Adventism and the American Republic

While many organized religions in America today have affinity for conservative political action groups such as the Christian Coalition, Seventh-day Adventists have often found themselves allied with liberals against such measures as Sunday laws and prayer in schools. Here, Douglas Morgan examines the role Adventism has played in American public life and explains its positions from the standpoint of the church’s historical development, showing that its relationship with public policy, government, and politics is far more complex than most historians have believed. This twenty-fifth-anniversary edition of Adventism and the American Republic, with a new afterword, tells how Adventists’ convictions led them to become champions of religious liberty and the separation of church and state—all in the interest of delaying the fulfillment of a prophecy that foresees the abolition of most freedoms. Through the publication of Liberty magazine, lobbying campaigns, and legal battles, Adventists have engaged in libertarian activism for more than a century. Drawing on Adventist writings that have never been incorporated into a scholarly study, Morgan shows how the movement has struggled successfully to maintain its identifying beliefs—with some modifications—and how their sectarian exclusivity and support of liberty has created tensions and inconsistencies. Because of their overriding concern for religious freedom, Adventists have had considerable impact upon the public order in the United States. Morgan’s careful study makes that impact clear and promotes a better understanding not only of the church but also of the place of religion in American politics.

Douglas Morgan is professor of history at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland. He has served as chair of history and political studies and as editor of the Collegiate Sabbath School Quarterly.