to rouse the nations: Ellen White and the growth of Adventist mission work (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2024) is an illustrated history of Seventh-day Adventist missions through 1915. It explores the evolution of the pioneers’ beliefs and attitudes, introduces early overseas missionaries and their goals, and examines Ellen White’s role in the development and reform of the Church’s global mission work. It is available for purchase.
ASTR produced two finding aids for recently processed collections (the Ethel A. Roop Collection and the China Mission Photo Collection); these are available on ASTR’s website and through its online catalog. Additionally, ASTR’s digitized issues of The Sligonian (Washington Adventist University’s paper from 1916-1980) and images from the China Mission Photo Collection are now available through the Adventist Digital Library.
David Trim presented at multiple camp meetings on Adventist history on the theme of “United for Mission”, and he gave the annual Pierson Lectures at Southern Adventist University. Ashlee Chism presented at the biennial conference of the Conference on Faith and History, held October 10-12, 2024, about Estella Houser and her work with the Foreign Mission Board and at the General Conference headquarters between 1897 and 1906.
David Trim had a book published by Pacific Press. A voice to rouse the nations: Ellen White and the growth of Adventist mission work (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2024) is an illustrated history of Seventh-day Adventist missions through 1915. It explores the evolution of the pioneers’ beliefs and attitudes, introduces early overseas missionaries and their goals, and examines Ellen White’s role in the development and reform of the Church’s global mission work. It is available for purchase.
ASTR produced two finding aids for recently processed collections (the Ethel A. Roop Collection and the China Mission Photo Collection); these are available on ASTR’s website and through its online catalog. Additionally, ASTR’s digitized issues of The Sligonian (Washington Adventist University’s paper from 1916-1980) and images from the China Mission Photo Collection are now available through the Adventist Digital Library.
La Sierra University
In 2024, two departmental courses merged academic content with service through the university's Service Learning program. In "Vietnam War & Its Aftermath," students partnered with veterans of that conflict, over the course of the quarter conducting ten-hour oral histories covering life before being drafted, time spent in-country, and adjustment upon return. In "Senior Seminar," students conducted a series of interviews with both veterans of and refugees from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Pacific Union College
Like many colleges, PUC is experiencing stagnant or declining enrollment, especially in the humanities disciplines. The general education requirement in history has been sharply reduced and we have few history majors. The department is built around two young scholars (Laura Wibberding and Niqolas Ruud) and one veteran (Karl Wilcox, who bears the impressive title of Utt Professor of History). Eric Anderson is retired, though he continues to collect campus offices.
A bright spot for PUC is the remarkable collection of historical documents and artifacts associated with the new Walter C. Center for Adventist History. Our collections extend well beyond specific PUC materials to include Pacific Rim missions, local history, and general Adventist history. A scholar writing on Ellen White’s temperament found a key document in the Utt Center. Another researcher studying an Adventist minister who secretly worked for U. S. Naval Intelligence discovered new meaning in an apparently routine diary. Yet another scholar unearthed material relevant to the Merikay Silver case in the voluminous Utt correspondence. A writer on American sermons consulted our collection of recordings.
ASDAH members are encouraged to visit the Center. Only the General Conference Archives and the Center for Adventist Research at Andrews have richer collections. Watch for our forthcoming newsletter.
A recent “working conference” met in the Utt Center to discuss “Ellen White for Today.” The conference’s goal: an historically accurate affirmation of the work of the Adventist prophet.
A bright spot for PUC is the remarkable collection of historical documents and artifacts associated with the new Walter C. Center for Adventist History. Our collections extend well beyond specific PUC materials to include Pacific Rim missions, local history, and general Adventist history. A scholar writing on Ellen White’s temperament found a key document in the Utt Center. Another researcher studying an Adventist minister who secretly worked for U. S. Naval Intelligence discovered new meaning in an apparently routine diary. Yet another scholar unearthed material relevant to the Merikay Silver case in the voluminous Utt correspondence. A writer on American sermons consulted our collection of recordings.
ASDAH members are encouraged to visit the Center. Only the General Conference Archives and the Center for Adventist Research at Andrews have richer collections. Watch for our forthcoming newsletter.
