E. J. Waggoner Biography

By Woodrow W. Whidden II

Ellet Joseph Waggoner — his very name resonates with controversy. Over the years he withstood severe opposition from some prominent Adventist leaders and enjoyed hearty commendation from others. He received both stern rebuke and emphatic support from Ellen White. His theological contributions shaped — and divided — the Adventist Church. His staunch admirers point to him as a defender of unpopular truth, while his detractors reject his doctrinal views as heresy.

But who was E. J. Waggoner, the man? His theology underwent a perilous transformation later in his life, however, and this compromised his ethic. Sadly, the ensuing scandal proved the downfall of a once fervently devoted laborer for Christ.

In this carefully researched biography, Woodrow Whidden delves into the life of one of Adventism’s most controversial personalities and traces the evidence back to the probably content of Waggoner’s lectures at the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference session.

Hardbound, 401 pages.

Contents:

Section One: The Early Years
I. Servant of the Vision, Child of the Midwest, and Son of the Pioneers: 1855 – 1874
II. College, Medical School, Pratice, and Early Ministry: 1875 – 1887
III. The Formative Theological Developments: 1875 to October 1888

Section Two: 1888, Minneapolis General Conference Session, Its Background, and Aftermath: 1888 – 1892
IV. The Run-up to Minneapolis: The Impending Crisis
V. The 1888 Minneapolis Conference Session: The Crisis Unfolds
VI. The Aftermath of Minneapolis: The Season of the Uplifted Christ: 1888, 1889
VII. The “High Time” — to Leave: 1890 – 1892
VIII. Theological Emphases and Directions: 1888 ¶ndash; 1892

Section Three: The British/European Years: 1892 – 1903
IX. The Years of Expanding Horizons and Unsettling Directions
X. Waggoner the Churchman: The Pernicious Path to Separation
XI. The Theological Divide Clarifies

Section Four: The Years of Decline
XII. The Final Years: 1903 &ndash 1916
XIII. Waggoner’s Theological Legacy: An Assessment

Appendices:
A. Published Books and Pamphlets of Ellet Joseph Waggoner
B. What Became of Jessie F. Moser and Edith Adams Waggoner?
C. The Mystical View of the Atonement
D. Hans K. LaRondelle: “The Seventh-day Adventist View of the Relationship of Justification — Sanctification — the Final Judgment”