Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) is the designation for those individuals who are part of a religious group which is governed by an organization called the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WBTS) which maintains world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
According to the official Watchtower website, a peak number of approximately 7.5 million Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the world actively served in witnessing door to door for their faith at some point in the year 2010 (up from 6 million in 2000.) And over 18.7 million attended the annual memorial of the Last Supper (up from 14 million). Although most adult converts spend some time (some estimates put the average at 8 hours per month) going door to door to bring their religious message to others, there were 700,000 such individuals engage in this activity "full time" in 2000. (No figure available for 2010.) The 18.7 million attend weekly worship, study and training gatherings in their local communities which are held by over 107,000 official JW congregations throughout the world (up from 90,000 in 2000).
Such congregations meet in buildings called Kingdom Halls. These are most commonly,
at least in the U.S., simple one story buildings, often made of brick and usually
having no windows in them. Many of these have been built by teams of JW volunteers
which come to a community for a project similar to the old "barn raisings." Thus
construction of such buildings is often accomplished in a very few days.
The WBTS publishes two small monthly magazines, Awake and Watchtower. In general,
the Watchtower magazine emphasizes openly Biblical topics, while the Awake magazine
specializes more in offering the JW view on current world conditions, dispensing
cheerful advice on such topics as family
relationships and health, and covering other
religiously-
Although printed on plain paper, without the "slick" cover of most commercial magazines,
the JW magazines and other pieces of literature are usually printed in full color
with many attractive photographs—or vivid artistic illustrations in a pseudo-
The WBTS also publishes their own version of the Bible called the New World Translation
(NWT) and a wide variety of small, pocket-
For a detailed description of the congregational life of the average JW see chapter three of the book Pilgrimage Through the Watchtower, which is available online:
http://www.kevinquick.com/kkministries/books/pilgrimage/3.html
The author was a former member of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Claims
The leadership of the WBTS claims to be the one and only conduit through whom God
is making His will known on earth today. They are the only ones who can warn the
non-
However, unlike many evangelical groups, the Jehovah's Witnesses are not expecting the "Return" of Jesus Christ in His glorified body to rule on Earth. And although they expect a resurrection to life of believers, they expect such a resurrection for most to be to a permanent "physical life," which will be lived on the restored earth for all eternity.
There is a special, elite group of believers, numbering 144,000, who will be resurrected to a "spiritual life" and dwell in heavenly realms with Jesus, ruling over the earth. These are believed to be the relatively few "faithful of all ages" from the first century to the 19th, combined with those faithful Watchtower supporters who were members up through 1935 when the process of making up that 144,000 is believed to have been completed.
On the annual memorial of the Last Supper in the spring each year, JWs gather in their Kingdom Halls for what would appear to most observers to be a "communion" service with bread and wine being distributed. However, upon closer observation, it would be noted that the bread and wine are passed among the participants and only a handful of people … none, in some settings … would take them. For only those who are of the special class of the 144,000 are considered to be really a part of the "New Covenant." And since most of those who were alive and part of the Watchtower movement in 1935 have since died, that leaves few left to partake of the bread and wine—about 10,000 in 2008.
The other JWs are part of a class referred to as the "Great Crowd" (from the New World Translation wording of Revelation 7:9) and they have no part in what is known as the "heavenly hope." Actually, though, recent records have indicated that the number of those taking the bread and wine has increased in recent decades. The theory allows for the possibility that some originally part of the 144,000 “fell away” from their calling, and God chose to replace them. Each individual who takes the bread and wine makes the decision within himself or herself if they believe that they have the “heavenly hope.” Although others in their congregation or in the organizational leadership may doubt their claim, no one stops them from partaking, and the total number is reported in official organizational documents.
The hope of the Great Crowd is an "earthly hope," the reward of everlasting physical life in a Paradise Earth … and their confidence in this reward is based on their performance as dutiful JWs in this lifetime. To qualify for the reward, they are expected to be totally obedient to all directives of the WBTS, to accept unquestioningly any teachings which come from that source, and to dedicate as much time and effort as possible in spreading the JW "gospel" and making converts, who will also then have the earthly hope.
