A Global History of Seventh-day Adventists
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
An accessible and engaging history of Seventh-day Adventists In this compelling historical survey, Michael W. Campbell and Edward Martin Allen show how a small fellowship in nineteenth-century New England grew into a worldwide church with more than 21 million members. A Global History of Seventh-day Adventists introduces readers to key people, events, and ideas that have shaped the Adventist church over the past two hundred years. The book also illuminates Adventist contributions to society in the areas of education, social reform, missions, medicine, health, and more. Historical photographs help bring the book’s information to life, and a glossary provides readers with clear definitions of important historical and theological terms. As experienced researchers and teachers, Campbell and Allen know how to narrate history in ways that hold readers’ attention and spark their imagination. In addition to being well written, the book stands out for its broad chronological and geographic scope. Whereas most studies of Seventh-day Adventism focus on its origins in nineteenth-century North America, Campbell and Allen offer a more expansive view, tracing its growth across centuries and across the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. This engaging volume will serve as the definitive textbook for students of Adventist history, while also appealing to general readers who are curious about how the Adventist church has grown and changed over time.
Endorsements (5)
“This well-proportioned book offers an unusually reliable guide to the history and present circumstances of Seventh-day Adventism that should be appreciated equally by Adventists and outsiders. Among its many strengths are a careful account of origins in the 1840s, discriminating treatment of the role of prophet Ellen G. White, full attention to the Adventists’ remarkable range of medical and educational institutions, perceptive details about parallels to fundamentalist and evangelical movements, many details for the Adventist communities found in almost every part of the world, and up-to-date coverage on topics like ongoing debate over women in ordained ministry and the effect on Adventist churches in Russia and Ukraine of the war begun in 2022. A judicious denominational history.”
“This mission-driven history of Seventh-day Adventism traces the denomination’s story from a unique perspective—one especially suited for twenty-first-century readers. It not only outlines the history, but wrestles with the challenges faced by a worldwide movement in an ever more complex world. As a result, it deals with issues and ideas that are important both to those inside and outside of Adventism. Campbell and Allen’s volume is highly recommended for those who desire to tap into the past and present of a multifaceted religious body whose outreach circles the globe.”
“The Seventh-day Adventist movement originated in the 1840s among scattered New Englanders who believed ardently in the imminence of the second coming of Christ; over time, the movement became an elaborately structured global church identified with health reform and educational effort as well as the simple gospel. Michael W. Campbell and Edward Martin Allen have written a stimulating and authoritative account of its development which, with an extensive glossary of technical terms and questions for discussion, will be invaluable for Adventists and non-Adventists alike.”
“Campbell and Allen have provided a timely and thoughtful resource that places Adventist history in its rightful worldwide context. This important work fills a needed place in our collective understanding and will be of value to students, scholars, and general readers alike.”
“This is a must read for any student of Adventist history—whether a university student, historian, or church member. It comprehensively traces the development of ideas, institutions, and a movement without getting bogged down. It includes human-interest highlights, photos, diagrams, and discussion questions suitable for the university level. I give it a grade of A+.”
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