Jehovah's Witnesses
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Helena Chester the Discursive Construction of Freedom in The
The Discursive Construction of Freedom in the Watchtower Society Helena Chester Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood): Riverina – Murray Institute of Higher Education Graduate Diploma of Education (Special Education): Victoria College. Master of Education (Honours): University of New England Thesis submitted in fulfilment of requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Charles Darwin University, Darwin. October 2018 Certification I certify that the substance of this dissertation has not already been submitted for any degree and is not currently being submitted for any other degree or qualification. I certify that any help received in preparing this thesis, and all sources used, have been acknowledged in this thesis. Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 4 Dedication ............................................................................................................................. 5 Thesis Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 6 Keywords .............................................................................................................................. 7 Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 1: The Discursive Construction of Freedom in the Watchtower Society ................... 9 The Freedom Claim in the Watchtower Society ............................................................. -
Bible Students in Australia
CONTENTS Page Preface 3 Chapter 1 The Bible Student Movement 4 Chapter 2 Earliest Activities in Australia 5 Chapter 3 Australian Branch Office 7 Chapter 4 An Early Overseas Visitor 9 Chapter 5 The Colporteur Work 10 Chapter 6 The Photo-Drama of Creation 12 Chapter 7 Death of Brother Russell 13 Chapter 8 The Berean Bible Institute 14 Chapter 9 Institute Personnel 16 Chapter 10 The Radio Witness 18 Chapter 11 Overseas Associations 20 Chapter 12 Later Overseas Visitors 21 Chapter 13 Bible Study Classes 24 Chapter 14 The Christian Bible Students 26 Chapter 15 The Polish Brethren 27 Chapter 16 The Russell Street Class 29 Chapter 17 Media Advertising 30 Chapter 18 What of the Future? 31 Appendices A – M 32–60 BEREAN BIBLE INSTITUTE INC. P.O. BOX 402 ROSANNA VICTORIA 3084 AUSTRALIA APPENDICES A Watch Tower offices in East Melbourne B Publicity for Robert Hollister’s mission C Literature published D Obituary — R E B Nicholson E Obituary — F I McMahen F Obituary — E E Martin G “Frank & Ernest” — Radio Stations used H “Frank & Ernest” — Sample script I Press advertisements J “People’s Paper” Vol.1 No.1 — Front page K “The Voice” — Sample copy L Photographs M “Religious Bodies in Australia” — Extract PREFACE n 1989, the book “Bible Students in sources of information have included IBritain” was published by the Bible reports in the “Watch Tower” prior Fellowship Union, England. The to 1918, articles in early issues of the author was Brother Albert Hudson locally published “Peoples Paper” and the book set out in a kindly and and the few records held within the generous style an interesting account Berean Bible Institute itself. -
Returning to Eden: Futuristic Symbolism and Its Effects On
On-Line Papers – Copyright This online paper may be cited or briefly quoted in line with the usual academic conventions. You may also download them for your own personal use. This paper must not be published elsewhere (e.g. to mailing lists, bulletin boards etc.) without the author's explicit permission. Please note that if you copy this paper you must: • include this copyright note • not use the paper for commercial purposes or gain in any way • you should observe the conventions of academic citation in a version of the following form: Andrew Holden, ‘Returning to Eden: Futuristic Symbolism and its Effects on Jehovah's Witnesses’, published by the Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YN, at http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/sociology/papers/Holden-Returning-To-Eden.pdf Publication Details This web page was last revised on 29th November 2003; the paper was previously published at http://comp.lancs.ac.uk/sociology/soc118ajw.htm in 2002 Returning to Eden: Futuristic Symbolism and its Effects on Jehovah's Witnesses Andrew Holden ABSTRACT Jehovah’s Witnesses are members of a puritanical religious movement that claims to be in but not of the world. The movement has expanded rapidly over the past 130 years and there are now more than 6 million devotees worldwide. This paper examines the ways in which the movement promotes its millenarian message to prospective recruits. It also considers how the Witnesses are able to hold futuristic beliefs and at the same time, lead active lives in the present. The methods of data collection include unstructured interviews with devotees and content analysis of the movement’s own literature. -
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Challenging the Cults 5. History of Jehovah Witnesses Most people have had a visit by Jehovah’s Witnesses from the local Kingdom Hall. Reactions vary, from rudeness, to hospitality. Just who are these Witnesses? Are they Christian? Are they a cult? To find these answers we need to examine the facts. Today, the active number of Jehovah Witnesses is 6,429,000, and there are 95,919 congregations.1 In 2003, 258,845 new Jehovah Witnesses were baptized. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the official name, claims to be God’s prophet on Earth. "The historical facts show that 1919 was the year when the remnant on earth of the 144,000 Kingdom heirs began to be freed from Great Babylon. In that year the message of God's established kingdom began to be preached from house to house and publicly by Jehovah's Christian witnesses in a fearless way. This preaching of the Kingdom as established in 1914 was in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 24:14: 'This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations." Babylon the Great Has Fallen!, 1963, p. 515.2 Charles Taze Russell, Founder of We acknowledge as the visible organization of Jehovah on earth the Watchtower the International Bible Students Bible and Tract Society, and recognize the Society as the channel or instrument Association, forerunner to the through which Jehovah and Christ Jesus give instruction and meat in due season to the household of faith. Jehovah Witnesses. The Watchtower April 15, 1939 How can somebody know if this organization is speaking for God? The Jehovah Witnesses give us the answer to this very question. -