The Allure
Even those people who have absolutely no interest in the theological teachings of the JWs … and even those who find having one more pair of JWs knocking on their door early on a Saturday morning a real irritant… often find themselves with a grudging admiration for the zeal of the average JW. These folks are willing to risk constant rejection and even hostility of householders in their task of spreading their faith. Thus if a person visited by a pair of JWs has one or more other reasons to be willing to invite the Witnesses in, this obvious zeal and dedication may be one factor in why he or she might begin giving credence to what the Witnesses may have to say. It isn't all that unnatural to be curious about just what these folks have that make them so determined to share it.
Almost every home in America … and a large proportion of those in many other countries
… has been visited at least once by a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses seeking to get
an invitation to come in and chat about the message they wish to share. The vast
majority of these knocks on doors are met with the same reaction most people have
for unsolicited telemarketer calls-
But with over 18 million current members in the world, it is obvious that some people have been willing to invite the Witnesses in to learn more about their message. And they have further been willing to schedule future visits, engage in Bible studies with the JWs, and eventually accept an invitation to attend a local JW Kingdom Hall meeting.
What factors in the JW's initial contact at the door of a potential convert provide the kind of allure that captivates some people?
- A typical conversational opener that JWs will use at the door will be to emphasize the confusing state of the world we live in, through calling attention to one or more specific problems in our society. A certain small percentage of the population that are visited by JWs will really be personally concerned and disturbed about these kinds of problems. Because the Witnesses at the door appear to confidently imply that they have some answers to the dilemma, this may be intriguing to someone who is looking for answers.
- We live in a very lonely society. The kind of social support group that many people
enjoyed in generations past, in small towns or even in ethnic city ghettos, has disappeared
for many. As a society, we "move around" so much that people may have absolutely
no family anywhere near them, and no long-
standing friendships. For those sensitive people, particularly women, who feel isolated in their homes with no one to talk to, the cheerful, warm JW ladies at their door may seem to be potential "friends." And after they have been invited back a time or two, this feeling will be reinforced because they do, indeed, show themselves friendly. Whether it comes naturally to the given JW or not, they are trained to exhibit care and concern, to obviously show an interest in the potential convert. For a lonely, vulnerable person, it may be hard to put up any resistance to the theological spiel of someone who is providing much- needed warmth. - A large proportion of the people visited by Witnesses may already have a commitment
(whether casual or serious) to a specific religious denomination or local congregation.
But there will also be a certain small percentage of those people who are dissatisfied
with their current religious experience. For some, it may be too theologically shallow.
For others, the teachings of the group they are currently with may leave some of
their serious Bible questions unanswered. For still others, they may have a specific
area of interest … perhaps "End Times prophecy" … that is ignored in their current
religious setting. And thus some who are approached by Witnesses at their door with
a promise of "free, in-
depth home Bible studies" that will cover their areas of interest may seem especially appealing. - A number of teachings of the JW's are not typical of much of "mainstream Christianity."
This would include, for instance, rejection of the customs of Halloween and Christmas,
as having roots in paganism. And it would also include belief that "the saved" do
not go to heaven for eternity, but rather there will be a "Paradise on Earth" in
which "the lion will lie down with the lamb." While these beliefs are not typical,
they are indeed held by a number of other religious groups, including the Worldwide
Church of God (WCG) as it was under founder Herbert W Armstrong and its spin-
off groups. (For details about this group, see the profile of the Worldwide Church of God on this Field Guide.) There has been quite a bit of turmoil in recent years in these groups, and a large number of people have found themselves rejected from their former affiliation with them. If they still retain their doctrinal beliefs, there are not a lot of people with whom they may feel comfortable discussing their convictions. When a JW pair show up at the door speaking of the origins of Christmas customs in December, such a disaffected person may feel that here, at last, may be some folks who understand, and with whom Bible study might be profitable. Once a prospective member has been studying with a pair of Witnesses in a home Bible study for a while, several factors in this continuing experience may be alluring also: - Many people feel very uncomfortable with "loose ends" in understanding the Bible.