A recent “working conference” met in the Utt Center to discuss “Ellen White for Today.” The conference’s goal: an historically accurate affirmation of the work of the Adventist prophet.
Walla Walla University
The history program at Walla Walla University continues to thrive. The department currently has 35 history majors, 20 history minors, 31 legal studies minors, 5 political philosophy minors, and 8 students majoring in humanities and multidisciplinary studies, which is also housed in the department. There are three full-time faculty and six adjunct faculty. Walla Walla hopes to do a search in another year or two for another full-time faculty member, but that will depend on a variety of factors.
Washington Adventist University
The 6th Annual Adventist Archives Lectureship took place on October 22, 2024, on the campus of Washington Adventist University. This year's lecture, “Millerites and Conditional Immortality: A Doctrine Adopted by Seventh-day Adventists”, was presented by distinguished Seventh-day Adventist historian and director of the Ellen G. White Estate, Dr. Merlin Burt. The Adventist Archives Lectureship is co-hosted by the Washington Adventist University Honors College and the General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.
Conference Reports
Conference on Faith and History, October 2024
Report by Lisa Clark Diller
Nineteen Adventist historians attended the Conference on Faith and History in Birmingham (Samford University) in October. The group included seven faculty, three graduate students, an archivist, and eight undergraduates who participated in the conference in some way. View the program to learn about colleagues’ presentations.
Right: Historians at the Conference on Faith and History, October 2024
ABOVE: Michel Lee (left) responds to questions
RIGHT: Panel presentation featuring Ashlee Chism’s (right) paper
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American Society of Church History Conference, January 2025
Report by Michael Campbell
I first attended the American Society of Church History (ASCH) as a college student, when I heard Ronald L. Numbers give the presidential address. Since then, I’ve hoped to see more Adventist participation, as he and I were often the only ones to share a veggie burger together at these meetings. I gave my first paper in a session I organized at ASCH in 2015 and for the past decade, there has been on average at least one paper or session per year about Adventism each year. This year was different. The theme, “Legends,” took place January 3-6, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, and featured research by eight Adventist scholars, including two panel sessions focused on Ellen White and the Adventist experience.
On Friday afternoon, Heidi Olson Campbell (PhD candidate, Baylor University) gave a paper on “Trouble in Paradise: Anti-Trintarianism and Deconstructing the Queen of Heaven, 1558-1625,” in a session on “Early Modern and Modern Spiritualities.” Nathan Hilton, (Afro-Latin American Research Institute, Harvard University) discussed “A Christian Death by Obeah: Protestant Disaffections, Afro-Caribbean Religion and the Mythical Death of John Wesley Manns.” Michael W. Campbell (North American Division ASTR) gave a response to Elesha Coffman’s Turning Points in American Church History (Baker Academic, 2024). On Saturday evening, the North American Division department of Archives, Statistics, and Research hosted a dinner to encourage collaboration and scholarship between Adventist historians attending the meeting.
On Sunday, for the first time, ASCH held two Adventist-focused panel sessions. The first, “Adventism from the Outside: Demythologizing Adventist Legends” was chaired by Heidi Campbell (Baylor University) with a response by John Corrigan (Florida State University). Kevin Burton (Andrews University) presented “Apocalyptic Abolitionist Discourse: Millerism and the Anti-Slavery Press,” examining the intersection of Adventism and abolitionism. Jeffrey Rosario (Loma Linda University) presented “Adventism’s Contradictory Legacy: A Turn Off to Religious Bigots Yet an Allure to Atheists.” Rosario argued that some leading atheists found common ground with Adventists on topics of American imperialism and religious freedom. And finally, Shawn Brace (Ph.D. student, Oxford University) presented “To Creed or Not to Creed: The Ambiguity of Anti-Creedalism in Early Seventh-day Adventism.” Brace argued that the story of Adventism’s anti-creedalism was mostly external and ambiguous; internally, Adventists knew what they believed. Participants expressed strong appreciation for these papers.
