 | The topic of this articlemay not meet Wikipedia'snotability guideline for biographies. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citingreliable secondary sources that areindependent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to bemerged,redirected, ordeleted. Find sources: "Samuele Bacchiocchi" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Samuele Bacchiocchi | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1938-01-29)29 January 1938 Rome, Italy |
| Died | 20 December 2008(2008-12-20) (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Author and theologian |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Education | Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Alma mater | Newbold College |
| Subject | Sabbath in Christianity |
| Literary movement | Seventh-day Adventist |
| Notable works | From Sabbath to Sunday |
| Notable awards | Pope's Gold Medal |
| Spouse | Anna |
| Children | 3 |
Samuele R. Bacchiocchi (29 January 1938[1] – 20 December 2008[2]) was aSeventh-day Adventist author andtheologian, best known for his work on theSabbath in Christianity, particularly in the historical workFrom Sabbath to Sunday, based on his doctoral thesis from thePontifical Gregorian University. Bacchiocchi defended the validity of the Feasts of the Lord, situated in Leviticus 23, he wrote two books on the subject. He was also known within the Seventh-day Adventist church for his opposition to rock andcontemporary Christian music, jewelry, the celebration ofChristmas andEaster, certain dress standards and alcohol.
Bacchiocchi was born inRome, Italy on 29 January 1938.[3]
He later earned aBachelor of Arts degree in theology fromNewbold College in England, which was followed by aMaster of Arts andBachelor of Divinity atAndrews University in Michigan, United States; finishing in 1964. Bacchiocchi moved with his wife Anna to Kuyera,Shashamene, Ethiopia, where he lectured in Bible and history atEthiopian Adventist College.
In 1969 they returned to Rome where Bacchiocchi studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was the first non-Catholic to be admitted since its establishment in the 16th century.[4] He completed aDoctoratus in Church History in 1974 on the subject of the decline of Sabbath observance in theEarly Christian church, based on his research in the Vatican libraries.
Bacchiocchi taught in the religion department of Andrews University from 1974 till his retirement in 2000. He taught theology and church history. He regularly presented seminars worldwide, and wrote many self-published books and articles on biblical topics. He was married to Anna Gandin Bacchiocchi. They had three children.
In May 2007, Bacchiocchi announced that he had developed liver and colon cancer.[5] He ultimately succumbed to 4th stage liver cancer, shortly after midnight, Saturday 20 December 2008, the day before what would have been his 47th wedding anniversary. He was with his three children and his wife.
In 1977 Bacchiocchi publishedFrom Sabbath to Sunday, documenting the historical transition from the Saturday Sabbath to Sunday in the early Christian church due to social, pagan and political factors, and also the decline of standards for the day.[6] The book made an impact on the wider academic community outside Adventism, as well as within Adventism. Prior to his work, Seventh-day Adventists had focused on the role played by either thePope, or byRoman Emperor Constantine I in the transition from Sabbath to Sunday, with Constantine's law declaring Sunday as a day of rest for those not involved in farming work. Subsequent to Bacchiocchi's work, Adventists have emphasized that the shift from Sabbath to Sunday was a more gradual process.
Bacchiocchi has also been influential in theWorldwide Church of God (and its offshoots), which supported Sabbath-keeping until 1995, and also other Sabbath keeping groups.
Bacchiocchi supported the conservative lifestyle habits of Seventh-day Adventists, such as a vegetarian diet; abstinence from alcohol, coffee, and tea; and avoidance of rock music in church worship services.
In one newsletter he submitted an hypothesis, expanding upon the Adventist (and historical Protestant) teaching that theantichrist is the papacy, to also includeIslam,[7] which he reported "generated a lot of hate mail".[8]
There was some controversy in the 2000s over Bacchiocchi's claim to have received the awardssumma cum laude (Latin for "with highest honors"), the Pope's gold medal, and an official Roman Catholicimprimatur (Latin for "let it be printed") for his doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University. An official letter claimed Bacchiocchi did not receive these awards.[9] By 2007, both parties agreed he had received asumma cum laude and the Pope's gold medal, for theLicentia [a phase of the doctoral program]; and only amagna cum laude for theDoctoratus itself. Bacchiocchi defended his actions by claiming the difference between theLicentia and theDoctoratus is small and would not be understood by most English speakers.[10]
Bacchiocchi was the target of speculation that he was a covertJesuit infiltrating the Adventist Church on behalf of the Vatican.[11]
On Bacchiocchi's website BiblicalPerspectives.com, he responds to Five Major Allegations:[11]
In an interview by Adventist Historian, James Arrabito, an allegation was made byAlberto Rivera (who claimed to himself have been a Jesuit which has been disputed by Catholic sources[12]) that Bacchiocchi's bookFrom Sabbath to Sunday was given as a ploy to win over Adventists.[13]
In 2009 a book was released by AB Publishing written by Adventist evangelist Danny Vierra titledThe Final Inquisition, Vierra questions what the impact of five years of doctoral studies at a Papal University founded byIgnatius of Loyola had on his theology.[14]
Bacchiocchi owned a small non-academic publishing house calledBiblical Perspectives, through which he self-published 16 books[15] of his own, and also a book by Graeme Bradford. He was the primary author of theEndtime Issues email newsletter.
Sabbath:
Other:
Other authors:
_(cropped).jpg)
