Teachings of Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White, one of the co-founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was extremely influential on the church, which considers her a prophet, understood today as an expression of the New Testament spiritual gift of prophecy. She was a voluminous writer and popular speaker on health and temperance. Her teachings are preserved today through over 50,000 manuscript pages of her writings, and the records of others. Theology Her theology was Christ-centered, particularly since the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference. Her Christology (understanding of the nature of Jesus). See Reprinted with permission by Andrews University Press. Berrien Springs, MI (February 1992). She promoted the Great Controversy theme, as outlined in her book. It has been disputed by some whether she taught one could feel assurance of salvation. Jerry Moon argues that she did. But most Adventists do not believe in the doctrine of 'Once Saved Always Saved' as the church holds Arminian theology, and hence does not teach a "once-saved-always-saved" philosophy. Arthur Patrick believes that White was an "evangelical", in that she had high regard for the Bible, saw the cross as central, supported righteousness by faith, believed in Christian activism, and sought to restore New Testament Christianity. By contrast, one study of Ellen White places both her and early Adventism within the context of the materialist theology of the times, seeing this to inform her Christology as well as other aspects of her teachings that are now outdated and do not correspond to contemporary Adventist views. By the same token, the study sees her as a precursor of monist covenantalism. White once wrote: "The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall." Ellen White avoided using the word "Trinity", "and her husband stated categorically that her visions did not support the Trinitarian creed." Her theology did not include a doctrine of the Trinity. Music Ellen White wrote many times about music and its strong effects on the intellect and spirit. She was clearly a believer in music's use in worship, but advocated care in implementation. After a 1900 camp meeting with sensational music, she wrote the following: "The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place Just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit." Her argument is that God's aspect of the Holy Spirit never uses such disarray. She continues that "no encouragement should be given to this kind of worship," as worshippers are excited