DOCSLIB.ORG

Helena Chester the Discursive Construction of Freedom in The

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
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 .............................................................. 9 Contextualising the Watchtower Society ...................................................................... 11 The Watchtower Society and Freedom ......................................................................... 15 Levels of Freedom in the Watchtower Society ............................................................. 21 Contesting Claims on Watchtower Freedom ................................................................. 30 Research Data .............................................................................................................. 34 Insider-Outsider Issues in Research .............................................................................. 36 Macro-level content analysis ........................................................................................ 39 Genealogy .................................................................................................................... 39 Outline of Thesis Chapters ........................................................................................... 40 Chapter 2: Literature Review on Freedom ........................................................................... 44 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 44 The Watchtower Society as a Global ‘Body’ ................................................................ 47 Critics of the Watchtower Society ................................................................................ 51 Gender Non-Conformists ............................................................................................. 57 Academic Research on the Watchtower Society ........................................................... 61 Jehovah’s Witnesses and Higher Education .................................................................. 64 The Politics of Fear ...................................................................................................... 68 Historical and Legal Research ...................................................................................... 71 The Watchtower Society and Litigation........................................................................ 72 The Mental Health of Jehovah’s Witnesses .................................................................. 76 Australian Royal Commission Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse .......................... 79 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 91 Chapter 3: Social Theory on Freedom ................................................................................. 94 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 94 Theo-democratic Organisations and Freedom ............................................................... 98 Freedom as Recovery: Choosing Survival ................................................................. 107 Freedom as Resistance and Cooperation: Choosing Security ...................................... 120 The Construction of a Collective Human Superorganism ........................................... 124 1 Disgust Psychology .................................................................................................... 126 Freedom as the Discursive Construction of Social Reality .......................................... 128 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 134 Chapter 4: Methodology for Deconstructing Freedom in the Watchtower Society ............. 137 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 137 Research Paradigms ................................................................................................... 144 Genealogy as Unmasking ‘Accidents’ ........................................................................ 148 Macro-Level Content Analysis and Critical Resistance .............................................. 152 Critical Resistance ..................................................................................................... 153 Insider/Outsider relationships ..................................................................................... 154 Biopsychosocial Theories ........................................................................................... 158 Research Data ............................................................................................................ 161 Ethics, Validity, Reliability ........................................................................................ 169 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 171 Chapter 5: Freedom as Recovery in the Watchtower Society ............................................. 174 Introduction: Pedagogies of Transformation .............................................................. 174 Nature and Role of the Higher Power in Freedom as Recovery................................... 176 A Habitus Model of Recovery .................................................................................... 177 The Construction of Desire and Consent .................................................................... 178 Habitus Reconstruction and Claims of ‘Brainwashing’ ............................................... 179 Pedagogies of Transformation in the Watchtower Society .......................................... 186 The Bible Changes Lives with Fear, Hope and Love .................................................. 187 Life-Narratives in the WTS as ‘Witnessing’ ............................................................... 188 Recovery Narratives and Habitus Reconstruction ....................................................... 194 Discussion.................................................................................................................. 212 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 215 Chapter 6: Freedom for Jehovah’s Witnesses with Same-Sex-Attraction ........................... 217 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 217 Addiction: Recovery .................................................................................................. 