The JW "system" has an answer for everything. Thus no matter how obscure the passage
or how confusing the analogy, the JWs leading an in-
home Bible study will have an answer for it … perhaps not on the tip of their tongues, but within their JW reference works they bring with them. In the few instances that they do not come up with an answer on the spot, they will surely return the following week after consulting with their superiors about unusually tough questions. Thus for someone wanting to be part of a group that has "all the answers," the JWs are a custom fit. - Those Bible students who have a fascination for End Times prophecy may find the JW teachings in this area particularly exciting and alluring, for they claim to have essentially solved all mysteries about the future and to be able to connect current world events and conditions to the prophecies of the Bible.
- There is absolutely no question that what is usually labeled as "Christendom" consists
of a huge number of groups which all disagree with one another on one or more-
- should be, on earth, one group which is carrying on the True Faith established by Jesus. And thus they will expend considerable effort with a potential convert pointing out what they believe to be flaws in all other religious organizations. If they can succeed in getting their student to agree over and over with the litany of errors, it is quite easy to then "close the sale" by pointing out that the JWs have none of these errors.usually many- - Biblical issues. The common phrase used by the JWs (as well as other groups claiming to be "the one true church”) is "All these churches can't be right." Although the corollary may be the truth … "All of them may be wrong" … the JWs will ignore this and use the "they can't all be right" phrase to imply that there
Concerns
It may be instructive to consider the ramifications of the specific allures outlined above.
- Fear about world conditions: Although the information which JWs share about current
world conditions and events are usually accurate, just the fact that they can clarify
problems does not mean that they have the solutions to them. But since the mainline
churches which many prospective JW converts may have been part of quite frequently
pay no attention to these conditions, it may make the JWs appear to have deep insight
into answers, not just questions. Because they allege that they get their answers
from the Bible, it may appear to the prospect that their answers are thus Godly and
biblical. Much closer examination of their answers is needed, however, to discover
whether they are, indeed, Godly and biblical. However, the average prospect usually
has little previous experience with in-
depth Bible study. They are thus at a distinct disadvantage when attempting to discuss the claims of aggressive and assertive Witnesses.
- Loneliness: An individual who feels isolated and lonely is particularly vulnerable
to overlooking discrepancies in order to gain acceptance into a social circle. It
does not appear that the JWs actually "target" lonely people and tailor their approach
to their needs. But the methods that they do use to gain favor with prospects are,
indeed, some of the same methods used by some of the even more manipulative cults
such as the Moonies. Once a new prospect has agreed to regular in-
home Bible studies, the visiting Witnesses with their enthusiastic invitation to the prospect to become a part of a special move of God, and part of a warm local community of True Believers, can certainly seem very appealing.
Many such prospects have been ignored in the past when they have visited big, formal, impersonal churches. A young teen girl may ignore warning signs that her new boyfriend may be dangerous to her emotional or even physical well-being … because she wants so badly to be "loved. " In the same way, the prospective JW may find themselves avoiding really confronting questions which need answers about the group into which they are being drawn, because they do not want to "risk" this budding new relationship with a group. That teen girl's parents may try to point out some of the obvious danger signs regarding her new relationship … and this often just hardens her intent to be "true to her new love" and convinces her that her parents "just don't understand" or are "misjudging" the young man. In the same way, friends or family of the prospective JW may point out obvious flaws in JW teachings or organization. And the prospect may perceive this as being the "persecution" that they have been told by the JWs to expect from those who just "aren't being called by Jehovah." - Religious dissatisfaction: If a JW prospect has been dissatisfied with their current
religious experience or affiliation, the drastic alternative offered by the JW system
may seem to be very appealing. The JWs do have a much more intense interest in individual
Bible study than most folks are used to. They do have a much greater emphasis in
their teaching on certain specific topics such as End Times prophecy than most other
churches. And they do seem to have answers for just about any question one might
have … whether "where do UFOs come from?" to "which political party should I vote
for?" For the average prospect, the JW system is the only alternative to their current
religious affiliation they have ever investigated. It may never occur to them that
there are, indeed, many other alternatives they could investigate if they are truly
just dissatisfied with where they are now.