The second panel, “The Legend of Ellen White, An American Woman Religious Leader: New Perspectives, Reappraisals and Assessments,” offered context for Ellen White in the broader framework of American religious women leaders. The panel was chaired by Abner Hernandez (Andrews University) with Andrea Turpin (Baylor University) as a respondent. The first paper by Denis Kaiser (Andrews University), “Divine Inspiration in Self-perception and Ascription: The Case of Ellen G. White,” shared that Ellen White was often misunderstood because her experience of inspiration did not align with contemporary theories of inspiration. Michael W. Campbell presented “Translating Women Religious Leaders: A Comparison of Mary Baker Eddy, Catherine Booth, and Ellen White.” He showed how White’s conviction that her writings should be translated placed her ahead of her peers. David Holland (Harvard University) concluded with “Exploring the Silence: Politics, Theology, Gender, and the Academy’s Strange Neglect of Ellen White.” Holland argued that historiography has overlooked Ellen White in comparison to her peers in part because she lived a life devoid of scandals.
Both panels were well-attended, marking the strongest Adventist presence at ASCH to date. This momentum may signal growing scholarly interest in Adventism by both Adventists and non-Adventists. As Dr. John Corrigan observed, Adventist studies today may be compared to Mormon historiography in the 1980s when historians such as Jan Shipps helped integrate Mormonism into mainstream discussions of American religious history. Corrigan wondered “if the study of Adventism might be at a similar place at this moment.” He added: “I had this sense, I can now see things differently in American religious history when I use an Adventist lens or at least the kinds of topics that have come up. It reminds me of when people started studying Mormonism seriously, in deep historical fashion, using archives, where we are arriving at a moment when the study of Adventism is beginning to go in that direction.” As this “critical mass” takes off it will “offer potential to see American religious history differently and looking at the issues that Adventists were concerned with and frictions between Adventism and other groups.”
ASCH Conference panel, Shawn Brace presenting
Michael Campbell, Heidi Olson Campbell, Kevin Burton, and Matthew Lucio at ASCH
On Friday afternoon, Heidi Olson Campbell (PhD candidate, Baylor University) gave a paper on “Trouble in Paradise: Anti-Trintarianism and Deconstructing the Queen of Heaven, 1558-1625,” in a session on “Early Modern and Modern Spiritualities.” Nathan Hilton, (Afro-Latin American Research Institute, Harvard University) discussed “A Christian Death by Obeah: Protestant Disaffections, Afro-Caribbean Religion and the Mythical Death of John Wesley Manns.” Michael W. Campbell (North American Division ASTR) gave a response to Elesha Coffman’s Turning Points in American Church History (Baker Academic, 2024). On Saturday evening, the North American Division department of Archives, Statistics, and Research hosted a dinner to encourage collaboration and scholarship between Adventist historians attending the meeting.
On Sunday, for the first time, ASCH held two Adventist-focused panel sessions. The first, “Adventism from the Outside: Demythologizing Adventist Legends” was chaired by Heidi Campbell (Baylor University) with a response by John Corrigan (Florida State University). Kevin Burton (Andrews University) presented “Apocalyptic Abolitionist Discourse: Millerism and the Anti-Slavery Press,” examining the intersection of Adventism and abolitionism. Jeffrey Rosario (Loma Linda University) presented “Adventism’s Contradictory Legacy: A Turn Off to Religious Bigots Yet an Allure to Atheists.” Rosario argued that some leading atheists found common ground with Adventists on topics of American imperialism and religious freedom. And finally, Shawn Brace (Ph.D. student, Oxford University) presented “To Creed or Not to Creed: The Ambiguity of Anti-Creedalism in Early Seventh-day Adventism.” Brace argued that the story of Adventism’s anti-creedalism was mostly external and ambiguous; internally, Adventists knew what they believed. Participants expressed strong appreciation for these papers.
