Seventh-day Adventism in popular culture
Encyclopedia
This article describes representations of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
in popular culture
.
One author wrote, "popular culture hasn’t often been very kind to Adventists."
series Gilmore Girls
, one of the recurring characters, Mrs. Kim is a very strict, caricature
d Seventh-day Adventist.
In the House
episode "Here Kitty
", Dr. Gregory House
refers to the events surrounding William Miller
and the "Great Disappointment
" of 1844. He remarks about Miller, "every time he was irrefutably proved wrong, it redoubled everyone's belief." Towards the end of the episode the patient rebuts House by saying "his followers never faded out, they became the Seventh-day Adventists – a major religion".
In a 1975 episode of All in the Family
, a very popular American situational comedy which ran during the 1970s and early 80s, the bigoted main character Archie Bunker
says, "Raise him a Luferan if you want, raise him a Norman with seven wives, a holy roller, a Seventh-day Adventurer". (These refer to Lutheran
s, Mormon
s – more accurately only fundamentalist Mormons; "Holy Roller
" was a critical name once used of Pentecostal
s; and Seventh-day Adventists).
The Simpsons
makes several indirect allusions to Adventism. The episode "Thank God, It's Doomsday" contains a number of eery similarities to the story of William Miller
's Great Disappointment
: although, whereas Miller came up with dates in 1843-44 via specific time periods mentioned in Biblical prophecy, Homer predicts the rapture by calculating random numbers in the Bible. Later on Homer's followers are seen to suffer financial hardship after giving away all their belongings in anticipation of Judgment Day, and Homer, like Miller, eventually concludes he miscalculated and announces a new date for the rapture. A couple episodes also refer to the Little Debbie snacks produced by McKee Foods
, a company owned by Seventh-day Adventist businessmen. The episode "Marge Gamer
" makes light of Little Debbie's religious connections when Homer says, "Marge, you have to get on the Net. It's where all the best conspiracy theories are. Did you know Hezbollah owns Little Debbie Food Snacks? This stuff will rock your world."
comments on literary science fiction or fantasy references as:
It also speculates reasons why the cultural references are so few. According to the website there are no known science fiction or fantasy authors who are themselves Seventh-day Adventists.
In Black Boy
(1945) by Richard Wright
, "Granny" is said to be a Seventh-day Adventist.
In Alas, Babylon
(1959) by Pat Frank,
In The Stand
(1978) by Stephen King
,
The Brothers K
(1992) by David James Duncan
includes Adventist characters.
In Towing Jehovah (1994) by James Morrow
,
In The Terminal Experiment
(1995) by Robert J. Sawyer
,
In the award-winning Tree of Smoke
(2007) by Denis Johnson
, a fictional character Kathy Jones, a Seventh-day Adventist aid worker, is included.
Horror novelist Ray Garton
was raised Adventist, as was fellow novelist Steven Spruill. They claim to be the only Adventist novelists they know of.
s have portrayed Adventist subjects. For instance, in July 2001 the Russian Post
issued a stamp portraying the Adventist church in Ryazan
, as part of a series on religious buildings. This was the first depiction of an Adventist church on a Russian stamp.
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...
in popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
.
One author wrote, "popular culture hasn’t often been very kind to Adventists."
Representations in television
In the AmericanTelevision in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
series Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, one of the recurring characters, Mrs. Kim is a very strict, caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
d Seventh-day Adventist.
In the House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
episode "Here Kitty
Here Kitty
"Here Kitty" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of House. It aired on March 16th, 2009.- Plot :Nursing-home worker Morgan fakes an illness to get House's attention after the home's pet cat, Debbie, sleeps next to her. It seems that the cat only visits people if they are about to die and...
", Dr. Gregory House
Gregory House
Gregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
refers to the events surrounding William Miller
William Miller (preacher)
William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
and the "Great Disappointment
Great Disappointment
The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
" of 1844. He remarks about Miller, "every time he was irrefutably proved wrong, it redoubled everyone's belief." Towards the end of the episode the patient rebuts House by saying "his followers never faded out, they became the Seventh-day Adventists – a major religion".
