ATSS

26 March 2025  | Galatians is a short book with some fascinating content. But reading through it could raise some questions in your mind. Paul starts some of his books with praise and appreciation. Why does he start this book with a scolding? What’s significant about Paul’s conversion story that he has to add it […]

19 March 2025  | The dance between religion and science has been going on since the dawn of the scientific revolution. When the Catholic Church became more and more concerned with the drift of Easter later and later in the year, they enlisted the astronomer Copernicus to fix the problem. He did so—but in the […]

12 March 2025  | From its inception, Seventh-day Adventism has relied on an apocalyptic worldview derived from Millerism and the apocalyptic passages in the Bible. While these ideas still shape Adventist teaching and evangelism, in recent decades critical questions have been raised regarding the biblical validity, theological potency, and contemporary relevance of this apocalyptic imprint. […]

5 March 2025  | Christians spend much of their spiritual lives worshipping in some sort of religious building, which we commonly call a “church.” Huge amounts of time, money, and effort are dedicated to keeping these structures running. Have you ever paused and considered what makes these spaces sacred, or “holy”? What does sacred or […]

26 February 2025  | Throughout Christian history, the Lord’s Supper has played a central role in the church’s theology and liturgy. It is perceived by some Christian traditions as the central ritual of the Christian faith. Despite its being frequently celebrated, not many Christians understand the historical development of the Lord’s Supper to the form […]

19 February 2025  | The investigative judgment (IJ) idea, that Jesus began a new phase of activity in heaven in 1844, has been Adventism’s most contested and troublesome doctrine. We know that a group of Millerites waited for Jesus to return on October 22, 1844. But what happened afterwards, when their expectations failed, has taken […]

12 February 2025  | The Barmen Declaration is one of the most fascinating theological documents of the Confessing Church in Germany during Nazi times. It was designed primarily by Karl Barth, Hans Asmussen, Karl Koch, Karl Immer, and Martin Niemöller and unanimously adopted in May 1934 at the Protestant Synod of Barmen, where pastors, church […]

5 February 2025  | Battle Creek narratives have long defined Adventist identity, shaping its doctrines, institutions, and sense of mission. But what happens when the same faith takes root in different soil? Early California Adventism offers a strikingly fresh perspective—one that is missional, inclusive, empowering, flexible, and creative. California Adventists pioneered bold innovations that reshaped […]

29 January 2025  | The United States excels at caging human beings. With less than 5 percent of the world’s population, we have more than 21 percent of all incarcerated people. Currently, if you include those in our prisons and jails, plus those on probation or parole, about 5.6 million of our fellow-citizens are under […]

22 January 2025  | Heaven is something we sing about and paint pictures of. Sometimes we imagine what it will be like. It’s a good theme for children’s stories. But the biblical descriptions aren’t especially detailed. In the Old Testament, heaven has to do with animals and vineyards, while in Revelation, heaven is a wealthy […]

8 January 2025  | What is it that happens when we come together for a “church service”? What should happen? Church members are regularly encouraged to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25). But what are we supposed to do when what we experience there seems to be so far removed from our needs? When […]