Conclusion

In conclusion, while the research on Ellen White’s literary borrowing will continue, several insights have emerged out of the controversy surrounding this issue. First, the open acknowledgment and discussion about her use of sources has enhanced the church’s appreciation for how she labored in conveying her inspired message. Second, open discussion on how Ellen White wrote her books has helped many in the church better understand the nature of biblical inspiration and how it operated in her experience. Consequently, the incorrect view of verbal dictation has been brought to the forefront of discussion and corrected with the whole-person view found in Scripture.GOP 335.2

Third, research in Ellen White’s use of sources has opened up the world of nineteenth-century thought on biblical themes. An understanding of the particular theological and historical sources Ellen White used tells us a lot about her as a theological thinker as well as the nature of Christian thought during the nineteenth century. She used the best sources available during her lifetime and used them with discernment. I often tell the students in my “Life and Teaching of Jesus” class, for example, that when they read their textbook, The Desire of Ages, they will get a feel of the best nineteenth-century thought on the life of Christ, but understood through Ellen White’s unique theological worldview of the great controversy.GOP 335.3

Finally, the research to date has confirmed a consistent pattern in Ellen White’s use of sources. Although she borrowed material from other writings in composing her books and articles, the way in which she used this material does not fit the charges of mindless copying and plagiarism. After his massive eight-year study, Fred Veltman’s significant conclusion demonstrated this pattern: “The research clearly shows that the sources were her slaves, never her master. She readily recognized what expressions in her sources would enhance her writing and serve her purposes. Ellen White, with the aid of her literary assistants, built out of the common quarry of stones not a replica of another’s work but rather a customized literary composition that reflected the particular faith and Christian hope she felt called to share with her fellow Adventists and the Christian community at large.” ^{73Veltman, “The Study of The Desire of Ages Sources,” 770.} Put another way, the uninspired sources Ellen White used served the purpose of enabling her to forcefully articulate the unique metanarrative in her inspired understanding— the ultimate triumph of the love of God through Jesus Christ in the great controversy between Christ and Satan. ^{74See Lake, Ellen White Under Fire, chapters 11-12, for discussion of the big picture in Ellen White’s writings; and Douglass, 256-263.} This grand organizing theme is evidence of her originality and independence as an author and constitutes her unique contribution to Christian thought.GOP 335.4