With thanks to ARC - Refugee Care Holland, for article

You will be pleased to learn about the providential French
translation and publication of my dissertation DU SABBAT AU DIMANCHE.
The story behind this book is truly incredible, because for the fist
time in the history of our Adventist church we have been able to
publish a book defending the validity and value of the Sabbath with
the official Catholic approval (imprimatur) and a special
recommendation by the two Benedictine monks. Let me tell you briefly
the incredible story behind DU SABBAT AU DIMANCHE that came off the
press on July 10, 2003.

The story begins in the city of Rome, Italy, where I grew up
facing ridicule, rejection, and persecution, especially for refusing
to attend school on Saturday. My classmates called me as "a Jew" and
"a heretic" for refusing to play soccer and to attend school on
Saturday. The pain of the rejection for Sabbathkeeping, caused me
to dream while still a teenager that if the Lord would give me the
opportunity, someday I would investigate which is God's Holy Day and
what it should mean for our Christian life today. I wanted to be
sure that I was suffering for the sake of biblical truth, not a
denominational tradition.

My dream came true in an unexpected way as the Lord opened
the door for me to enter, study, research, and publish my doctoral
dissertation FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY at the Pontifical Gregorian
University in Rome, Italy. During the five years I spent at the
Gregoriana I had access to Vatican libraries where I found revealing
documents showing the theological, social, and liturgical measures
used by the Pope to lead Christians away from Sabbathkeeping into
Sundaykeeping. When I stood inside the Gregorian Press, watching my
doctoral dissertation FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY rolling off the press
with the official Catholic imprimatur-approval, I was made forcefully
aware that my dream had come true beyond my fondest expectations. I
would have never imagined that I would receive a gold medal from Pope
Paul VI for earning the summa cum laude distinction.

FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY has generated considerable
controversy. Catholic leaders in several countries have complained
about its publication, because its conclusions are detrimental to the
Catholic Church. The result has been that the Pontifical Gregorian
University has been forced to remove the book from circulation.
Fortunately I paid for the original printing the book in order to be
able to reprint it without problems.

Scholars of all persuasions have favorably reviewed FROM
SABBATH TO SUNDAY. One of them is a Belgian Benedectine monk,
Ferdinand Poswick, who serves as Director of the Center for Biblical
Information at the Abbey of Maredsous in Belgium. He ordered a copy
of FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY and read it with great interest. He was
impressed by the compelling documents and arguments which indicate
the continuity, validity, and value of the Sabbath for the Christian
life today. Poswick decided to contact me during one of his trips to
America. He never anticipated that we would meet in Dallas at the
Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Poswick shared with me his great desire to translate and
publish FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY into French, if I would give him
permission. He felt that the book could contribute to the recovery of
the biblical values of the Sabbath for our tension-filled and
restless society. I was delighted to grant him permission, forfeiting
royalties in view of the cost of translation.

The translation was done by another Benedectine monk,
Dominique Sebire, who worked for almost two years on this project
under Poswick's supervision. Together they produced a superb French
translation. The French title of the book is DU SABBAT AU DIMANCHE.
Poswick and Sebire did all their work as a labor of love, without
receiving a cent of compensation. They were inspired by the desire to
help Christians rediscover the blessings of the biblical Sabbath for
today. They verbalize their desire in the "Introduction," where they
encourage readers to "reexamine afresh" the values of the Sabbath
which can bring spiritual enrichment to our Christian life today.

Surprisingly, in the "Introduction," Poswick admits that
Jesus and Paul did not abolish the Sabbath. Alluding to my
dissertation, he acknowledges that the change was motivated by the
need for Christians to separate from the Jews and to identify
themselves with the rhythms and customs of the Romans, at a time when
Sabbathkeeping was outlawed in the Roman empire. Poswick makes this
daring statement: "Should we not prefer the sincere and truthful
celebration of the Sabbath unto God to the pharisaism of a paganized
Sunday?" He closes the introduction by urging Christians to
"reexamine afresh" the blessings to be found in the celebration of
the Sabbath.

It is with a deep sense of gratitude to God that I am pleased
to announce that the new edition of DU SABBAT AU DIMANCHE was
officially released on July 10, 2003. This book has the distinction
of having both the reproduction of the Catholic imprimatur-approval
and the recommendation of the Benedictine translators. This makes it
possible for Christians, especially Catholics. to read about the
Sabbath with a more open and receptive mind.

Christian regards

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,
Retired Professor of Theology and Church History, Andrews University
4990 Appian Way
Berrien Springs, MI 49103

Phone (269) 471-2915 Fax (269) 471-4013

E-mail sbacchiocchi@qtm.net
samuele@andrews.edu

WWW HOMEPAGE: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com