Le Roy Edwin Froom
Encyclopedia
Le Roy Edwin Froom was a Seventh-day Adventist
minister
and historian.
in 1957
" interpretation of Bible prophecy
had been the earliest and most extensively used throughout history, and that all other schemes were not only novelties in comparison but had emerged as the result of attempts to deflect the condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church
which typically accompanied historicist exposition. Froom’s research team spent over 20 years compiling a vast collection of documentation which numbered over 1,000 works. Each volume of Froom’s work has a bibliography which typically runs to over 30 pages and cites hundreds of sources.
Although it was largely directed at substantiating the Adventist understanding of prophecy (which was at that time firmly historicist in nature; and as of 2009 mainstream Adventism remains this way), the work received extremely favourable reviews from non-Adventist scholars. When published, the first volume was praised for its value for money, the scope of its research, and its extensive documentation. Another contemporary review of the first volume noted 'An astounding amount of reading, traveling, compilation, and patient research has gone into the preparation of this book', characterizing it as 'a rich summary of an enormous lot of materials'.
An early review of the second volume described it as 'a quarry of information on the subject which will be useful to scholars in many fields', though it was noted that 'The historical picture is curiously distorted' due to the Adventist focus on specific prophetic interpretations. This limited focus is a commonly found criticism of the work. A 1952 review of the first two volumes complimented their breadth of research,, but lamented 'The scope of the work is seriously delimited, however'..
Despite criticism of the work's limited focus, the reviewer also noted 'Specialists can find here a wealth of material', and praised the care with which the research had been undertaken and presented. In a review of the first volume, the same author spoke highly of the work's contribution to scholarship ('The author has surveyed and summarized a vast amount of material and has made it readily available - a valuable service to scholarship indeed'), though again criticizing its narrow focus.
Early reviews noted Froom's skill as a historian, and predicted that the work would become recognized as a standard reference on the subject. In recent years Froom's work is still praised for its extensive review and analysis of the history of prophetic interpretation, and is referred to as the classic work on the subject by theological scholars (as well as by secular scholars).
See also #Books above
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
and historian.
Life
Froom was the first associate secretary of the General Conference Ministerial Association from 1926 to 1950. He was also the founding editor of Ministry Magazine. From 1950 until his retirement in 1958 he was a field secretary of the General Conference assigned to research and writing. He was considered to be the leading historian and apologist of the church at the time. He was part of the developments in the ministerial institutes during the 1920s, emphasizing Christ as a person, rather than a message, and authoring the first book in the church on the Holy Spirit as the Comforter.Publications
Froom is best known for his apologetic writings and his attempts to help non-Adventists understand his own denomination. The most famous resulted in the publication of Questions on DoctrineQuestions on Doctrine
Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine is a book published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1957 to help explain Adventism to conservative Protestants and Evangelicals...
in 1957
The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers
His best known work was the Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers consists of four volumes, and covers the Christian Era, are the result of more than sixteen years of intensive research including three extensive trips to Europe as well as in America. This work analyzes the understanding of Bible Prophecy by Christian theologians and scholars beginning in the 1st century AD to the late 19th century.Critical reception to The Prophetic Faith Of Our Fathers
This work by Seventh-day Adventists (edited by Froom), was aimed at demonstrating that the "historicistHistoricism (Christian eschatology)
Historicism is a method of interpretation, in Christian eschatology, by associating biblical prophecies with actual historical events as well as identifying symbolic beings with historical persons or societies. In prophetic theology, the main texts of interest are apocalyptic literature such as the...
" interpretation of Bible prophecy
Bible prophecy
Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy is the prediction of future events based on the action, function, or faculty of a prophet. Such passages are widely distributed throughout the Bible, but those most often cited are from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and Revelation.Believers in biblical...
had been the earliest and most extensively used throughout history, and that all other schemes were not only novelties in comparison but had emerged as the result of attempts to deflect the condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
which typically accompanied historicist exposition. Froom’s research team spent over 20 years compiling a vast collection of documentation which numbered over 1,000 works. Each volume of Froom’s work has a bibliography which typically runs to over 30 pages and cites hundreds of sources.
Although it was largely directed at substantiating the Adventist understanding of prophecy (which was at that time firmly historicist in nature; and as of 2009 mainstream Adventism remains this way), the work received extremely favourable reviews from non-Adventist scholars. When published, the first volume was praised for its value for money, the scope of its research, and its extensive documentation. Another contemporary review of the first volume noted 'An astounding amount of reading, traveling, compilation, and patient research has gone into the preparation of this book', characterizing it as 'a rich summary of an enormous lot of materials'.
An early review of the second volume described it as 'a quarry of information on the subject which will be useful to scholars in many fields', though it was noted that 'The historical picture is curiously distorted' due to the Adventist focus on specific prophetic interpretations. This limited focus is a commonly found criticism of the work. A 1952 review of the first two volumes complimented their breadth of research,, but lamented 'The scope of the work is seriously delimited, however'..
Despite criticism of the work's limited focus, the reviewer also noted 'Specialists can find here a wealth of material', and praised the care with which the research had been undertaken and presented. In a review of the first volume, the same author spoke highly of the work's contribution to scholarship ('The author has surveyed and summarized a vast amount of material and has made it readily available - a valuable service to scholarship indeed'), though again criticizing its narrow focus.
Early reviews noted Froom's skill as a historian, and predicted that the work would become recognized as a standard reference on the subject. In recent years Froom's work is still praised for its extensive review and analysis of the history of prophetic interpretation, and is referred to as the classic work on the subject by theological scholars (as well as by secular scholars).
Other works
- The Coming of the Comforter
- Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers (4 volumes)
- Movement of Destiny
- The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers (2 volumes, 1965–66). Described as "a classic defense of conditionalism" by Clark PinnockClark PinnockClark H. Pinnock was a Christian theologian, apologist and author. He was Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College.-Education and career:...
External links
- Articles by Froom as cataloged in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)
See also #Books above