In a 1975 episode of All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, a very popular American situational comedy which ran during the 1970s and early 80s, the bigoted main character Archie Bunker
Archie Bunker
Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, bigoted, conservative, blue-collar worker, and...
says, "Raise him a Luferan if you want, raise him a Norman with seven wives, a holy roller, a Seventh-day Adventurer". (These refer to Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
s, Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s – more accurately only fundamentalist Mormons; "Holy Roller
Holy Roller
Holy Roller is a term in American English used to describe Pentecostal Christian churchgoers. The term is commonly used derisively, as if to describe people literally rolling on the floor or speaking in tongues in an uncontrolled manner....
" was a critical name once used of Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
s; and Seventh-day Adventists).
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
makes several indirect allusions to Adventism. The episode "Thank God, It's Doomsday" contains a number of eery similarities to the story of William Miller
William Miller (preacher)
William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
's Great Disappointment
Great Disappointment
The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
: although, whereas Miller came up with dates in 1843-44 via specific time periods mentioned in Biblical prophecy, Homer predicts the rapture by calculating random numbers in the Bible. Later on Homer's followers are seen to suffer financial hardship after giving away all their belongings in anticipation of Judgment Day, and Homer, like Miller, eventually concludes he miscalculated and announces a new date for the rapture. A couple episodes also refer to the Little Debbie snacks produced by McKee Foods
McKee Foods
McKee Foods Corporation is a privately held United States company headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee.-History:McKee Foods began in 1934 in Chattanooga when O.D. McKee purchased Jack’s Cookie Company....
, a company owned by Seventh-day Adventist businessmen. The episode "Marge Gamer
Marge Gamer
"Marge Gamer" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons eighteenth season, which was originally broadcast on April 22, 2007. It was written by J. Stewart Burns and featured a guest appearance from Brazilian football star Ronaldo...
" makes light of Little Debbie's religious connections when Homer says, "Marge, you have to get on the Net. It's where all the best conspiracy theories are. Did you know Hezbollah owns Little Debbie Food Snacks? This stuff will rock your world."
Representations in literature
The popular website Adherents.comAdherents.com
Adherents.com is a website that aims to collect and present information about religious demographics, established in 1998. It is the largest pool of such data freely available on the internet. As of January 2010, the site contains approximately 44,000 references on over 4,300 faith groups...
comments on literary science fiction or fantasy references as:
- "This is a surprisingly short list. Seventh-day Adventists form one of the ten largest international churches in the world. They have distinctive historyHistory of the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church had its roots in the Millerite movement of the 1830s and 1840s, during the period of the Second Great Awakening, and was officially founded in 1863. Prominent figures in the early church included Hiram Edson, James Springer White and his wife Ellen G. White, Joseph...
, culture, doctrine and literature which could certainly provide subject matter for fiction. Seventh-day Adventists are often well-educated as well as devoutly and alternatively religious. They would make interesting characters in any form of fiction. Yet the SDA Church and its members are rarely mentioned in science fiction, fantasy, or any other genre."
It also speculates reasons why the cultural references are so few. According to the website there are no known science fiction or fantasy authors who are themselves Seventh-day Adventists.
In Black Boy
Black Boy
Black Boy is an autobiography by Richard Wright. The author explores his childhood and race relations in the South. Wright eventually moves to Chicago, where he establishes his writing career and becomes involved with the Communist Party....
(1945) by Richard Wright
Richard Wright (author)
Richard Nathaniel Wright was an African-American author of sometimes controversial novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction. Much of his literature concerns racial themes, especially those involving the plight of African-Americans during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries...
, "Granny" is said to be a Seventh-day Adventist.
In Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon is a 1959 novel by American writer Pat Frank . It was one of the first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age and remains popular fifty years after it was first published...
(1959) by Pat Frank,
- "He said, 'Jim, maybe I could be persuaded to trade for honey.'"
- "'I'm sorry, Randy. We're Adventists. We don't drink whisky or trade in it.'"
In The Stand
The Stand
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
(1978) by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
,
- "...biked out to north BoulderBoulder (disambiguation)-Places:Australia* Boulder, Western Australia, forerunner of City of Kalgoorlie-BoulderCanada* Boulder Island, Nunavut, CanadaUnited States* Boulder, Colorado* Boulder, Montana* Boulder, Utah* Boulder, Wyoming* Boulder City, Nevada...
... Boulder's 'old' residents. Stan Nogotny said it was as if the CatholicsRoman Catholic ChurchThe 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...
, BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, and Seventh-day Adventists had gotten together with the DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and the MooniesMooniesMoonie is a nickname sometimes used to refer to members of the Unification Church. This is derived from the name of the church's founder Sun Myung Moon, and was first used in 1974 by the American media. Church members have used the word "Moonie", including Sun Myung Moon, President of the...
to create a religious-political Disneyland."
The Brothers K
The Brothers K
The Brothers K is a 1992 novel by David James Duncan an author, fisherman and environmental advocate from the Pacific Northwest. It builds on the sporting and spiritual themes of The River Why, Duncan's first book, but on a much larger canvas, focusing on an entire family instead of a single...
(1992) by David James Duncan
David James Duncan
David James Duncan is an American novelist and essayist, best known for his two bestselling novels, The River Why and The Brothers K...
includes Adventist characters.
In Towing Jehovah (1994) by James Morrow
James Morrow
James Morrow is a fiction author. A self-described "scientific humanist", his work satirises organized religion and elements of humanism and atheism....
,
- "'The Lord was lookin' out for him.' The freckled sailor slipped a tiny gold chain from beneath his polo shirt, glancing at the attached cross like the White RabbitWhite RabbitThe White Rabbit works for the Red Queen, but is also a secret member of the Underland Underground Resistance, and was sent by the Hatter to search for Alice...
consulting his pocket watch.
- Neil winced. This wasn't the first time he'd encountered a JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
aficionado. As a rule, he didn't mind them. Once at sea, they were usually diligent as hell, cleaning toilets and chipping rust without a whimper, but their agenda made him nervous. Often as not, the conversation got around to the precarious position of Neil's immortal soul. On the Stella, for example, a Seventh Day Adventist had somberly told Neil that he could spare himself the "trouble of ArmageddonArmageddonArmageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
" by accepting Jesus then and there." (see: Seventh-day Adventist eschatology)
In The Terminal Experiment
The Terminal Experiment
The Terminal Experiment is a science fiction novel by Canadian novelist Robert J. Sawyer. The book won the 1995 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1996....
(1995) by Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer
Robert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
,
- "'But isn't immortalityImmortalityImmortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
boring?'"
- "...'Forgive me... but that's one of the silliest ideas I've ever heard... I want to read all the great books, and all the trashy ones, too. I want to learn about BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Seventh Day Adventists. I want to visit AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
...'"
In the award-winning Tree of Smoke
Tree of Smoke
Tree of Smoke is a 2007 novel by American author Denis Johnson which won the National Book Award for fiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It is about a man named Skip Sands who joins the CIA in 1965, and begins working in Vietnam during the American involvement there. The time frame...
(2007) by Denis Johnson
Denis Johnson
Denis Hale Johnson is an American author who is known for his short-story collection Jesus' Son and his novel Tree of Smoke , which won the National Book Award. He also writes plays, poetry and non-fiction.- Biography :...
, a fictional character Kathy Jones, a Seventh-day Adventist aid worker, is included.
Horror novelist Ray Garton
Ray Garton
Ray Garton is an American author, well known for his work in horror fiction. He has written over sixty books, and in 2006 was presented with the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award.-Novels:...
was raised Adventist, as was fellow novelist Steven Spruill. They claim to be the only Adventist novelists they know of.
Other media
Postage stampPostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s have portrayed Adventist subjects. For instance, in July 2001 the Russian Post
Russian Post
Russian Post , is a unitary enterprise which is a national postal operator of Russia. The company is responsible for the delivery of mail in Russia, and the issuing of postage stamps...
issued a stamp portraying the Adventist church in Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
, as part of a series on religious buildings. This was the first depiction of an Adventist church on a Russian stamp.
See also
- List of Seventh-day Adventists
- Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe 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...
- Christian pop cultureChristian pop cultureChristian pop culture , is the vernacular Christian culture that prevails in any given society. The content of popular culture is determined by the daily interactions, needs and desires, and cultural 'movements' that make up everyday lives of Christians...
- Cultural depictions of JesusCultural depictions of JesusJesus has inspired artistic and cultural works for nearly two millennia. The following lists cover various media to include items of historic interest, enduring works of high art, and recent representations in popular culture. These entries represent portrayals that a reader has a reasonable...
External links
- Seventh-day Adventists in Science Fiction, from Adherents.comAdherents.comAdherents.com is a website that aims to collect and present information about religious demographics, established in 1998. It is the largest pool of such data freely available on the internet. As of January 2010, the site contains approximately 44,000 references on over 4,300 faith groups...