But this isn't the way most people's minds work! Truly going out and making a survey study of the religious options in the world just doesn't enter most people's minds. They are thus vulnerable to the first aggressive group that comes along with an indoctrination program. If an individual, from the very beginning, was considering the claims of the JWs alongside the claims of many other groups, in a comparative study, the glaring flaws in individual claims of the JW system would be immediately apparent. But most prospects never get around to making any such comparisons. They have often "bought into" the complete package of the JWs before anyone can present them with alternatives to the individual claims. And the power of the package can often overwhelm what seem to the new JW to be minor concerns about specific individual points. - Similar doctrines to the Worldwide Church of God: Some of the doctrinal distinctives
of the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert Armstrong were quite unique in religious
circles. Thus, for former members of that group, finding alternative fellowship after
the group broke up is difficult unless they align themselves with one of the specific
"split offs." Therefore it is quite surprising for some of them to first examine
some of the doctrines of the JWs. They usually notice immediately the fact that the
JWs do not observe Christmas or Halloween, they do not believe in the Trinity, and
they believe in the "Kingdom on Earth." They also notice that the average JW member,
like the average member of the old WCG, is much more involved in intensive Bible
study on a regular basis than the members of most mainline churches.
It may thus seem to them that they have much in common with JW doctrine. This is, however, only a surface illusion. As with most cultish groups seeking converts, they present only a limited portion of their doctrinal perspective to the non-Witness public. Because some of that tiny portion does line up with WCG doctrinal distinctives in a few areas, it can be quite misleading to the former WCG member. A closer examination of the whole system of beliefs and practice would expose an extreme divergence of belief. - Package system: At first glance, it might seem logical that one really should want
to be part of a group that "has all the answers." Most mainline churches have only
a limited area of influence in a person's life. They have segmented life into a "religious
element" and a "secular element". In this system, religion only applies to a narrow
range of a person's life. It affects what they believe happens after death, and it
affects what they do with a tiny portion of their time, perhaps two hours on Sunday
morning (a church service and coffee hour) and two hours on Wednesday evening (mid-
week Bible study class or "prayer meeting.") The rest of the time, their religious affiliation is a non- the organization itself, rather than the individual member, absolutely dictates exactly how the scriptures can or must be applied.issue.
But this really isn't the perspective that is in the New Testament of the Bible. Christianity there is portrayed as a whole way of life, and one's belief about God and Jesus and the scriptures should affect everything from family relationships to concern for the poor. Thus those religious groups, cultish or not, which emphasize the need for their members to really apply the Bible to every aspect of their life, are teaching a Biblical truth. The concern that needs to be addressed with such groups as the JWs is the extent to which
If the package of beliefs and understanding and application that an individual accepts is just the Bible itself, that is one thing. The individual is then responsible, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, for studying the scriptures and "working out their own salvation with fear and trembling." When it is the institution, such as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's "Governing Body" that insists it, and it alone, has the power and authority to interpret the Bible and impose its own interpretation on the lives of those under its authority, the door has been opened to spiritual abuse. For unless that Governing Body is infallible, then its package is going to have flaws. Other evidence in this profile will be making abundantly clear the fact that the WBTS is far from infallible, and has been guilty of gross errors and deceptions. When individuals guide their life by a man-made package, they may often find themselves at odds with the very scriptures they hoped to be following by obedience to that man- made package. - End Times prophecy: Many are attracted to the JWs because it appears that the JWs have a unique understanding of prophecy. They make grandiose claims for their understanding … implying that only they have Jehovah's keys to understanding the future. Other parts of this profile will expose the ludicrous nature of these claims, however. The reality is that the WBTS has one of the most dismal track records in history of failed prophetic pronouncements.