The second panel, “The Legend of Ellen White, An American Woman Religious Leader: New Perspectives, Reappraisals and Assessments,” offered context for Ellen White in the broader framework of American religious women leaders. The panel was chaired by Abner Hernandez (Andrews University) with Andrea Turpin (Baylor University) as a respondent. The first paper by Denis Kaiser (Andrews University), “Divine Inspiration in Self-perception and Ascription: The Case of Ellen G. White,” shared that Ellen White was often misunderstood because her experience of inspiration did not align with contemporary theories of inspiration. Michael W. Campbell presented “Translating Women Religious Leaders: A Comparison of Mary Baker Eddy, Catherine Booth, and Ellen White.” He showed how White’s conviction that her writings should be translated placed her ahead of her peers. David Holland (Harvard University) concluded with “Exploring the Silence: Politics, Theology, Gender, and the Academy’s Strange Neglect of Ellen White.” Holland argued that historiography has overlooked Ellen White in comparison to her peers in part because she lived a life devoid of scandals.
Both panels were well-attended, marking the strongest Adventist presence at ASCH to date. This momentum may signal growing scholarly interest in Adventism by both Adventists and non-Adventists. As Dr. John Corrigan observed, Adventist studies today may be compared to Mormon historiography in the 1980s when historians such as Jan Shipps helped integrate Mormonism into mainstream discussions of American religious history. Corrigan wondered “if the study of Adventism might be at a similar place at this moment.” He added: “I had this sense, I can now see things differently in American religious history when I use an Adventist lens or at least the kinds of topics that have come up. It reminds me of when people started studying Mormonism seriously, in deep historical fashion, using archives, where we are arriving at a moment when the study of Adventism is beginning to go in that direction.” As this “critical mass” takes off it will “offer potential to see American religious history differently and looking at the issues that Adventists were concerned with and frictions between Adventism and other groups.”
ASCH Conference panel, Shawn Brace presenting
Michael Campbell, Heidi Olson Campbell, Kevin Burton, and Matthew Lucio at ASCH
People News
Edward Allen, formerly at Union Adventist University, has been enjoying retirement. He is co-authoring a book on denominational history with Michael Campbell. The manuscript should be ready for submission before the end of 2024. He has done original research in Chile and Orlando, Florida as well as collecting missionary documents and photos from a number of sources. The scans of scrapbooks from the William Hilliard family, the Frederick and Milton Lee families, and the Armstrong and Coffin families will be made available in an archive soon. In the Lee documents, he found original recordings of Merritt Warren that enable a comparison to a manuscript, also among the documents, as well as the published life of Mr. Warren, Light the Paper Lantern by Ruth Wheeler. The fidelity to the original recording seems high, though a closer look will be necessary before conclusions can be made.
In August, Kevin Burton received a book contract from New York University Press for his first monograph that is tentatively titled, Apocalyptic Abolitionism: How Immediate Millennialists Helped Abolish Slavery and Reform America. His book will appear in the North American Religions Series edited by Tracy Fessenden, David Harrington Watt, Laura Levitt, and Jennifer Hammer. It is expected that Burton’s book will be published in 2025. In August, Burton was also accepted into the competitive Young Scholars in American Religion (YSAR) program. This program is organized by the Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis, which is the oldest, largest, and premier center studying religion and American culture, and funded by the Lilly Endowment. YSAR is a prestigious mentorship program designed to assist the “next generation of leading teachers and scholars in American religion” with their teaching and scholarship. The 2024–2026 cohort, into which Burton was inducted, is mentored by the distinguished professors, R. Marie Griffith and Kristy Nabhan-Warren. For more information, please visit https://raac.indianapolis.iu.edu/programs/young-scholars/
Nathon Hilton (Kansas State) presented his paper on the life, ministry, and (most importantly) “mythical death” of John Wesley Manns, founder of the General Assembly of Free Seventh-day Adventists, at the American Society of Church History (ASCH) in January 2025. Hilton’s paper, “A Christian Death by Obeah: Protestant Disaffections, Afro-Caribbean Religion, and the Mythical Death of John Wesley Manns,” represents part of his studies on the intersections of African Spirituality and Early Latin American Adventism at Harvard's Afro-Latin American Research Institute (ALARI). Manns took the Free SDA Movement to the pioneering Black SDA populations of Jamaica, Cuba, Panama, and lastly, Costa Rica, where he tragically perished under dubious circumstances while in contention with the recently established SDA Church in Central America and the Caribbean. Hilton’s research explores contemporary approaches to discourse, Western Modernity, Latin America, and Comparative Africana. If you’d like to network, please don't hesitte to reach out.
