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 a church in Long Beach.

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 in January 28 and 29 to discuss Rea's studies into White's use of sources. The committee members and its conclusions are reported in a [http://www.ellenwhite.org/rea/letter.htm letter] by Rea. Church president Neal Wilson reported,:"The initial report from this very competent committee indicates that in her writing Ellen White used sources more extensively than we have heretofore been aware of or recognized." [" [http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/RH/RH1980-12/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=8 This I believe about Ellen G. White] "DjVulink by Neal Wilson. "Adventist Review" March 20, 1980, p.8-10]

Rea published " [http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/egw17.htm The White Lie] " in 1982.cite book
last = Rea
first = Walter T.
authorlink = Walter Rea
title = The White Lie
year = 1982
publisher = M & R Publications
location = Turlock, CA
url = http://www.ellenwhite.org/egw17.htm
isbn = 0-9607424-1-7 (paperback edn.) ISBN 0-9607424-0-9 (hardback edn.)
ISBN status = May be invalid - please double check] which documents literary parallels with other authors of her times, following several years of discussion with church leaders and scholars. The book has been described as bitter and caustic. Even when errors in his book were shown to him, he refused to correct them saying, "The Bible has problems. Why should people get bent out of shape if my book has problems too?"Fact|date=May 2008 He claimed to be sick of waiting for his views to be heard. Various responses were written, many appearing even before Rea's book was published. In 1981, "The White Truth" was published. See also " [http://www.egwtext.whiteestate.org/issues/whitelie.html The Truth About the White Lie] " by the Ellen G. White Estate with cooperation from the Biblical Research Institute and the Ministerial Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; revised in January 1999. See also the [http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2820123/k.C350/DW030.htm review] by the Christian Research Institute.

Rea's employment by the church was terminated. His claims sparked a heated discussion which influenced the position of the church. He claimed that up to 80 or 90% of White's writings were plagiarized. [http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0005b.html From Controversy to Crisis: An Updated Assessment of Seventh-day Adventism] by Kenneth Samples. "Christian Research Journal" 11:1 (Summer 1988)]

Rea was the first to document such large scales of borrowing, citing 75 books White depended on.cite journal
last = Ostling
first = Richard N.
authorlink = Richard Ostling
coauthors = Jim Castelli, Dick Thompson
title = The Church of Liberal Borrowings
journal = Time
volume =
issue =
pages =
publisher = Time Inc.
location =
date= 1982-08-02
url = http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,925600,00.html
doi =
issn = 0040-781X
accessdate = 2007-10-22] He was one of the key figures who introduced new views of White to the church. ["Seeking a Sanctuary", 33]

See also

* Dale Ratzlaff
* Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

References

External links

* [http://www.ellenwhite.org/rea/bio.htm Autobiography] , reprinted from the prologue of "The White Lie"
* " [http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/egw17.htm The White Lie] ", largely available online

Reviews:
* cite journal
last = Thompson
first = Alden
authorlink = Alden Thompson
quotes = no
title = "The Imperfect Speech of Inspiration"
journal = Spectrum
volume = 12
issue = 4
pages = 48–55
publisher = Association of Adventist Forums
year = 1982
month = June
url = http://spectrummagazine.org/spectrum/archive11-15/12-4thompson.html
id = ISSN 0890-0264
accessdate = 2006-10-20
format = Dead link|date=June 2008 – ^{[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3A+intitle%3A%22The+Imperfect+Speech+of+Inspiration%22&as_publication=%5B%5BSpectrum+%28magazine%29%7CSpectrum%5D%5D&as_ylo=1982&as_yhi=1982&btnG=Search Scholar search]}
* " [http://spectrummagazine.org/spectrum/archive11-15/12-4butler.html Prophet or Plagiarist: A False Dichotomy] " by Jonathan Butler
* [http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2820123/k.C350/DW030.htm Review] by the Christian Research InstituteOther:
* [http://jewel.andrews.edu:82/search/?searchtype=X&searcharg=Walter+Rea Artices by or about Rea] cataloged in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)