223 Apostasy: Immuno-politics ........................................................................................ 233 Apocalypse: Discourses of Fear and Hope ................................................................. 243 Adoption: Cooperation and Resistance ...................................................................... 247 Discussion.................................................................................................................. 252 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 257 Chapter 7: Discussion on the Freedom of the Spirit in the Watchtower Society ................. 261 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 261 Discursive Construction of Freedom in the Watchtower Society ................................ 266 2 Social Freedom: The Spirit-Directed Superorganism ................................................. 267 Freedom through Surrender: Transformation of Habitus ............................................ 269 Non-Conformers in the Watchtower Society: Struggle for Survival ............................ 272 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 274 Chapter 8: Conclusion and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Critiques on the Proclaimers Book
    Critiques on the Proclaimers Book Critiques and Notes on the JW history book Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom Alan Feuerbacher Table of Contents Critiques on the Proclaimers Book.........................................................................................................................1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................................1 Comments....................................................................................................................................................3 Proclaimers' book blames Russell's chronological error of 100 years on the King James Version.............17 Introduction In 1993 the Watchtower Society published a history book Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom.1 In the Writing Department it was looked upon as a more comprehensive, accurate and honest update of the 1959 history book Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Divine Purpose.2 It was also seen as a response to the increasing criticism the Society was receiving that complained of its distortion and hiding of many of the seamier sides of its history.3 1 Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 1993. 2 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 1959. 3 A list of some of the most influential publications: A People For His Name: A History of Jehovah’s Witnesses and An Evaluation, Timothy White,
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 1, Issue 1 Editorial Board
    Volume 1, Issue 1 Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Keith Findley Anat Horovitz Myles Frederick McLellan University of Wisconsin Law Faculty of Law, The Hebrew Department of Law and Politics, School, University of University of Jerusalem, Algoma University, Canada Wisconsin-Madison, Israel United States Editorial Board Richard Leo James Acker Jonathan Freedman Law and Psychology, University School of Criminal Justice, Psychology Department, of San Francisco, United States University at Albany, University of Toronto, United States Canada Bruce MacFarlane Barrister & Attorney, Winnipeg, Ira Belkin Maryanne Garry Canada and Phoenix, NYU School of Law, New York School of Psychology, New United States University, United States Zealand Institute for Security and Crime Science Carole McCartney Stephen Bindman The University of Waikato, School of Law, Northumbria Faculty of Law, University of New Zealand University, United Kingdom Ottawa, Canada Gwladys Gilliéron Daniel Medwed Gary Botting Faculty of Law, University of School of Law and School of Barrister, Vancouver, Canada Zurich, Switzerland Criminology and Criminal Justice Northeastern University, Kathryn M. Campbell Adam Gorski United States Department of Criminology, Faculty of Law and University of Ottawa, Administration, Jagiellonian Robert Norris Canada University, Poland Department of Criminology, Law and Society, George Mason Kimberly Cook Jon Gould Department of Sociology and University,United States School of Criminology and Criminology, University of Criminal Justice and Sandra Day
    [Show full text]
  • Bethel Chronicles
    Bethel Chronicles Lower Manhattan, New York, with various Watchtower properties (Click to see expanded picture) the Bethel Chronicles Inside chronicles from the Brooklyn headquarters of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Dedicated to the thousands who have donated years of their lives inside the walls of Bethel. Franz Incident era mp3s (1965-1985) Edward Dunlap, former Watchtower Gilead Instructor on the Franz Incident John May (and Martin Merriman) from Ireland, on their visit to the U.S. to determine the fate of Raymond Franz Cris and Norma Sanchez, former Bethel Spanish translators testimony of how they were treated at Watchtower headquarters in 1979 Randall Watters and Robert Sullivan, What Happened at the Watchtower Headquarters in the Spring of 1980? former Bethelites Guest Book (mostly from the late 90s, early 2000s) Anecdotes on Bethel life in the 70s archives: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 abbreviated summary Barbara Anderson's Anecdotes from Life at Bethel (NEW tour of Beth-Sarim and Rutherford's secret grave) Randall's Classics: The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society: The Critical Years 1975-1997 the Franz incident Fred Franz Discredits Concept of a "Governing Body" My letter to the Governing Body in 1980 (letter of disassociation) What Happened at Bethel in the Spring of 1980 (first eyewitness account printed in 1981) Randy's Scrapbook from Bethel - fellow workers pictures testimonies of former Bethel workers former Gilead registrar Ed Dunlap's notes political cartoons from inside Bethel QUAK'S CARTOONS reveal inside secrets! the Presidents http://www.freeminds.org/bethel/bethel.htm[11/11/2013 2:53:53 PM] Bethel Chronicles the Governing Body Warren Schroeder (1979-1982 at Bethel) (NEW) Gene Smalley and the Blood Transfusion Issue (NEW) New Boy's "Life at Bethel" (NEW) Former Service Dept.
