This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Seventhday Adventist interchurch relations a 20-million member body whose ecumenical stance has so far been underresearched. For the sake of interpreting denominational involvement and reservations in Adventism as well as beyond, the study develops a new academic approach to ecumenism based on Relational Models Theory, a comprehensive social science paradigm of interpreting human relationships. The resulting typology of ecumenical interactions and the historical case study of Adventism suggest that such a relational interpretation of ecumenical interaction sheds light on many of the unresolved issues in ecumenics such as divergent concepts of unity, difficulties in recognition processes, and the permanence of denominationalism.

Stefan Höschele is Professor of Systematic Theology& Adventist Studies at Theologische Hochschule Friedensau, Germany. He served in Algeria (199394) and Tanzania (19972003) and has taught at Friedensau since 2003.