The English Connection

A guide to how 17th-century Puritan theology doctrines influenced the development of Seventh-Day Adventism.

Seventeenth-century England was a confused world of conflicting religious thought, made more complex by the tumultous events of the English Civil Wars and the Interregnum under Oliver Cromwell. Puritanism, a thoroughly Protestant off shoot of the Reformation in England, was to take centre stage in these years, coming to prominence as a direct result of the conflict that would see the execution of an Englsih king. It is argued in 'The English Connection' that Seventh-day Adventism, established overtwo centuries later in nineteenth-century Amrica, can trace its roots back to this distinct form of seventeenth-century English Puritanism. Dr. Ball explores the connection between Puritanism and Seventh-day Adventism by examining doctrinal tenets adopted in England, such as Gospel obedience and the sufficiency of Scripture. In this way, he dexterously proves the continuity and cohesion of Puritan ideas from their growth in the early-modern world to the thriving present-day community of Seventh-day Adventists. This book will appeal to those with an academic or general interest in English Puritanism and seventeenth-century England, as well as to all practising Adventists and members of the wider Christian community intrigued by the relationship between contemporary Christian thought and traditional Puritan doctrine.

Dr Bryan W Ball is a retired academic, a church administrator and the author of numerous books. He holds a PhD from the University of London and has contributed to the 'Oxford Dictionary of National Biography' and the 'Enciclopaedia of World Faiths'.