    [Show full text]
  • To Download the 2021 Annual Meeting Final Program!
    Final Program JULY 6 - 9, 2021 | BOSTON, MA MARRIOTT COPLEY PLACE VIRTUAL OPTION AVAILABLE NAVIGATING THE FUTURE FOR REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCE Society for Reproductive Investigation 68th Annual Scientific Meeting Photo Credit: Kyle Klein Table of Contents Message from the SRI President .............................................................................................................1 2021 Program Committee ......................................................................................................................2 General Meeting Information .................................................................................................................3 Meeting Attendance Code of Conduct Policy ..........................................................................................5 Schedule-at-a-Glance ............................................................................................................................7 Boston Information and Social Events ....................................................................................................8 Exhibitors ...............................................................................................................................................9 Hotel Map ............................................................................................................................................10 Continuing Medical Education Information ..........................................................................................11 Scientific Program
    [Show full text]
  • Gobitis and Barnett: the Flag Salute and the Changing Interpretation of the Constitution Rhenee Clark Swink in Minersville Schoo
    72 Gobitis and Barnett: The Flag Salute and the Changing Interpretation of the Constitution Rhenee Clark Swink In Minersville School District vs Gobitis (1940) the United States Supreme Court ruled 8 to1 overturning lower court decisions barring states from implementing compulsory flag salutes. Three years later, the Supreme Court overturned that ruling with a 6 to 3 decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943). The cases were nearly identical and argued similarly but had different outcomes. How did the landscape of America change so drastically in a three-year period? First, the Supreme Court did not see a danger in the rise of nationalism in the United States or the social impact the ruling would bring. Second, the violence that followed Gobitis decision caused Jehovah’s Witnesses, a pacifist group that was uninvolved in politics, to become more persistent in utilizing the legal system and more vocal concerning persecution of its members. Finally, the Supreme Court was not the same. A change in justices and a shift in the focus of the Court from economic matters to personal liberties created a different political landscape, when West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnett reached the Court in 1943. Jehovah’s Witnesses sought to spread their message and seek new members through distribution of the organizations magazines and books, playing recorded phonograph messages from organization leaders, and through public lectures. The group was frequently arrested for selling books without a license. Other areas developed specific ordinances to target Jehovah’s Witnesses. One community in Georgia passed an ordinance that prohibited anyone calling on houses to offer any printed material.47 Jehovah Witnesses trace their origins to a group founded in the late nineteenth century in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
    [Show full text]
  • QHN Spring 2020 Layout 1
    WESTWARD HO! QHN FEATURES JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE & MONTREAL’S WEST ISLAND $10 Quebec VOL 13, NO. 2 SPRING 2020 News “An Integral Part of the Community” John Abbot College celebrates seven decades Aviation, Arboretum, Islands and Canals Heritage Highlights along the West Island Shores Abbott’s Late Dean The Passing of a Memorable Mentor Quebec Editor’s desk 3 eritageNews H Vocation Spot Rod MacLeod EDITOR Who Are These Anglophones Anyway? 