- Flaws in all other churches: The flaws which the JWs point out to prospective converts
regarding the mainline churches are usually valid. There is an old proverb in religious
circles that notes … The Cults are the unpaid bills of the Church.The point of this
proverb is that if what has been viewed as the visible "Church" down through history
had been doing its job correctly, there would be no foundation upon which to build
breakaway sects or cults. If, for instance, "the clergy" of a particular religious
group would have been totally humble and servant-
hearted instead of greedy and dictatorial, then none of the groups which broke away over the issues of abuse of power of the clergy would have had a reason to exist.
If every local church encouraged its members to study the Bible diligently and would equip them to do so independently, then groups such as the JWs would not have been able to exploit the lack of Bible study. If every religious teacher and school would have based their teachings squarely on the Bible rather than mixing in traditions and customs and speculations of men, then groups such as the JWs would not be able to call into question those traditions and customs and speculations. However, having noted that, the concern with the JWs in this profile is that they, too, have added traditions and customs and speculations of men into their teachings! But the prospective member may not notice this after being deluged with the litany of all the flaws of what the JWs would imply are just "the worldly churches."
Key Concerns
There are many books and websites about the JWs which discuss what the authors believe to be "false doctrines" of the JWs. There may be disagreement among some of these, depending upon their own interpretation of certain controversial Biblical issues. It is not the purpose of this Field Guide to settle doctrinal debates about such things as the exact nature of the Godhead or the propriety of certain religious "customs." The concerns emphasized in this guide have to do with:
- gross, outright distortion or twisting of scriptures;
- deceptive tactics of proselyting (making converts) and teaching;
- abusive, ungodly and unbiblical methods of influence and control over the lives of individuals;
- the creation of organizations which distort the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and turn it into a complex system of hoops one must jump through in the hands of men … in order to be pleasing to God.
These factors are all in evidence in the Jehovah's Witness organization, and are the source of concerns expressed in this guide.
There are three areas in particular in which the JWs prove themselves to be a deceptive, harmful, abusive, manipulative religious group.
1. Prophetic Failures
The WBTS has consistently, for over 100 years, made dogmatic pronouncements about prophecy which have utterly failed. Yet they hide this record from new prospective converts and continue to present themselves as the only source of knowledge about the future. This fact is documented elsewhere in this profile.
2. False Claims to Absolute Authority from God
The WBTS claims to have absolute authority over the lives of individual members,
based on its role as Jehovah's only "mouthpiece on earth." Yet the basis it offers
for the claim to that role is its prophetic record! The only reason this kind of
logic succeeds is that the organization hides its prophetic record from both new
converts and long-
This is becoming harder and harder to do with the
proliferation of documentation available through the Internet. But sadly, once a
person is totally committed and involved in the JW organization, any "dis-
3. Ungodly, Unbiblical and Abusive Methods of Leadership
The WBTS uses some of the most abusive and controlling tactics of all religious groups
in keeping control of its membership. Individual members are expected to exhibit
total, unquestioning obedience and loyalty to the directives of the Governing Body.
Any expression of disagreement with any small point of doctrinal teaching or policy
of the leadership may be grounds for disfellowshipment. And disfellowshipment in
the JW organization imposes upon those still in the organization the requirement
to practice total shunning of any disfellowshipped individuals. This even extends
to close family members.
Thus if a loyal adult JW has an adult son or daughter who
was a member at one time but is now disfellowshipped, that parent is expected to
have absolutely no fellowship with their own offspring. They are not to visit them
in their home, invite them to family gatherings, or have any contact or communication
with them at all except for the most perfunctory greetings or discussion necessary
to take care of family business.
