The Silent Church: Human Rights and Adventist Social Ethics

278 Pages·1998·27.45 MB·English

by  Zdravko Plantak (auth.)

THE SILENT CHURCH
The Silent Church
Human Rights and Adventist
Social Ethics
Zdravko Plantak
Foreword by Sakae Kubo
by algrave
by
bya S..a" kIa e
*
First published in Oreat Britain 1998 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire R021 6XS and London
Companies and representatives throughout the world
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-0-333-72448-4 ISBN 978-1-349-26649-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-26649-4
*
First published in the United States of America 1998 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC.,
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-21621-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Plantak, Zdravko.
The silent church; human rights and Adventist social ethics I
Zdravko Plantak ; foreword by Sakae Kubo.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-312-21621-4
I. Human rights-Religious aspects-Seventh-Day Adventists.
2. Seventh-Day Adventists-Doctrines. I. Title.
BX6154.P57 1998
261.7'088'267--<1c21 98-18586
CIP
© Zdravko Plantak 1998
Foreword © Sakae Kubo 1998
AIl rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made
without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with
written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by
the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WIP 9HE.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to
criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and
sustained forest sources.
To my best friend, companion and wife Lidija for her encour
agement, intellectual integrity and support in my academic
pursuit in search of knowledge and wisdom throughout this
and any other study her husband undertook. Also, to our
delightful daughters, Natasha Stephanie and Roberta Lara,
who could not comprehend why their father had to spend so
much time at a computer, in his study or libraries, reading
books.
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Foreword by Sakae Kubo xi
Introduction 1
Part I Seventh-day Adventists and Human Rights 9
1. Adventist Attitudes to Human Rights:
An Historical Perspective 11
2. Emergence of Concern for Human Rights 38
Part II Seventh-day Adventist Responses to Some
Issues in Human Rights 51
3. Wealth Divide: The Seventh-day Adventist Church
and the Poor 53
4. Racial Divide: Discrimination and
Adventism - Theological and Hermeneutical
Considerations 74
5. Gender Divide: The Role of Women in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church 92
Part III Social Theology in Seventh-day Adventist
Scholarship 123
6. Reasons for Social Concern in Modern Adventism 125
7. Adventism's 'New Theology' 137
vii
viii Contents
Part IV Theology and Ethics of Human Rights:
The Seventh-day Adventist Perspective 151
8. Philosophical Basis for Human Rights 153
9. A Common Theological Basis for Human Rights 163
10. Adventist Basis for Human Rights 187
Conclusion 208
Notes 214
Further Reading 255
Index 269
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge a number of people without whom
this book would never have seen its completion. Many people
influenced me in various ways to search for social and individual
justice and to study the central theme of this book. However,
several individuals and institutions deserve my special gratitude
and recognition.
I would like to thank imprimis my academic adviser, Professor
Jack Mahoney for his gentle and clear lead, for his tremendous
support especially in times when my academic and pastoral duties
clashed, and for his professionalism and efficiency in returning my
work always within three days, even when he had to sacrifice his
weekends.
I would also like to thank Dr Hugh Dunton, the then director of
the Ellen C. White Research Centre, Europe, and His Honour Judge
Dr Peter Jackson, one of Her Majesty's Judges in England, for
taking time to read this dissertation in their already busy sched
ules. Their comments and suggestions were very valuable in the
last stages of this research.
I am grateful to Dr Michael Pearson for initiating some ideas
during his lectures and, especially, in the early days of the research
when we met with a desire to establish a Seventh-day Adventist
Ethics Centre for Europe.
I cannot forget the kindness and understanding of many of my
parishioners at Central London Church, Eastbourne, Hastings,
Bromley and Chatham, whose support and positive attitude
towards my studies allowed me to spend time with books, even
when it was not sermon preparation. The administration of the
South England Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
not only allowed me to pursue part-time study, but also allocated a
ten-week study-leave, so I could finish the research. This fleXibility
and desire for the church's ministers to continue their further
education are greatly appreciated.
Finally, without the influences of my truly Christian father and
mother, who taught me never to accept injustice and always to
stand on the side of the oppressed, I would probably never have
ix
x Acknowledgements
desired to write about social theology, ethics and human rights. I
am most grateful for their example, in word and deed, of being the
followers of Christ at all times.
Foreword
It is a pleasure for me to write the Foreword to this significant
book. A little over ten years before he completed his dissertation
and obtained his doctorate from King's College, University of
London, Dr Plantak came to Newbold College (Bracknell, England)
where I was principal. He came from the old Yugoslavia as a
student to learn English before completing his theological studies.
At best his English was elementary. In this short time he has mas
tered the English language to the extent that he serves as one of the
leading pastors of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Great
Britain and was able to complete a doctorate in a British university.
And considering the fact that he was able to do the research and
complete 400-page dissertation while carrying on his pastoral
duties, this is nothing short of phenomenal. Indispensable to these
achievements are the wholehearted support, encouragement and
understanding of his family, his two daughters, Natasha and
Roberta, and especially his loving, devoted and equally talented
wife, Lidija. It is thus with justifiable pride that I contribute this
Foreword.
Seventh-day Adventists arose out of the Millerite movement
expecting the end of the world on 22 October 1844. Even after the
disappointment, though no longer setting any specific date for the
coming of the Lord, that event loomed dominant in their living and
thinking. Understandably in that kind of context they were little
concerned about improving social conditions in this world.
However, as certain social issues arose they had to decide how to
respond. They decided to help runaway slaves through the under
ground railroad. Other issues arose that touched more specifically
their own beliefs and practices. They would use their influence
against alcohol. They would fight fiercely those who would estab
lish Sunday laws. But these efforts at social reform were few and
concerned their own particular self-interest. This was due to the
residual effect of the sense of imminence connected with the 1844
movement. With the end so near, they could not spend their
limited time and finances on anything except that which con
tributed to the preparation of the world for the end.
xi