I've been working on understanding the history of the "degeneration doctrine" in American religion and its relevance to Bible giants, focused on tracing ideas about the stature of pre-Flood humans. I've found the idea in Bible dictionaries from the early 1800's and in a handful of places post-dating the mid-1800s, including several associated with the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) church (the late 19th century writings of Ellen G. White, a 1950 article on giants by Clifford Burdick, and statements by GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson). The degeneracy doctrine clearly has some kind of association with the SDA church.
Kent Hovind, a formerly prominent Young Earth Creationist (YEC), is also a proponent of the degeneracy doctrine, as are associated figures such as Joe Taylor and Carl Baugh. According to his Wikipedia entry, Hovind is an "Independent Baptist" and not a member of the SDA church. So where do his ideas about creation, degeneration, and giants come from? Is Hovind's degeneracy doctrine independent and/or different from Adventist teachings, or is there some relationship?
I might be able to get answers to those questions by simply emailing Hovind. But that's too easy. I'm an archaeologist, and I like try to explain things by searching for and interpreting patterns. Archaeology can give you answers that go well beyond what one person may think about his experience. And it's more fun than just asking.
I haven't yet turned up any evidence of a formal connection between Baptists and giants, so I thought maybe Hovind's ideas about degeneration came from earlier in his life - perhaps he was raised in the SDA church? I wasn't able to find much information online about Hovind's early years (this bio just says he became a Christian at age 16, as does this one). I did find, however, evidence for a significant amount of tension and in-fighting among various flavors of creationists and between the SDA church and other fundamentalist/literalist Christian denominations (see this, this, and this). In fact, it seems that the SDA church is often cast in a negative light in regards to their creationist doctrines. I don't pretend to understand it all, but I don't get the impression that Hovind and many other creationists look favorably upon the SDA church.
Kent Hovind, a formerly prominent Young Earth Creationist (YEC), is also a proponent of the degeneracy doctrine, as are associated figures such as Joe Taylor and Carl Baugh. According to his Wikipedia entry, Hovind is an "Independent Baptist" and not a member of the SDA church. So where do his ideas about creation, degeneration, and giants come from? Is Hovind's degeneracy doctrine independent and/or different from Adventist teachings, or is there some relationship?
I might be able to get answers to those questions by simply emailing Hovind. But that's too easy. I'm an archaeologist, and I like try to explain things by searching for and interpreting patterns. Archaeology can give you answers that go well beyond what one person may think about his experience. And it's more fun than just asking.
I haven't yet turned up any evidence of a formal connection between Baptists and giants, so I thought maybe Hovind's ideas about degeneration came from earlier in his life - perhaps he was raised in the SDA church? I wasn't able to find much information online about Hovind's early years (this bio just says he became a Christian at age 16, as does this one). I did find, however, evidence for a significant amount of tension and in-fighting among various flavors of creationists and between the SDA church and other fundamentalist/literalist Christian denominations (see this, this, and this). In fact, it seems that the SDA church is often cast in a negative light in regards to their creationist doctrines. I don't pretend to understand it all, but I don't get the impression that Hovind and many other creationists look favorably upon the SDA church.
But that doesn't mean he didn't get some of his YEC talking points from them. (I'm still learning about the specific role of Adventists and the SDA church in developing what we now know as Young Earth Creationism - more on that later).
I grabbed the image at the left from one of Hovind's YouTube videos. It's the poster in the background that's interesting. That and other similar posters are for sale on Hovind's website.
What's notable about the poster is that it is adapted from the prophetic charts used by the Millerites in the 1840s and later Adventist denominations (including Seventh-Day Adventists) that grew out of the Millerite movement after the Great Disappointment of 1844. Prophetic charts (you can see images of several in the collections of the Aurora University library) were used as visual aids to spread the message of the Millerites and the Adventists as they traveled across the county. The following is a quote from a 2012 lecture by Susan L. Palmer titled "Unraveling Adventist Prophecy: The History and Meaning of the Millerite Charts" (available here):
"Millerite preachers used these charts to illustrate the complicated chronologies, calculations, biblical symbolism, and prophesies fulfilled that had led to Miller’s conclusions about the second coming of Christ. The most famous and popular chart of the time, the “1843 Chart” . . . measured about three by five feet, but others were larger, as they were to be used as a visual tool in large halls; the great, traveling, Millerite tent; and even in the open air, where they were sometimes hung on trees. . . .
