Author: Gary Land File Type: pdf ReviewThough not as widely known as some smaller denominations, Seventh-day Adventists have played an important role in American legal and cultural history, not least for their fight for freedom to practice their religion, which involves beliefs (e.g., the Saturday Sabbath) that are unusual among Christians. Adventists ideas about health are linked to the development of Kellogg cereals. Land is a professor of history at Andres University, an Adventist institution. His status as a believer confers both benefitsfor and limitations on this reference work written for outsiders. This books level of detail is commendable, and the doctrines particular to the Adventists are clearly described. Land provides good coverage and a clear explication of various Adventist institutions, individuals, country histories, and art forms. Readers looking for information on controversial issues will find few entries, even on doctrinal matters. For most beginning researchers, however, this will be a handy reference tool. No other similar reference work exists other than the much larger, two-volume Seventh Day Adventist Encyclopedia (2nd rev. ed., 1996), which is published by the denomination itself. The bibliographic essay and the accompanying schematic bibliography are excell (Choice )Entries are informative and well written...This work is recommended for all collections. (Arba )...useful and concise...The Historical Dictionary of Seventh-day Adventists is a specialist reference resource, and will be relevant to libraries supporting courses or research that includes Seventh-day Adventism. (Reference Reviews )The amount of material that is densely packed into this four-hundred page book is impressive....anyone interested in Adventism, and especially Adventist history, will find it an indispensable reference work. (Seminary Studies, Vol. 44 (Autumn 2006) )Land, who teaches history at a Seventh-Day Adventist school listed in the dictionary (Andrews U., Berrien Springs, Michigan), has compiled a work based in part on the Seventh-Day Adventist Encyclopedia. A chronology of the churchs history since 1818 and introduction to SDAs American origins, beliefs, and growth as a world religion prefaces entries from academy (SDA secondary schools) to Zimbabwe (noted to have 678 SDA churches). The extensive bibliography includes general works primary source material general and country-specific histories of the church auto biographies literature on beliefs, practice and polity libraries and archival repositories Adventist responses to critics and Web sites. (Reference and Research Book News )Though not as widely known as some smaller denominations, Seventh-day Adventists have played an important role in American legal and cultural history, not least for their fight for freedom to practice their religion, which involves beliefs (e.g., the Saturday Sabbath) that are unusual among Christians. Adventists ideas about health are linked to the development of Kellogg cereals. Land is a professor of history at Andres University, an Adventist institution. His status as a believer confers both benefits for and limitations on this reference work written for outsiders. This books level of detail is commendable, and the doctrines particular to the Adventists are clearly described. Land provides good coverage and a clear explication of various Adventist institutions, individuals, country histories, and art forms. Readers looking for information on controversial issues will find few entries, even on doctrinal matters. For most beginning researchers, however, this will be a handy reference tool. No other similar reference work exists other than the much larger, two-volume Seventh Day Adventist Encyclopedia (2nd rev. ed., 1996), which is published by the denomination itself. The bibliographic essay and the accompanying schematic bibliography are excellent. Recommended. All levels. (Choice ) About the AuthorGary Land is professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. He is a member of the Conference on Faith and History and the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians. He is the author of Teaching History A Seventh-day Adventist Approach.