Compare
Catholic ChurchandSeventh-day Adventist Church
At a glance
- Common groundIn full: Common ground
- Common inheritanceThe Western (Latin) church: Protestant churches grew, directly or through later movements, from the 16th-century Reformation of the Western church, so until then their history and that of the Catholic Church is one history.
2 sources
- Christianity: The First Three Thousand YearsIdentified, not independently read
- Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of JustificationSource verified
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
- GodOne God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Common inheritanceThe Western (Latin) church: Protestant churches grew, directly or through later movements, from the 16th-century Reformation of the Western church, so until then their history and that of the Catholic Church is one history.
- Key differencesIn full: Key differences
- Scripture and authorityCatholic ChurchScripture and Tradition, interpreted by the bishops in communion with the popeSeventh-day Adventist ChurchScripture as the supreme authority for faith and life; A modern prophetic gift (Ellen G. White), whose writings are tested by the Bible
- Sacraments and ordinancesCatholic ChurchInfants are baptisedSeventh-day Adventist ChurchBaptism follows a personal confession of faith
- Day of worshipCatholic ChurchSunday, the Lord's DaySeventh-day Adventist ChurchSaturday, kept as the biblical Sabbath
- How their histories connectIn full: How their histories connect
- No direct relationship recordedThey took shape separately.Catholic ChurchEast–West estrangement, 1054Seventh-day Adventist ChurchFormation of the denomination, 1863How each took shape
- Connected today?In full: their relationship today
Not yet researched
The Atlas has not yet researched their present relationship. This is a gap, not evidence either way.
Composed from each tradition’s sourced records. Where a topic is not yet recorded for one side, the Atlas says so rather than guess.
Structured comparison. Composed from each tradition’s sourced position records. No research has yet been written for this particular pair, so the Atlas shows only what those records establish.
Where they differ
Scripture and authority
Sources of authority
- Catholic Church
- Scripture and Tradition, interpreted by the bishops in communion with the pope
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Scripture as the supreme authority for faith and life; A modern prophetic gift (Ellen G. White), whose writings are tested by the Bible
Sacraments and ordinances
Who is baptised
- Catholic Church
- Infants are baptised
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Baptism follows a personal confession of faith
Day of worship
Weekly day of worship
- Catholic Church
- Sunday, the Lord's Day
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Saturday, kept as the biblical Sabbath
Not yet comparable (14)
No sourced position is recorded for one side, so the Atlas does not say whether they agree:
- Christ (christ's divinity): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Christ (how christ's divinity and humanity are expressed): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Creeds and councils (the nicene creed): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Creeds and councils (the filioque): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Creeds and councils (councils received): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Salvation and grace (characteristic emphasis): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Sacraments and ordinances (how the rites are understood and counted): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Sacraments and ordinances (christ's presence in the eucharist or lord's supper): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Sacraments and ordinances (how christ's presence is explained): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Sacraments and ordinances (distinctive practice): not recorded for Catholic Church
- Church and ministry (church government): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Church and ministry (ministry): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Mary and the saints (asking the saints to pray): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Mary and the saints (how mary is named): not recorded for Seventh-day Adventist Church
How their histories relate
The Atlas has no researched record of a direct historical relationship between these two. Not every pair of traditions experienced a schism or union with each other. Each took shape in its own way:
Their relationship today
Not yet researched
The Atlas has no researched record of the present relationship between these two. That is a gap in the research, not evidence of any particular relationship.
Developments towards reconciliation
No documented agreement or formal dialogue between these traditions is recorded in the Atlas.
Explore further
Catholic Church
All citations link to the Atlas’s single source register.