Monique Roddy is planning another excavation season with the Balu'a Regional Archaeological Project (www.BRAPJordan.org) this summer, June 19 - July 31, 2025, in Jordan (let interested students know they are welcome to join us; academic credit options are available). Co-directors Monique Roddy and Kent Bramlett presented on Balu'a as a potential royal Moabite city in a session on kingship in Iron Age Jordan at the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) this past fall. The BRAP team received a $15,000 Site Preservation Grant from the Archaeological Institute of America to further conservation efforts at Balu'a and incorporate Jordanian university students into our work at Balu'a. We are excited to facilitate cross-cultural conversations on the project this summer
Hilary Dickerson was on sabbatical in Fall 2024. She travelled to Japan as part of that sabbatical and is working on a book on Nobuo Tatsuguchi and B. P. Hoffman. She has been developing a number of new courses for the history department curriculum, including one focused on citizenship and exceptionalism from 1877-1941. She is a member-at-large for Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast. Last year she won the alla Walla University Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Greg Dodds is still chair of the department of history and philosophy at Walla Walla University. He is working on several research projects and remains involved with the Erasmus of Rotterdam Society, Renaissance Society of America, and the Sixteenth Century Studies Conference. He has published several articles in the last few years and is in the final stages of completing his second monograph. Dodds continues to lead summer tours to the UK in collaboration with the English department. He is also the assistant golf coach with the WWU men’s and women’s golf teams and is taking the teams to St. Andrews, Scotland, this coming summer. The trip will include a course on sport and religion in Scottish cultural history.
Denis Fortin’s annotated edition of Steps to Christ (first published by Andrews University Press, 2017) will be coming out as a second edition with Oak & Acorn in early 2025. A Spanish edition will also be published by Oak & Acorn, perhaps even earlier in the year.
Brian Strayer enjoyed another year of busy retirement. From September 1-8, 2024, he led a group of 33 retirees on a bus tour of American and Adventist heritage locations in New York and New England, including the Loughborough, Edson, Miller, and Bates cites as well as Niagara Falls, Sturbridge Village, Boston’s Freedom Trail, and Deerfield. That same month, he received a 175-Year Anniversary Plaque from the Jackson SDA Church in September for writing their detailed history from 1849 to 2024. That history is available now at the Center for Adventist Research at Andrews University and is summarized in a Lake Union Herald article by Stanton Witherspoon.
Strayer published several articles, including “A Warning from the Past” which appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Liberty magazine, and “J.N. Loughborough: Last of the Adventist Pioneers” which was published in the May 2024 issue of Adventist Review. An article on “Waggoner, Joseph Harvey (1820-1889)” was published in the online Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. He also completed a 360-page manuscript, the first scholarly biography on the life of Joseph Harvey Waggoner, which is currently being read by Dr. Denis Kaiser for possible publication by PPPA as part of the Adventist Pioneer Biography series in 2025.
In March and April 2024, Strayer made four presentations on “Hiram Edson: The Man We Never Knew” at the Holland, MI and Anderson, IN Adventist churches. April saw him present twice more, speaking about “Joseph Bates: Captain of the Blessed Hope” and “Luther Warren: The Pied Piper of Seventh-day Adventism” at the Allegan and Gobles, MI Adventist churches. Strayer presented a paper entitled “Founded in Faith” for a panel discussion at the Faculty Institute at Andrews University in August 2024, and he made two presentations on “Joseph Wagoner: Editor, Evangelist, and Defender of the Faith” at the Holland Adventist Church in October and November 2024. As he says himself, “Doesn’t sound much like retirement, does it?”
Strayer published several articles, including “A Warning from the Past” which appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Liberty magazine, and “J.N. Loughborough: Last of the Adventist Pioneers” which was published in the May 2024 issue of Adventist Review. An article on “Waggoner, Joseph Harvey (1820-1889)” was published in the online Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. He also completed a 360-page manuscript, the first scholarly biography on the life of Joseph Harvey Waggoner, which is currently being read by Dr. Denis Kaiser for possible publication by PPPA as part of the Adventist Pioneer Biography series in 2025.
