Walter T. Rea

Walter T. Rea is a former Seventh-day Adventist known for his criticisms of the inspiration of Ellen G. White (who was a co-founder of the church who is believed by the church to have exhibited the spiritual gift of prophecy).

Biography

Rea was the pastor of the Adventist church in Long Beach, California.

Ellen White

In 1980, the Ellen G. White Estate and the Biblical Research Institute decided to begin a study of White's inspiration and other topics. A scholarly committee met at the Glendale Adventist Hospital on January 28 and 29 to discuss Rea's studies into White's use of sources. A Roman Catholic lawyer, Vincent L. Ramik, undertook a study of Ellen G. White's writings during the early 1980s, and concluded that they were "conclusively unplagiaristic."

Rea's employment by the church was terminated. He claimed that up to 80 or 90% of White's writings were plagiarized.[1]

Rea was the first to document such large scales of borrowing, citing 75 books White depended on.[2] He was one of the key figures who introduced new views of White to the church.

See also

References

  1. ↑ From Controversy to Crisis: An Updated Assessment of Seventh-day Adventism by Kenneth Samples. Christian Research Journal 11:1 (Summer 1988)
  2. ↑ Ostling, Richard N.; Jim Castelli; Dick Thompson (1982-08-02). "The Church of Liberal Borrowings". Time (Time Inc.). ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2007-10-22.