The Lawson Interviews of Seventh-day Adventists

Seventh-day Adventism in a Nutshell

Nathaniel Clizbe

The Seventh-day Adventist Church (also referred to as SDA or Adventist) is a Protestant Christian group that formed in mid-19th century America. The name “Adventist” reflects the group’s emphasis on the imminent Second Coming, or “advent,” of Jesus Christ, a central belief that shapes their theology and mission.  You can learn more about the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on their official website.

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The Northern Asia-Pacific Division gives a presentation at the 61st General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. St. Louis, MO (2022). 1

Adventists are often categorized as “conservative” or “evangelical” by sociologists and scholars of religion,2 meaning they are perceived as relatively strict Protestants in their beliefs and practices. Several characteristics make the Seventh-day Adventist Church distinct: keeping a Saturday Sabbath, following a vegetarian diet, abstinence from drugs and alcohol, and urgent evangelism in preparation for Christ’s Second Coming.  

Adventism also has a female prophet, Ellen G. White, whose writings are considered an important supplement to the Bible, and who inspired the church to establish a network of education, health, publishing, and humanitarian institutions.  

[John Brownlee and other unknown people working at the Food Factory at Madison Foods in Madison, TN]
Madison Foods Adventist food factory. Madison, TN.3
Virginia Kilpper and Jeanne Christiansen in front of the Pacific Press sign
Employees at the Pacific Press Publication Association. Mountain View, CA.4
Babcock University 2009 Graduation
Government and church officials speak at Bobcock University’s graduation ceremony. Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria (2009).5
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Associate director of Health Ministries for the Adventist world church.6

Although Adventism began in the United States, its success in the developing world has resulted in a truly global membership. With such a diverse membership and wide variety of institutions, the Adventist Church is an ideal case for studying the challenges of diversifying religious groups worldwide. 

Dr. Ronald Lawson’s sociological study of Seventh-day Adventism began in 1984. Through interviews with Adventists around the world, he documents and explores changes within the church as it has undergone rapid global growth. You can read more about the origins of his research and massive interview project on this website, and review his past scholarly work at his own personal website.

  1. Photo provided by the Adventist Church on Flickr under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  ↩︎
  2. Wilson, B. R. (1959). An Analysis of Sect Development. American Sociological Review, 24(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.2307/2089577 ;
    Wilson, B. (1975). Sect or Denomination: Can Adventism Maintain Its Identity? Spectrum, Spring, page 34-43. https://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/Spectrum/1975-1976_Vol_7/1_Spring_1975.pdf#page=36. ↩︎
  3. Photo provided by Center for Adventist Research Digitization on Flickr under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. ↩︎
  4. Photo provided by Center for Adventist Research Digitization on Flickr under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. ↩︎
  5. Photo provided by the Adventist Church on Flickr under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. ↩︎
  6. Photo provided by the Adventist Church on Flickr under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. ↩︎