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The Role of the Review
It would be difficult to overestimate the role played by the Review and Herald in bringing cohesion, encouragement, and doctrinal unity to the slowly expanding body of Sabbatarian Adventists. During its first several years the paper was devoted primarily to articles that promoted the major distinctive doctrines developed in the years after 1844. Nearly two thirds of the space in the first two volumes dealt with the Sabbath or the perpetuity of the law of God. Prominence was given also to articles on Bible prophecy, especially as it applied to last-day events. The doctrine of the heavenly sanctuary continued to receive regular treatment. By the mid-1850s articles dealing with the dangers of spiritualism and belief in man's natural immortality became prominent.
At the start the Review had been largely the product of James White's pen, but in the course of the '50s, contributions from J. N. Andrews, J. H. Waggoner, R. F. Cottrell, and Uriah Smith became more and more frequent. After several volumes a "communications" section, which sometimes made up nearly one fourth of the paper, was added. This included letters from such roving missionaries as Joseph Bates, as well as from scattered and isolated Adventists who frequently discussed their religious experiences. This section thus served many of the purposes of the old "social meeting." The Review also carried information of the itinerant ministers' movements and announced time and place of general conferences of believers.
R. W. Schwarz (1979). Light Bearers to the Remnant, page 82.
http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/L … ts&page=82
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The old Reviews had very open discussions, either agreeing or disagreeing on doctrinal topics.
Today, the articles are pablum in comparison. No thinking needed.
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The old Reviews had very open discussions
Yes. I think it reflected the attitude of the editors, James White and Uriah Smith, mostly. Also, when the Adventist Church was young it had less of a corporate mentality where everything has to be smooth and polished.
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Editorial Experience
The early Reviews came out once a week and were usually eight pages in length. The type was quite small and much could be included in those eight pages. All of this was published on a Washington Handpress. All the type had to be handset; lots of work involved.
Imagine the on-the-job experience and development that James White, Uriah Smith, et al, gained by this weekly endeavour.
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