The Anatomy of Apostasy

Jan S. Doward  

How is it possible for the predicted apostasy to take place among Seventh-Day Adventists?  

Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian world today as verily as it existed among ancient Israel in the days of Elijah.  The god of many professedly wise men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists—the god of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological institutions—is little better than Baal, the sun god of Phoenicia.—Ellen G. White. 1

Today we live in an image oriented world.  And somehow we’ve become pagans again.  It took us 2000 years to get away from paganism, and yet today here it is again…But there is a danger in an image-oriented world.  When the image becomes more important than the message, then we are committing idolatry.  So we should be very careful.—Elie Wiesel.

In an atmosphere of advancement, reports, flow chart achievements, and the pageantry of progress, this does not make good copy.  How much more comfortable it would make us feel if it said that only “a small class” would leave!  But even worse, those shifting to the opposition leap into the arena of persecution. “They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren.

Editors Note:  Original article published in Adventist Affirm, (Fall, 1990).  While this article is not available on the internet, please reference  www.adventistaffirm.org  for further information about this organization.  You will need to rotate the article in your viewer after downloading the link.

Part 1     Part 2

Is the emerging church movement just another passing fad?  Is it a more contemporary approach to church or the discontent grumblings of young people looking for an answer? In fact, it is much broader and more influential upon Christianity than any of these might suggest.

Grounded in a centuries-old mystical approach, this movement is powerful yet highly deceptive, often drawing its energy from practices and experiences that are foreign to biblical Christianity. The path the emerging church is taking is leading right into the arms of an interfaith perspective that has prophetically profound ramifications. It is indeed a new way of being Christians, and in every conceivable manner, it is striving to bring about a new reformation. Without a doubt, it will have an impact on all churches in the Western world and far beyond. Behind this new kind of church is a well-designed strategy and maneuver by the prince of this world, the enemy of our souls, to literally take apart the faith of millions --- it will be nothing less than “faith undone.”

Among the topics addressed by Faith Undone are: Contemplative spirituality and mysticism; The new missiology - keep your own religion, just add Jesus to the equation; Eucharistic Evangelization - the emerging church - a road back to Rome; An emergent view on the future of planet Earth; Purpose Driven ecumenism - part of the emerging church's new reformation; The end-time views and goals of the emerging church.