. . . Even when traveling, a preacher would sometimes hang a chart while on a boat or ship (or in some other conveyance or public space). The arresting, often frightening images on a chart would invariably draw a crowd, thus affording a preacher yet another opportunity to spread the message of Christ’s imminent return."
I grabbed the image at the left from one of Hovind's YouTube videos. It's the poster in the background that's interesting. That and other similar posters are for sale on Hovind's website.
What's notable about the poster is that it is adapted from the prophetic charts used by the Millerites in the 1840s and later Adventist denominations (including Seventh-Day Adventists) that grew out of the Millerite movement after the Great Disappointment of 1844. Prophetic charts (you can see images of several in the collections of the Aurora University library) were used as visual aids to spread the message of the Millerites and the Adventists as they traveled across the county. The following is a quote from a 2012 lecture by Susan L. Palmer titled "Unraveling Adventist Prophecy: The History and Meaning of the Millerite Charts" (available here):
"Millerite preachers used these charts to illustrate the complicated chronologies, calculations, biblical symbolism, and prophesies fulfilled that had led to Miller’s conclusions about the second coming of Christ. The most famous and popular chart of the time, the “1843 Chart” . . . measured about three by five feet, but others were larger, as they were to be used as a visual tool in large halls; the great, traveling, Millerite tent; and even in the open air, where they were sometimes hung on trees. . . .
. . . Even when traveling, a preacher would sometimes hang a chart while on a boat or ship (or in some other conveyance or public space). The arresting, often frightening images on a chart would invariably draw a crowd, thus affording a preacher yet another opportunity to spread the message of Christ’s imminent return."
1843 Millerite prophecy chart. Clearly visible on the poster hanging behind Hovind (which appears to be "Dr. Kent Hovind's 70th Week Daniel Timeline," currently on sale for $7) are two prominent graphic elements that are present on Millerite/Adventist charts. According to Palmer, "[t]he image of the large, metallic man comes from the book of Daniel, in which Daniel also sees and then interprets a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had." The different colors within the man represent different civilizations that have come and gone though time: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
There are several lions on the 1843 prophecy chart (and other Millerite/Adventist charts). The print on the screen version of Hovind's chart is too small to make out, but it clearly has something to do with some aspect of Daniel's prophecy.
As far as I can tell, the Millerite prophecies didn't have anything to do with giants. I haven't yet seen any evidence that later Adventist prophecies did, either. It may be that the late 19th century prophetic writings of Ellen G. White were what inserted giants into the Adventist version of creationism. Whatever Hovind is attempting to demonstrate with his poster, his use of Millerite/Adventist iconography and symbolism surely suggests more than just a casual familiarity with the teachings of the SDA church. I would bet his embrace of the degeneration doctrine (and its concern with giants) is also drawn straight from the teachings of Ellen G. White. Just a guess - I'm still working on it!
There are several lions on the 1843 prophecy chart (and other Millerite/Adventist charts). The print on the screen version of Hovind's chart is too small to make out, but it clearly has something to do with some aspect of Daniel's prophecy.
As far as I can tell, the Millerite prophecies didn't have anything to do with giants. I haven't yet seen any evidence that later Adventist prophecies did, either. It may be that the late 19th century prophetic writings of Ellen G. White were what inserted giants into the Adventist version of creationism. Whatever Hovind is attempting to demonstrate with his poster, his use of Millerite/Adventist iconography and symbolism surely suggests more than just a casual familiarity with the teachings of the SDA church. I would bet his embrace of the degeneration doctrine (and its concern with giants) is also drawn straight from the teachings of Ellen G. White. Just a guess - I'm still working on it!
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