Why I Wrote the Book: The idea for Adventism: Christian or Cult or None of the Above was born when I joined Facebook a couple of years ago! I had to respond to the disturbing thought that many of my former students, about 7,000 during my forty years of teaching, were no longer members of the Adventist church. I wanted to know why they, along with many others, had lost faith in the church to which I am still loyal.
From there the plot thickened to where I wanted to know the answer to other questions, nagging concerns about the criticism of former Adventists, the reasons for the phenomenal increase of the “nones” (people without church affiliation), and why Adventists are so vulnerable to fanaticism, legalism, and even cults. In what way has the good news of the gospel and the unique teachings of our church failed us? Or is the blame somewhere else? If you are interested in some tentative answers, along with many more additional challenges, I invite you to read this book!
Book Synopsis: Most of us are seekers, searching for Biblical truth, inspiration, and answers to our greatest questions and distressing concerns! While the Internet provides on-demand access to information on Adventism, readers will find a wide array of conflicting information, including severe criticism of our church, especially the beliefs unique to Adventism.
Adventism: Christian or Cult or None of the Above provides answers to the challenges and responds to key questions such as: Why is Adventism labeled a cult by critics and former members? Why does faith grow productively in some, while fade away in others? What aspect of Adventism is most apt to discourage or frustrate its members? How does Facebook help us understand the exodus of youth from Adventism? Why do one-third of Americans, known as nones, have no religious affiliation? What is the greatest theological challenge Adventism faces today? What underlying teachings of the Bible do you dismiss when leaving Adventism? What is the essential heart of the gospel?