Word Was Made Flesh

For the last several decades the human nature of Christ has been the subject of intense study in some scholarly Seventh-day Adventist circles. The publication of Questions on Doctrine (1957) set the stage for almost three decades of as yet unresolved debate, witnessed most recently in the two opposing views published side by side in the June 1985 issue of Ministry magazine.

Dr. Ralph S. Larson, for several years Coordinator of the Church and ministry department of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Far east, enters the debate with The Word Was Made Flesh, with a limited, rather specialized objective. Dr. Larson does not deal directly with the whole issue of Christ’s human nature. He traces the understanding of this aspect of Christology within the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1852 until 1952.

Dr Larson provides here a fairly comprehensive survey of the historical evidence, and his contribution to the study of this important topic is extremely valuable. Whether we agree or not with his conclusions, we are all indebted to him for the painstaking work of assembling this extensive compilation of statements made in writing by Seventh-day Adventists for one hundred years.

For some readers, careful reading of The Word Was Made Flesh may not provide all the definitive answers sought, However, it will surely prove to be for all a most enriching and stimulating experience.