Epistemology of Biblical Truth: Adventist Ordination Discussions as a Case Study

Biblical epistemology reveals that truth knowing is possible, not based solely on human reason, but because God is faithful, and He has promised to lead all sincere minds into all truth through the illumination of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are the revelation of God’s will in human language. They contain propositional truth statements, and reveal to us the person of Jesus. The Scriptures must be understood in light of the truth of the cross. When faith in Christ as personal Savior is combined with a diligent searching of the Bible through prayer, we are promised that we will know truth, “and the truth will set you free.” Yet when strong disagreements about truth appear in the Church and divisions threaten the unity and mission of the Church body, we must ask why this is so. It’s not enough to know “what is written in the law,” we must also be aware of “how we read it.” The way we apply hermeneutical principles to our reading of Scripture will affect our conclusions. The current Adventist discussions over ordination is a case study on how strong held presuppositions that have nothing to do with the text of Scripture influence our interpretation

Ellen White’s Use of the Veil Imagery and Her Progressive Understanding of the Book of Hebrews

Since receiving her first visions of the sanctuary in heaven early in her ministry, Ellen White’s writings have guided the church in its understanding of Christ’s sanctuary ministry. The concept of a veil that divided the two apartments of the earthly sanctuary was a key component for Ellen White in her description of these realities in heaven. Her visions were described in mostly literal terms, although not all that she saw in heaven could be taken literally. The focus of the visions were not to give details of celestial architectural space, but rather to communicate confidence in Jesus as High Priest, and his present ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. To accomplish this Ellen White employed the veil imagery in a dynamic and progressive way. She used the veil imagery in a pastoral sense, but also theologically. Thus it’s important that Adventist understand her use of the veil imagery in her writings and how it can serve as support for the biblical teaching of Jesus’ priesthood. This research will focus on Ellen White’s progressive use and understanding of Christ’s High Priestly ministry in the book of Hebrews through her use of the veil imagery

Christology of Access: Desmond Ford and F. F. Bruce on the Book of Hebrews a Comparative Study

In 1971 Desmond Ford was sponsored to go to Manchester University in England to work on his second doctorate degree. During his tenure there his academic work was done under the supervision of renowned evangelical scholar Frederick F. Bruce. In spite of denominational differences, they developed a kinship based on their shared pastoral burden for the gospel. The 1970s was a decade of great theological tension within the Seventh-day Adventist church as scholars debated over righteousness by faith and Christ’s human nature. Ford’s views on the topic were seen by traditionalist as supporting an evangelical view. This led to suspicions that his theological views had been influenced by F. F. Bruce. Desmond Ford’s Christological views from the book of Hebrews, when compared with F. F. Bruce’s exposition of the Epistle, reveals clearly where their ideas intersect in common agreement, where they may differ in stating the theological point, and where they disagree in their interpretation and/or conclusions. Their common ground is clearly the view that believers have already found access to God the Father through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. The idea of access to God’s presence through Christ permeates their whole Christological argument in Hebrews

Adventism in the Shadow of Fundamentalism

Adventism emerged in the midst of the 19th century, right towards the end of the Second Great Awakening; a Protestant revival movement that swept the developing young nation. After the great disappointment of 1844, a small group of faithful Bible students continued to seek answers through the Scriptures, and came to the conviction that in 1844, Christ, our High Priest, entered the second phase of his priestly ministry. By 1863, they had organized into a church under the name of Seventh-day Adventist. At the same time that Adventism was organizing for its worldwide mission, other philosophical competitors like Darwinism, Liberalism, and Modernism were emerging into the scene of American society. Faced with such challenges, conservative Christianity in America had to rally to face what they considered a threat to the very fabric of American Protestantism; Seventh-day Adventist also confronted the threat. The result of this shared concern was a 20th century Adventism that, in the shadow of fundamentalism, developed strong fundamentalist views of faith that would determine its direction for coming decades

Mapping the Flood Vulnerability of Residential Structures: Cases from The Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and the United States

Floods are consistently ranked as the most financially devastating natural disasters worldwide. Recent flood events in the Netherlands, Caribbean, and US have drawn attention to flood risks resulting from pluvial and fluvial sources. Despite shared experiences with flooding, these regions employ distinct approaches and flood management strategies due to differences in governance and scale—offering a three-site case study comparison. A key, yet often lacking, factor for flood risk and damage assessments at the parcel level is building elevation compared to flood elevation. First-floor elevations (FFEs) are a critical element in the vulnerability of a building flooding. US-based flood insurance policies require FFEs; however, data availability limitations exist. Drone-based FFEs were measured in all locations to assess the flood vulnerabilities of structures. Flood vulnerability profiles revealed 64% of buildings were vulnerable to a form of inundation, with 40% belonging to “moderate” or “major” inundation, and inundation elevation means (IEMs) of −0.55 m, 0.19 m, and 0.71 m within the US, Netherlands, and Puerto Rico sites, respectively. Spatial statistics revealed FFEs were more responsible for flood vulnerabilities in the US site while topography was more responsible in the Netherlands and Puerto Rico sites. Additional findings in the Puerto Rico site reveal FFEs and next highest floor elevations (NHFEs) vulnerable to future sea level rise (SLR) flood elevations. The findings within the Netherlands provide support for developing novel multi-layered flood risk reduction strategies that include building elevation. We discuss future work recommendations and how the different sites could benefit significantly from strengthening FFE requirements.Hydraulic Structures and Flood Ris

Material Resources and Population Health: Disadvantages in Health Care, Housing, and Food Among Adults Over 50 Years of Age

Objectives. We examined associations between material resources and late-life declines in health

Starch grains as markers of diet and behavior

Horizon 2020(H2020)ERC STG 677576Bioarchaeolog