Loyalty to Our Tradition, and Appreciating Beauty Elsewhere
by Reinder Bruinsma | 5 December 2024 |
Recently I had a very pleasant visit with Dr. Arjan Plaisier, who was the secretary-general of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands between 2008 and 2016.
I first met Dr. Plaisier in 2001 at a congress for Adventist ministers in Europe. I had invited him—at the time, he was the top leader of the newly established Protestant Church in the Netherlands—to give a short opening address. I remember that he said how surprised he was to receive my invitation. “Your church must have changed,” he said, “for even twenty years ago you would not have invited me. And,” he added, “twenty-five years ago I would not have come.”
Recently we arranged to meet again. I had sent him a copy of my recent book Adventists and Catholics: The History of a Turbulent Relationship. To my surprise, he had already read it. He told me that he had learned much from it about Seventh-day Adventism, but he also admitted that he had not expected that even today, in 2024, Adventists continue their fierce anti-Catholicism.
As we talked about Christian diversity, Plaisier said something that stuck with me. I cannot quote him verbatim, but I can give a close rendition: “You can be loyal to your own tradition and appreciate its beauty,” he said, “while also recognizing the beauty of other faith traditions.” He gave as an example his attachment to the emphasis on the Word in his denomination, while also appreciating the emphasis on liturgy and the sacraments in the Catholic tradition. You do not have to choose, he said. You don’t have to love the one and denigrate the other.
It’s a conclusion I have gradually arrived at myself, but he said it in a much clearer way than I had been able to.
The challenge
Dr. Plaisier wondered whether Adventists agree with the statement in the Apostle’s Creed that we believe in “one holy catholic church.” I explained that we do not really like the word “catholic,” though we should know that in this context the word simply means “universal.” And yes, of course we know God has only one church that exists in all denominations and Christian movements—which, admittedly, are at different distances from the original.
We know that the separation between the churches will not be easily ended. We also believe that our Adventist Church is special. We tend to feel that we are closer to the original than all other expressions of the universal church, of which only God knows the boundaries.
I wish that is where I could stop this brief analysis. However, in our short Adventist tradition of barely two centuries we have transmuted those who do not agree with our views into enemies—enemies who not only adhere to wrong doctrines but will eventually turn against us. In the Adventist tradition, other Christians morph into “the beast” and “the false prophet” who will, before Christ’s return, create a nefarious coalition to persecute God’s Sabbath-keeping “remnant.”
How tragic that we have so often lost sight of the teachings of Christ, who told us to love our “enemies.” Does this not include kindness toward our religious adversaries?
And should this not imply that we must stand beside other Christians, rather than oppose them?
The beauty of Adventism
I grew up in an Adventist family. My four sisters did not stay in the church. I was baptized, eventually took theological training, and began to work for the church. I have never had another employer. And now, having been retired for quite some time, I still spend a significant amount of my time on faith- and church-related projects.
It has not always been a happy ride, but looking back I can say that the church has been (mostly) good to me, and I have had a full and interesting life. I leave it to others to say how meaningful my ministry has been for them.
I continue to have strong ties with my church. I believe that loyalty is important. Yes, I am grateful that the denomination continues to pay me a monthly pension for my 40-plus years of service. But beyond that, I feel a moral obligation to remain loyal to the organization that has been a core part of the structure of my life.
That I am still active in the church is not only based on a sense of loyalty to the church organization, though. Although I put question marks after some of the traditional Adventist views, there is more than enough in the Adventist version of Christianity for me to choose Adventism over other expressions of the Christian faith.
Moreover, there are many in my Adventist network whom I appreciate, who have enriched my life and who assure me that the things I speak and write are meaningful to them. It is a ministry that gives me profound satisfaction.
When I heed the advice of Dr. Plaisier to look for beauty in my own Adventist tradition, I must admit that I do not see only beauty. I also see ugly things. I see much legalism and an astounding amount of intolerance towards people who ask questions about traditional doctrines. I see a frightful degree of polarization.
