Ellet Joseph Waggoner—his very name resonates with controversy. Over the years he withstood severe opposition from some prominent Adventist leaders and enjoyed hearty commendation from others. He received both stern rebuke and emphatic support from Ellen White. His theological contributions shaped—and divided—the Adventist Church. His staunch admirers point to him as a defender of unpopular truth, while his detractors reject his doctrinal views as heresy.

But who was E. J. Waggoner, the man?

Waggoner was first a physician, but his career veered into full-time denominational ministry only a few years after his graduation. In the space of his industrious lifetime he served the Adventist Church as a prolific writer, dedicated editor, faithful pastor, innovative evangelist, gifted teacher, stalwart religious liberty activist, and, most notably, outspoken advocate of “Christ and His righteousness.”

His theology underwent a perilous transformation later in his life, however, and this compromised his ethics. Sadly, the ensuing scandal proved the downfall of a once fervently devoted laborer for Christ.

Section One: The Early Years

Servant of the Vision, Child of the Midwest, and Son of the Pioneers: 1855 – 1874
College, Medical School, Pratice, and Early Ministry: 1875 – 1887
The Formative Theological Developments: 1875 to October 1888

Section Two: 1888, Minneapolis General Conference Session, Its Background, and Aftermath: 1888 – 1892

The Run-up to Minneapolis: The Impending Crisis
The 1888 Minneapolis Conference Session: The Crisis Unfolds
The Aftermath of Minneapolis: The Season of the Uplifted Christ: 1888, 1889
The “High Time” — to Leave: 1890 – 1892
Theological Emphases and Directions: 1888 ¶ndash; 1892
Section Three: The British/European Years: 1892 – 1903

The Years of Expanding Horizons and Unsettling Directions
Waggoner the Churchman: The Pernicious Path to Separation
The Theological Divide Clarifies

Section Four: The Years of Decline

The Final Years: 1903 &ndash 1916
Waggoner’s Theological Legacy: An Assessment

Appendices:

Published Books and Pamphlets of Ellet Joseph Waggoner
What Became of Jessie F. Moser and Edith Adams Waggoner?
The Mystical View of the Atonement
Hans K. LaRondelle: “The Seventh-day Adventist View of the Relationship of Justification — Sanctification — the Final Judgment”