Political Engagement As Adventist Christians - The Positives And The Pitfalls: A Case Study

Innocent Gwizo, Elisha Kwabena Marfo, And Tabua Kotobalavu Tuima

Abstract

Seventh-day Adventists have often found themselves in a dilemma when confronted with the issue of political engagement. More often than not, members instinctively engage in national politics without proper grounding in church policies and guidelines. The ambiguity may stem from a lack of ethical and theological clarity in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy on the matter. Such actions have frequently yielded the church a mixed reputation subsequently impeding its witness and mission. Complexity arises when members are deeply involved in the state where the state looks to the church (rightly) for guidance. Is it ethical for the church to step aside (bad samaritanism) when the state needs help in times of national crisis? The positives and pitfalls of such engagement are drawn through a case study of Adventist members in Fiji who experienced four coups in a span of two decades.