The time between 1957-2007 has been called "the most destabilizing" period in the history of the Adventist Church. Why? Because of the publication of the book "Questions on Doctrine".
George Knight, editor of the historical and theological introduction, Annotated Edition of "Question on Doctrine" in 2003, wrote that "Questions on Doctrine" easily qualifies as the most divisive book in Seventh-day Adventist history. A book published to help bring peace between Adventism and conservative Protestantism, its release brought prolonged alienation and separation to the Adventist factions that grew up around it.
From October 24—27, 2007, at the 50th Anniversary Conference on the Publication of "Questions on Doctrine" (QOD), at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, twenty-four representative scholars, including a Baptist and a Presbyterian, contributed their thoughts on this notable 1957 publication. Obviously, no one person could encompass all the issues on everyone's mind. During those few days, a remarkable unanimity of respect and appreciation for each other dominated the conference.
However most participants were not even born or were still in high school in 1957. But I was there. I knew all the principal players very well; more so as the years went by. I don't have to read someone else's opinions to understand what occurred during those crucial years.
While I was one of the assistant editors in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary from 1955-1957, the editing process of QOD was being done in the Book Department of the Review and Herald Publishing Association, under the direction of Merwin Thurber, Book editor. Merwin's office was only a few doors away from the Commentary suite.
About every day he would bring to us the growing manuscript sent over by R. A. Anderson, L. E. Froom, and W. E. Read, co-authors of QOD. Merwin could see that the manuscript was relating to classic adventist theology in ways that deviated from the clarity that he was used to and thus wanted input from the Commentary editors. Merwin's own reputation as the chief publishing house editor was on the line as it never had been before. When the co-authors had the General Conference Committee declare that no more editing needed to be done, Merwin's responsibility ceased, and QOD was not published but printed on a job-basis only by the Review and Herald Publishing Association.
This small volume includes my presentation at the 2007 conference, plus appendices that seem to be helpful in understanding "the explosive issues opened up by "Questions on Doctrine". Although most everyone applauded the 1957 book for about everything else, the "explosive" response focused on the rewriting of Adventist thinking on the humanity of Jesus and the limited, inadequate presentation of the Adventist sanctuary doctrine.
Although Milton L. Andreasen, Adventism's leading theologian for years, seemed to be the most alarmed by what he saw developing (even before the book's publication), a vocal chorus of leading Adventists soon developed in support of this consternation. Though retired, Andreasen had not lost his intellectual vigor. His concerns were privately leveled at the QOD trio, as well as his appeals to the president of the General Conference. When his counsel was virtually ignored, he later shared his concerns with fellow church members. Those concerns formed the crux of the "explosive" issues that brought widespread "division" within the Adventist Church for fifty years.
It is my hope that, in the following pages, a clearer understanding of the real issues that arose in 1957 can be reviews. Further, it is also my hope, then, that the key issues mentioned above can be unambiguously grasped as essential, classic Adventism that best unfolds the larger issues that will help settle the cosmic controversy between God and Satan.
Herbert Edgar Douglass
Lincoln Hills, California
January 25, 2008