Elon University Research Team Hosts Survey for Former Adventists
15 March 2023 |
A project from Elon University called “Eighth-Day Freedom” is researching what led those who call themselves “ex-Adventists” to leave the Adventist movement. They have posted an online survey, open until June 1, 2023, to collect qualitative and quantitative data about “what the experience of leaving was like, and what life has been like for ex-Adventists since leaving.”
Their website emphasizes that:
We are also very interested in capturing the views and perspectives of those who no longer believe, but who remain part of the Adventist system, whether inside the formal structure, or simply part of the community of lay Adventist believers. All of this, then, with the hope of identifying common themes in the collective experience of ex-Adventists and common issues in the lives of those who have left.
The survey contains 62 questions, with a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended or narrative responses. Excerpts from the survey, or mini-polls, have been posted on the research team’s blog site, generating separate discussions from the research.
The Eighth-Day Freedom site includes this disclaimer:
We should clarify that our goal is not to study or comment on the Seventh-day Adventist Church, SDA doctrines, beliefs, or theology. Eighth-day Freedom is focused on the views and lived experiences of those who once believed but no longer do.
