ABSTRACT

From its origins in nineteenth century Adventism until the present day, the Watch Tower Society has become one of the best known but least understood new religious movements. Resisting the tendency to define the movement in terms of the negative, this volume offers an empathetic account of the Jehovah's Witnesses, without defending or seeking to refute their beliefs. George Chryssides critically examines the historical and theological bases of the organization's teachings and practices, and discusses the changes and continuities which have defined it. The book provides a valuable resource for scholars of new religious movements and contemporary religion.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|20 pages

Researching Jehovah’s Witnesses

chapter 2|24 pages

Origins

chapter 3|28 pages

Charles Taze Russell

chapter 4|28 pages

The Rutherford Era

chapter 5|20 pages

Opposition

chapter 6|20 pages

Organisation

chapter 7|26 pages

The Bible

chapter 8|24 pages

Ethics and Lifestyle

chapter 9|28 pages

Worship and Rites of Passage

chapter 10|22 pages

Prophecy

chapter 11|30 pages

Problems and Prospects