Joseph Bates: The Real Founder of Seventh-Day Adventism

by George R Knight

Overview

Shanghaied by the British in 1810, Joseph Bates spent the next five years as a British sailor and prisoner, surviving the Dartmoor massacre. Soon he was captain of his own ship, forcing his sailors to swear off liquor and talking pirates out of their prey. Scrupulously honest, he once turned his ship around to return money overpaid him.

In 1824 Bates was converted and signed "a solemn covenant with God." After amassing a small fortune, he retired at age 36 and joined the Christian Connexion, who took the Scriptures as their "only rule of faith and practice."

Then his life began to get interesting.

This biography by historian George Knight makes use of previously unavailable letters and logbooks to shed new light on the first theologian and real founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Bates gave his estate to the Advent movement and spent the rest of his life in unpaid service. Knight examines his writings, his social and health reforms, his key role in bringing the Sabbath and great controversy theology to Adventism, and his conflict and partnership with James White.

Knight's biography strips away the veneer of history to reveal new textures in the life of this most colorful Adventist pioneer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780828018159
Publisher:	Review & Herald Publishing Association
Publication date:	02/28/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.58(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

	A Word to the Reader	ix
I	A Travelin' Man	15
II	The Captain Gets Religion	28
III	Reformer on the Loose	44
IV	The Ultimate Reform: Millerism	58
V	Bates Gets the Sabbath	77
VI	Catalyst for a Movement	92
VII	Sabbatarian Adventism's First Theologian: Theology as History (Part 1)	107
VIII	Sabbatarian Adventism's First Theologian: Theology as History (Part 2)	119
IX	Sabbatarian Adventism's First Historian: History as Theology	135
X	Patriarchs in Conflict and the Transfer of Leadership	152
XI	Sabbatarian Adventism's First Missionary	172
XII	Senior Statesman	191
XIII	And What Is Retirement?	205
	Index	215