Church, State and Religious Dissent

Seventh-day Adventism, a young American-based denomination, encountered strenuous opposition when it first reached Europe in the second half of the 19th century. This was especially true in Austria, where traditional allegiance to Roman Catholicism, linked with a strong emphasis on cultural continuity, constituted the tenor of social life. The book not only describes the history of Adventism in Austria but also examines its relationship to the Austrian political and religious milieu. The study may furnish valuable insights to stimulate further discussion of church-state relationships and provides a basis for continuing investigation of the dynamics involved in encounters of minority religions with hostile socio-cultural settings.