Prophetess of Health: Ellen G. White and the Origins of Seventh-Day Adventist Health Reform

by Ronald L. Numbers

Book by Numbers, Ronald L.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Biography, Theology, History, Christian

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Ranae Lemcke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an SDA who grew up trusting EGW and her so-called visions. This book changed my entire relationship with the church. As I should have been doing before, I examine every claim skeptically and with care. This book changed my faith.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish the church would publicly deal with the 1919 Bible conference and the clear inconsistency that is allowed to be held, which is that we don't accept literal inspiration for scripture, but we do for Ellen White. The church was "chicken" in 1919 to deal with the issue, and much of our problems today have to do with this huge inconsistency and failure to allow spiritual gifts to assume their proper role in the church.

This is a good book, well worth the read. I am sure most Adventists will not agree with the author, but a number of inconsistencies are pointed out, that can cause a great deal of harm if swept under the rug. . .

Ellen is a great gift to the church, but don't try to make her into something she is not!

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Number's book is probably the first serious, scholarly effort to understand Ellen G. White within her social and spiritual milieu. It is not the author's intent to condemn or defend this influential lady but to understand this lady who had such a far reaching impact on millions around the world.

[HunterHunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its very rare to find a true scholarly, unbiased exploration of the life and work of Ellen White. For that I find this work invaluable for Seventh Day Adventists or those curious about the SDA church. As stated in the title this work is focused primarily on the health message of Ellen White. While it does give a history of the church and Mrs. White, the bulk of it deals with health reform, the history of Adventist health institutions in particular, and Mrs. Whites writings on health.

[Theracrane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of medicine (traditional and otherwise) is fascinating, and even more so when it's combined with the history of non-mainstream religious movements. Although the author is (to put it mildly) skeptical of Ellen White, he still manages to paint a mostly sympathetic portrait and show her as the remarkably productive person that she was (even while not flinching from her plagiaristic tendencies, etc.).

[Darwin Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more objective and less polemic read, regarding Ellen White's plagiarism (than, for example, Walter Rea's The White Lie). We learn that Ellen White's teachings on health were not unique to her, but were "in the air," so to speak, during her time and place.

(See my reviews on Walter Rea's The White Lie and Steve Daily's Ellen G. White: A Psychobiography)

[Svetlana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intriguing yet in many places I wonder if Numbers really even knows what he is talking about. He lacks knowledge and evidence. I do not recommend reading this book. If you truly interested in learning more about Ellen G. White there are many other books that way exceed this one. Do not waste your time.