This is not just true of situations in which the
disfellowshipped person was perhaps removed from fellowship for valid biblical grounds
such as being an unrepentant adulterer. Disfellowshipment within the ranks of JWs
seems, from most of the evidence, to not often be imposed for such things. It is
most often used as a method of dealing with those who have any questions at all about
doctrines or policies of the Governing Body, and who thus might be expected to privately
taint others with their questions. Even if their questions turn out to be totally
valid, even if the Governing Body later changes its own mind and agrees that the
question was valid, the disfellowshipment would stand.
For the issue isn't truth,
it is loyalty and obedience. And thus even if you knew your own mother had been disfellowshipped
on false grounds, you would be absolutely bound to shun her unless or until she was
officially reinstated into fellowship.
Nuggets of Truth
In spite of all the concerns outlined above, and in spite of the unpleasant realities about the JW organization that will be covered in sections below, the JWs really do have some healthy, Biblical concepts that are quite uncommon in many religious groups. Other groups would do well to incorporate these if they have ignored them.
- The individual Christian believer does not need to be "ordained as a minister" to
be qualified to do "evangelism"!
Christianity spread in the first century, and has survived for 2000 years, not because a minority of "authorized" preachers or evangelists have done their assigned job, but because Believers have shared their faith with others. Far too many modern churches are made up of people who believe they can pay a man to do the "work of evangelism" and relieve them of any responsibility for spreading seeds themselves. It is not necessary to aggressively go door to share one's faith … but it is necessary to share one's faith.
- The Bible really does have the ultimate answers to the world's problems.
And those answers are ultimately to be found in a coming Kingdom of Righteousness headed by Jesus Christ, not in Mankind creating a "New World Order" and solving the world's problems through political and scientific means. - There really are some erroneous teachings in "orthodox Christian" groups.
All groups have varying doctrines. They can't all be correct. Therefore there is either one group that has all truth, or all groups have some teachings that are in error. Just because a "cult" points out an error doesn't make that error into a truth! Errors should be rejected, wherever they are found. - Your beliefs really should affect every area of your life.
The Bible makes it clear that God cares about the whole person-- body, soul, mind, spirit, and relationships. And there are passages of the Bible that provide wisdom and guidance on all of these. True Christianity cannot remain just a "system of theology" … it must be for the Believer a Way of Life. - In-
depth Bible study shouldn't be seen as just something "leaders" in a religious group bother with- "- everyone should "know their Bible" enough to be able to answer questions about their faith.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." This admonition is repeated in both the Old Testament and New Testament. How can one live by every "word of God" if one hasn't even read and understood all the words of the Written Word that God has provided? The Believer cannot just live by those limited number of words regurgitated for him from the Bible by the few sermons he listens to by professional preachers.
Examination
The single most helpful source of information and commentary regarding concerns about
the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the 1983 book
Crisis of Conscience: The struggle between loyalty to God and loyalty to one’s religion.
(See Bibliography details below.) Author Raymond Franz was a former member of the
Governing Body of the JW organization. And his uncle, Fred Franz, was the WBTS president
and the head of the Governing Body, the single most influential leader in the organization,
from 1977-
A period of turmoil within the JW organization in the late 1970s
and early 1980s led to the expulsion of Raymond Franz and a number of other JW leaders,
along with many regular members. Franz's book chronicles and documents carefully
this whole episode. In the process, he gives an extremely vivid view behind the scenes
of the organization which clarifies the causes for and results of many of the areas
of concern mentioned in this profile. Much of the material in this profile is in
part derived from Franz's book, along with the other books mentioned in the Bibliography
below and a wide variety of sources such as exJW websites. See the
Brief history of the Jehovah's Witnesses
Personal from the webauthor
Click here for suggestions for dealing with friends or family who are, or are planning to become, affiliated with the Jehovah's Witnesses.
This material gives general suggestions, and provides a specific documented expose' of the prophetic failures of the past 100+ years of the Watchtower.
Web Documentation
The following is the premier website on the Internet for accurate information and documentation regarding Jehovah's Witnesses.
Watchers of the Watchtower World: The Jehovah's Witness website of Randall Waters' Free Minds, Inc.
