Seventh-Day Adventists and the Civil Rights Movement (Electronic book text)

"Seventh-day Adventists and the Civil Rights Movement" is the first in-depth study of the denomination's participation in civil rights politics. It considers the extent to which the
denomination's theology influenced how its members responded. This book explores
why a brave few Adventists became social and political activists, and why a majority of
the faithful eschewed the movement.

Samuel G. London, Jr., provides a clear yet critical understanding of the history and
theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church while highlighting the contributions of its
members to political reform. Community awareness, the example of early Adventist
pioneers, liberationist interpretations of the Bible, as well as various intellectual and
theological justifications motivated the civil rights activities of some Adventists. For
those who participated in the civil rights movement, these factors superseded the
conservative ideology and theology that came to dominate the church after the passing
of its founders. Covering the end of the 1800s through the 1970s, the book discusses
how Christian fundamentalism, the curse of Ham, the philosophy of Booker T.
Washington, pragmatism, the aversion to ecumenism and the Social Gospel, belief in the
separation of church and state, and American individualism converged to impact
Adventist sociopolitical thought.