“Fake News” and “Present Truth”: Culture and Spirituality in the Adventist Digital World

This study investigates the interaction between Millerite “Fake News” and James White’s “Present Truth” in shaping Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) identity through mediatization. Using the framework of anthropological mediality, it demonstrates how these historical constructs—Millerite fake news from failed apocalyptic predictions and Present Truth emphasizing ongoing revelation—continue to influence SDA culture and spirituality via print, broadcast, and digital media. While Millerite fake news fosters cultural resilience and historical reinterpretation, Present Truth promotes doctrinal clarity and adaptive spiritual engagement. The research addresses a gap in scholarship, as limited attention has been given to the mediatization of identity and authority, especially regarding the circulation of cultural misinformation in religious contexts. The study highlights the dialectical tension between static and dynamic narratives in digitally mediated religious communities.