Self-
Randall Watters is the founder of Free Minds, Inc. (formerly Bethel Ministries) and has been engaged in the work of freeing people from the mind control bondage of cults for the last fourteen years.
Randall was a Jehovah's Witness for eight years, from 1972 to 1980, and served
as an elder and factory overseer at the Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn, New
York. He left the organization by way of resignation in 1980, became a Christian
and served as a pastor for a number of years, most recently at the now-
The purpose of FREE MINDS, INC. (a registered non-
The Watchers of the Watchtower World website is massive and comprehensive, and contains large numbers of actual digital "photocopies" of primary source material such as original Watchtower documents from the 1800s to the present. It also has an online bookstore where those researching the JWs can purchase a variety of materials. And there are links to other JW information sites, discussion boards and support groups for former JWs. Also included are telephone numbers for "help hotlines" for JWs and former JWs … and victims of JW pedophiles. Sadly, as with many religious organizations, credible reports seem to indicate that a shroud of secrecy is kept around alleged incidents of sexual abuse within the Watchtower organization, in order to keep the organization from unpleasant publicity. And thus victims often do not get the help they need, and abusers have all too often been aided to escape prosecution, and left at large to continue their practices.
The following is only a partial listing of the topics addressed on the website, with direct links to each.
Testimonies of former Watchtower HQ employees
Personal stories about JW experiences
Watchtower History from 1975-
Thus Sayeth the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses: Online version of book by Randall Waters
Bibliography
The following books, among many others books, articles, websites and other sources of information, were consulted for information regarding the history, activities, and beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses. All are in the webauthor's private collection. Those wishing to do more extensive research on any of the topics covered may find this list useful as a starting point. Most of these books include extensive bibliographies of other books related to their specific topic.
A number of these books are still available new from Amazon.com, and some that are temporarily or even permanently out of print are still available through Amazon.com's used book services.
Also, some of these, both new and old, may be available to borrow through your local
library via the "Inter-
Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Penton, M. James
University of Toronto Press, Toronto ONT
1985, 1997
Crisis of Conscience: The struggle between loyalty to God and loyalty to one’s religion
Franz, Raymond
Commentary Press, Atlanta GA
1983
Overview of the crisis in the Jehovah's Witness movement by a former JW HQ leader.
This book is the single most helpful source of information and commentary regarding
concerns about the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Raymond Franz was a former member of the Governing Body of the JW organization. And
his uncle, Fred Franz, was the WBTS president and the head of the Governing Body,
the single most influential leader in the organization, from 1977-
The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology and Christ’s Return
Jonsson, Carl Olof
Commentary Press, Atlanta GA
1983, 1998
Evaluation of the Jehovah's Witness speculation on End Time prophecy
I Was Raised a Jehovah’s Witness: The True Story of a Former JW
Hewitt, Joe
Accent Publications, Denver CO
1979
In Search of Christian Freedom
Franz, Raymond
Commentary Press, Atlanta GA
1991
Expansion by Franz, former JW HQ leader, of the overview of Jehovah's Witnesses in his book Crisis of Conscience.
Pilgrimage Through the Watchtower
Quick, Kevin R.
Baker Book House, Gr. Rapids MI
1989
Personal story of one man's experience with the Jehovah's Witness movement.
This book is currently out of print, but available now online on the Internet for free download at:
http://www.kevinquick.com/kkministries/books/pilgrimage/index.html
The Sign of the Last Days: When?
Jonsson, Carl Olof and Herbst, Wolfgang
Commentary Press, Atlanta GA
1987
Overview of Jehovah's Witness speculations on prophecy
Unless otherwise noted, all original material on this Field Guide website
is © 2001-
Careful effort has been made to give credit as clearly as possible to any specific material quoted or ideas extensively adapted from any one resource. Corrections and clarifications regarding citations for any source material are welcome, and will be promptly added to any sections which are found to be inadequately documented as to source.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
and the Watchtower