The Pneuma Network: Transnational Pentecostal Print Culture in The
Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 4-18-2016 The neumP a Network: Transnational Pentecostal Print Culture In The nitU ed States And South Africa, 1906-1948 Lindsey Brooke Maxwell Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FIDC000711 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the African History Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, New Religious Movements Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Maxwell, Lindsey Brooke, "The neP uma Network: Transnational Pentecostal Print Culture In The nitU ed States And South Africa, 1906-1948" (2016). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2614. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2614 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida THE PNEUMA NETWORK: TRANSNATIONAL PENTECOSTAL PRINT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH AFRICA, 1906-1948 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in HISTORY by Lindsey Brooke Maxwell 2016 To: Dean John F. Stack, Jr. choose the name of dean of your college/school College of Arts, Sciences and Education choose the name of your college/school This dissertation, written by Lindsey Brooke Maxwell, and entitled The Pneuma Network: Transnational Pentecostal Print Culture in the United States and South Africa, 1906-1948, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. -
Georgia Page 1 of 12
Georgia Page 1 of 12 Home » Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs » Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor » Releases » International Religious Freedom » 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom » Europe and Eurasia » Georgia Georgia BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR International Religious Freedom Report 2010 November 17, 2010 The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The government generally respected religious freedom in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the reporting period. As in the previous reporting period, the government's focus largely concentrated on national security challenges, and the implementation of policies relating to religious freedom slowed. There were continued reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. There were reports of incidents of harassment in Tbilisi and the regions outside of Tbilisi involving local citizens, government officials, and Orthodox provocateurs. The Public Defender's Office (PDO) human rights ombudsman reported several cases of harassment during the reporting period. Systemic problems remained largely unchanged, such as the return of church property, legal registration of denominations, unequal legal frameworks, and negative media coverage of non- Orthodox religious groups. However, the PDO marked International Tolerance Day for the first time, and the public defender acknowledged the efforts of leading civil society activists and organizations awarded as "Advocates of Tolerance." Additionally, the president and the minister of reintegration attended the opening of a new synagogue in Tbilisi, and a church in Rabati, in the Akhaltsikhe district, was returned to the Roman Catholic Church in December 2009. -
Jesus: God, the Only God, Or No God? a Study of Jehovah’S Witnesses’ and Branhamism’S Influence in Kolwezi, DRC
Jesus: God, the only God, or No God? A study of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ and Branhamism’s influence in Kolwezi, DRC MB MUFIKA Student ORCID.org/ 0000-0001-6004-2024 Thesis submitted for the fulfilment of the degree Philosophiae Doctor in Missiology at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University Promoter: Prof. dr HG Stoker Graduation October 2017 http://www,nwu.ac.za/ PREFACE The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. -
Jehovahs Witnesses 1St Edition Kindle
JEHOVAHS WITNESSES 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK George D Chryssides | 9781351925433 | | | | | Jehovahs Witnesses 1st edition PDF Book Criticism Persecution Supreme Court cases by country. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids. The elders told Conti that without a second witness to the molestation, there was nothing they could do. Watchtower adjusted its estimates for the apocalypse several more times. The business provided enough flexibility for him to perform 50 hours of field service for the Witnesses a month, which qualified him for the rank of auxiliary pioneer. In , Memorial attendance was 63, Rutherford N. Google News. Blood Pages Knox, Zoe. The organization was concerned about the legal risk posed by possible child molesters within its ranks. Rutherford, as chief legal counsel for the Watch Tower Society, had written the new by-laws. In , the elders finally disfellowshipped the man after he confessed to molesting one daughter. Archived from the original PDF on As a year-old, she went to the elders in her congregation for help. To her, witnessing was different. In , Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was formed as an unincorporated administrative agency for the purpose of disseminating tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles, with "Pastor" Russell, as he was by then called, as secretary and William Henry Conley as president. Early this year, Ms. Apocalypse Delayed. Does anyone else know about the abuse? Francis hands out pamphlets and cards with her phone number on them to fellow shoppers at the grocery store. Gobitis stressed the importance of empowering legislatures to promote unity in the face of the growing threat of Germany. -
Why the Jehovah's Witnesses Grow So Rapidly: a Theoretical Application
Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1997 133 Why the Jehovah’s Witnesses Grow so Rapidly: A Theoretical Application RODNEY STARK & LAURENCE R. IANNACCONE ABSTRACT This paper applies a general theory of why religious movements succeed or fail to explain why the Jehovah’s Witnesses are the most rapidly growing religious movement in the western world. In addition to qualitative assessments of Witness doctrines, organisational structures, internal networks, and socialisation, we utilise quantitative data from a variety of sources to assess such things as the impact offailed prophesies, how “strictness” eliminates free-riders and strengthens congregations, the demographic make-up of the Witness “labor force”, and the effects of continuity with local religious cultures on success. Introduction During the past 75 years the Jehovah’s Witnesses have sustained an extraordi- nary rate of growth—currently more than 5% per year—and have done so on a global scale. In 1995, there were at least a million very active Witnesses in the United States and about 4 million in the other 231 nations in which they conduct missions. Indicative of the immense effort involved in this achievement is the fact that almost every reader of this essay will have been visited by Jehovah’s Witnesses during the past several years. However, if the Witnesses frequently appear on our doorsteps, they are conspicuously absent from our journals. For example, during its 34-year history, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion has published articles devoted to an amazing array of obscure religious movements, but none has been devoted to the Jehovah’s Witnesses. -
World Religions Jehovah's Witnesses
World Religions Jehovah’s Witnesses History of Jehovah’s Witnesses While the name “Jehovah’s Witness” came about in 1931, the religious movement traces its beginnings back to 1870. Charles Taze Russell was confused by the doctrines of hell and the Trinity that were taught in the church he grew up in. Consequently, Russell began exploring other denominations and for a time attended a Seventh Day Adventist church. In 1879, Russell officially split from the Adventists and started his own magazine and publishing company called The Watchtower. Russell used The Watchtower to publicize his view that the battle of Armageddon would occur in 1914. As Russell’s movement attracted followers he expanded the magazine into the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WTBTS) and moved the publisher’s headquarters to Brooklyn, New York. When WWI started in 1914 Russell claimed that it was the beginning of Armageddon but was proven wrong by subsequent history. Russell died in 1916 as a failed prophet but other prophets sprung up to take his place in the WTBTS. In 1917, Joseph F. Rutherford became the next president of the WTBTS and set the date of Armageddon as 1925. When proven wrong, Rutherford claimed he was misunderstood by Watchtower followers. In 1931, perhaps to distance himself from his incorrect prophecy, Rutherford changed the name of the society to “Jehovah’s Witnesses” which is a title taken from Isaiah 43:10. Another addition from Rutherford was the door-to-door witnessing technique that Jehovah’s Witnesses are infamous for. Rutherford’s intention was to swell the number of followers and to this end instituted the idea that the 144,000 members of the tribes of Israel mentioned in Revelation 7 was actually a reference to the number of people who would be allowed entrance to heaven. -
The Biblical Seventy Years
Biblical Seventy Years, The - Page 1 Biblical Seventy Years, The - Page 3 THE BIBLICAL 70 YEARS A Look at the Exile and Desolation Periods Charles F. Redeker 1993 ZIONS TOWER of the MORNING PUBLICATIONS P. 0. Box 3261 Southfield, Michigan 48037 Biblical Seventy Years, The - Page 4 The author wishes to express grateful appreciation to the following brethren who contributed in one way or another to the present work: To Bros. Charles Thornton and Fred Williams, Sr., for alerting us at an early date to developments in this area and motivating us to send out a clarion call to other interested brethren. To Bros. Ric Cunningham and Jerry Leslie for producing excellent treatises expounding the Bible Student position. These both provided the inspiration to pursue the Scriptural defense yet further and to follow through on lines of reasoning that were suggested. Bro. Leslie's scholarly Dating the Desolation also renewed our interest in the views of earlier advocates of a 70 year desolation period. In addition, our gratitude extends to Bros. Eugene Burns, Michael Koterba, Paul Mezera and Dick Salyards with whom correspondence and comm unication yielded fruitful results and further encouragement. As always, my dear wife Elaine deserves special appreciation for her cheerful labors in typing, proofreading and constructive suggestions for improving both content and grammatical form. Once again, Bro, Michael Nekora has given generously of his time and computer skills in converting the manuscript and charts into an inviting format and additionally offered valuable suggestions for strengthening the presentation. We are indebted to Bro. David Vickery for the dramatic cover design. -
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah’s Witness (JW) Spirituality History At the end of the 19th century a small group of students in the United States analysed the Christian Bible, making a comparison of the doctrine taught by their churches with what the Bible teaches. They published their ideas and started the journal that continues today, ‘The Watchtower – Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom’. They consider Jesus as the founder of their organisation, The Jehovah’s Witnesses. Beliefs (with Christian bible references) The Bible is God’s Word. They worship only God whose name is Jehovah (Psalms 83:18) Jesus is God’s son and the only means of salvation (Acts 4:12) They do not get involved with the political affairs of the nations (John 18:36) They preach God’s Kingdom as humanity’s only hope (Matthew 24:14) They do not believe they have an immortal soul that survives the body (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6) They strongly believe God will resurrect those who die at a future time. The majority of those resurrected will live on a paradise earth. Jehovah’s Witnesses’ (JW) beliefs are extremely important to them. They truly appreciate it when others respect their deeply held convictions. You can do this by listening and showing your curiosity and interest in their life and beliefs. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christianity JWs identify as Christians, with some different practices to most churches JWs don’t celebrate birthdays or Christmas JWs don’t use the Christian cross as a symbol of significance, believing Jesus died on a stake JWs avoid practices that they feel displease God,