In March and April 2024, Strayer made four presentations on “Hiram Edson: The Man We Never Knew” at the Holland, MI and Anderson, IN Adventist churches. April saw him present twice more, speaking about “Joseph Bates: Captain of the Blessed Hope” and “Luther Warren: The Pied Piper of Seventh-day Adventism” at the Allegan and Gobles, MI Adventist churches. Strayer presented a paper entitled “Founded in Faith” for a panel discussion at the Faculty Institute at Andrews University in August 2024, and he made two presentations on “Joseph Wagoner: Editor, Evangelist, and Defender of the Faith” at the Holland Adventist Church in October and November 2024. As he says himself, “Doesn’t sound much like retirement, does it?”
New & Forthcoming Publications
![]() Volume 4 of the Journal of Adventist Archives was published; it can be accessed here.
![]() Mathilde Frey, Ed Allen, Sigve Tonstad, and Denis Fortin, eds. Remembering: It Matters How We Tell the Sabbath Story. Westlake Village, CA: Oak and Acorn, 2023.
https://www.adventsource.org/store/oak--acorn/oak-acorn/remembering-42020 ![]() D.J.B. Trim, A voice to rouse the nations: Ellen White and the growth of Adventist mission work (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2024). https://adventistbookcenter.com/a-voice-to-rouse-the-nations-ellen-white-and-the-growth-of-adventist-mission-work.html
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![]() Denis Fortin, George I. Butler: An Honest but Misunderstood Church Leader. Adventist Pioneer Series. Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2023.
https://adventistbookcenter.com/g-i-butler-an-honest-but-misunderstood-church-leader-aventist-pioneer-series.html ![]() Kevin L. Morgan, Glory! Glory! Glory! Ellen G. White’s Inspiring Early Vision Books (TEACH Services, Inc., forthcoming in 2025). http://www.earlysda.com/books/other/glorygloryglory-exhibit7-20240617.pdf
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Employment Opportunities
La Sierra University
La Sierra is currently hiring for a tenure-track position in the department of History, Politics & Sociology, with a particular interest in those who can teach courses in DEI content areas, law, and/or politics.
https://jobs.silkroad.com/lasierrauniversity/lasierrauniversitycareers/jobs/1975
Southern Adventist University
The History and Political Studies Department is recruiting candidates who have a specialty in American History and Politics. An ability to teach in the areas of U.S. politics and international relations is preferred, and demonstrated competency in more general U.S. domestic history is necessary.
https://sau.catsone.com/careers/112762-General/jobs/16550255-Teaching-Faculty-History-and-Political-Studies
Walla Walla University
Walla Walla University is seeking an experienced and visionary leader to serve as the Director of Libraries. This individual will oversee all operational functions of the university, consisting of the main library in College Place, WA, the nursing branch library in Portland, OR, and the MSW library in Billings, MT. The position is available 1/1/2025 with a pay range of $64,463 to $82,929 annually. Benefits may include comprehensive medical, retirement, free tuition and more.
To learn more and apply, please visit https://jobs.wallawalla.edu and click on Search Faculty Jobs.
La Sierra is currently hiring for a tenure-track position in the department of History, Politics & Sociology, with a particular interest in those who can teach courses in DEI content areas, law, and/or politics.
https://jobs.silkroad.com/lasierrauniversity/lasierrauniversitycareers/jobs/1975
Southern Adventist University
The History and Political Studies Department is recruiting candidates who have a specialty in American History and Politics. An ability to teach in the areas of U.S. politics and international relations is preferred, and demonstrated competency in more general U.S. domestic history is necessary.
https://sau.catsone.com/careers/112762-General/jobs/16550255-Teaching-Faculty-History-and-Political-Studies
Walla Walla University
Walla Walla University is seeking an experienced and visionary leader to serve as the Director of Libraries. This individual will oversee all operational functions of the university, consisting of the main library in College Place, WA, the nursing branch library in Portland, OR, and the MSW library in Billings, MT. The position is available 1/1/2025 with a pay range of $64,463 to $82,929 annually. Benefits may include comprehensive medical, retirement, free tuition and more.
To learn more and apply, please visit https://jobs.wallawalla.edu and click on Search Faculty Jobs.