I also notice that many people—pastors among them—are afraid to express publicly their opinions for fear of being ostracized by the church’s politicized administrative machinery. I am also aware of instances of sexual indiscretions and other immoral activities.
But I must constantly remind myself that this is not the full picture. There is also a lot of beauty in the Adventist tradition.
Beautiful beliefs
Part of that beauty is in what we believe. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian church, in which Jesus Christ takes center stage. Yes, I know we are far from perfect in this respect, but I hear an increasing number of voices that emphasize the Lordship of Christ and his endless grace.
I know that far too often a lot of legalism has been connected with our Sabbath-keeping praxis, but for many the Sabbath is a beautiful channel of the profound spiritual rest that God wants us to experience. The holistic view of the human person that Adventism adopted early in its history, the inseparable unity between body and soul, offers protection against many unscriptural ideas and provides us with a solid hope of eternal bliss. Our stress on discipleship and stewardship gives our faith a practical dimension that makes Adventism unique.
And there is beauty in our different kinds of Adventism. Our present plurality has been stretched to the point that many feel a rupture is inevitable, or even desirable. But the reality is that we have thus far remained remarkably united. There are not dozens or more Adventist denominations, as one finds in the Lutheran or Methodist world. Progressive and conservative Adventists must work together—and must do so more intensely and effectively than is currently the case, to create a “great tent of Adventism” where we can all find a spiritual home.
Diverse as we may be, those of us who have traveled widely have found that wherever you go you can find an Adventist church. Sometimes it takes some searching; in other places they are numerous. Wherever you go, you find common elements that you recognize as “Adventist” and, as a rule, you are made to feel welcome and will experience a unique kind of spiritual camaraderie.
I have worked in the administrative sphere of Adventism and I am very much aware of its imperfections. But at the same time we must appreciate that we have built an organizational system that is the envy of most other denominations, and that has kept us together and provided for some solidarity and a sense of belonging to a truly global community.
No doubt, part of the beauty of Adventism is also its surprisingly large network of educational institutions and of hospitals and other health care organizations. And seeing the ADRA logo always makes me proud. It is certainly also a beautiful aspect of Adventism.
Beauty in other traditions
I think I speak for many others when I say that it hurts to see the ugly elements in our own tradition. We have a tendency to minimize these negative aspects, or just push them away. At the same time, too many of us have a tendency to focus on the ugly things in other traditions and to overlook their beautiful aspects.
George Vandeman (1916-2000) was a prominent and charismatic Adventist evangelist who in 1956 founded the It Is Written television ministry. In 1986 the Pacific Press Publishing Association published a significant book by Vandeman, intended for mass distribution. It had a rather long but remarkable title: What I Like About…the Lutherans, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Charismatics, the Catholics, Our Jewish Friends, the Adventists Rescuers of Neglected Truth. In this book Vandeman expressed appreciation for the positive aspects of various Christian denominations, promoting mutual respect and understanding between Adventists and other Christian communities.
The website of the Adventist Book Centers shows that twenty of Vandeman’s books are still in print, but the above title is no longer there. Do we no longer “like” anything about other Christians? The reactions I received after I gave a lecture in October in the Loma Linda area about Adventist-Catholic relationships, in which I suggested that we might be able to learn something from each other, would seem to confirm that for many, “liking” anything in other traditions is a bridge too far.
I am pretty sure that, if I were to submit a manuscript proposal to an official Adventist publisher with the same title as Vandeman’s book, it would be instantly rejected. In the present climate in much of our church, the focus is on what divides us from others, rather than on what we have in common with other Christian believers as we all seek to worship the same God of love and grace.
I have no desire to leave my church and join some other denomination. But I see much beauty in other faith communities and am persuaded that we can still learn a lot from other Christians as we grow in our relationship with God and find ever more fitting ways to worship Him in sacrament, Word, music, and daily praxis.
Reinder Bruinsma lives in the Netherlands with his wife, Aafje. He has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in various assignments in publishing, education, and church administration on three continents. He still maintains a busy schedule of preaching, teaching, and writing.
To comment, click/tap here.