4 RODERICK MACLEOD An Address to the 10th Annual Arts, Matthew Farfan PRODUCTION Culture and Heritage Working Group DAN PINESE; MATTHEW FARFAN The West Island 5 PUBLISHER A Brief History Jim Hamilton QUEBEC ANGLOPHONE HERITAGE NETWORK John Abbott College 8 3355 COLLEGE 50 Years of Success Heather Darch SHERBROOKE, QUEBEC J1M 0B8 The Man from Argenteuil 11 PHONE The Life and Times of Sir John Abbott Jim Hamilton 1-877-964-0409 (819) 564-9595 A Symbol of Peace in 13 FAX (819) 564-6872 St. Anne de Bellevue Heather Darch CORRESPONDENCE [email protected] A Backyard Treasure 15 on the West Island Heather Darch WEBSITES QAHN.ORG QUEBECHERITAGEWEB.COM Boisbriand’s Legacy 16 100OBJECTS.QAHN.ORG A Brief History of Senneville Jim Hamilton PRESIDENT Angus Estate Heritage At Risk 17 GRANT MYERS Matthew Farfan EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MATTHEW FARFAN Taking Flight on the West Island 18 PROJECT DIRECTORS Heather Darch DWANE WILKIN HEATHER DARCH Muskrats and Ruins on Dowker Island 20 CHRISTINA ADAMKO Heather Darch GLENN PATTERSON BOOKKEEPER Over the River and through the Woods 21 MARION GREENLAY to the Morgan Arboretum We Go! Heather Darch Quebec Heritage News is published quarterly by QAHN with the support Tiny Island’s Big History 22 of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • Decolonizing the Colonial Mind: a Personal Journey of Intercultural
    Decolonizing the Colonial Mind: A Personal Journey of Intercultural Understanding, Empathy, and Mutual Respect by Gregory W.A. Saar A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Religion & Culture University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2020 by Gregory W.A. Saar Saar 1 Dedication To my wife, Joyce, whose confidence in me, encouragement, and support, have always been important in everything I choose to do. To my Granddaughter, Rebekah, who, while in her first year at the University of Manitoba, uttered the words: “Grandpa, why don’t you take a class too?” To my other grandchildren Kaleb, Quintin, Alexis, and Clark, for the many ways in which they enhance my life. I hope I can play some small part in ensuring the five of you have the bright and fulfilling future you all deserve. I am confident that each one of you is capable of realising your dreams. In Memory of our daughter, Heather, who met the difficulties she faced with fortitude, courage, and determination, all the while retaining her sense of humour; an inspiration to all who were privileged to know her. Saar 2 Acknowledgements I want to express my appreciation to those without whose mentorship and assistance this theses would still be confined to the recesses of my mind. I begin with my appreciation of Dr. Renate Eigenbrod, (1944-2014) who, as Department Head of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, took the time to interview me.
    [Show full text]
  • Jehovah's Witnesses
    Session 5 – Jehovah's Witnesses David Platt April 20, 2018 Who are Jehovah's Witnesses? They identify themselves as followers of God who believe that “Jehovah” is God’s one true name, hence the name “Jehovah's Witnesses.” Jehovah's Witnesses began with Charles Taze Russell in 1872. Here is a little background on him. Russell grew up in the church but had great difficulty with the doctrines of the Trinity and hell. At age 18, he organized a Bible class in Pittsburgh during the Bible Student Movement of the 1870s and began teaching his view of those doctrines. In 1879, he began co-publishing his teachings in The Herald of the Morning magazine. In 1884, he controlled the publishing and renamed the magazine The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom and founded Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society—now known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Circulation of the first edition of the The Watchtower magazine was 6,000 copies per month. Today, the publishing complex in Brooklyn—their current headquarters—produces 100,000 books and 800,000 copies of its magazines per day—not year—per day. These magazines and books are everywhere. You may recognize them or not when you see them. They are in stores and storefronts. I was in the Department of Motor Vehicles the other day and there was this huge display with these books and magazines. People have so much time to read in this place. This is a horrible place for these to be. You look at them and see the titles, “Finding True Life”, “Is the Bible Relevant Today?”, “Can the Bible Help Me Have a Happy Family?”, “A Balanced View of Money” and on and on.
    [Show full text]
  • Articles Recollections of West Virginia State Board of Education V. Barnette∗
    BARNETTE FINAL 9/25/2007 11:11:19 AM ARTICLES RECOLLECTIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF ∗ EDUCATION V. BARNETTE GREGORY L. PETERSON E. BARRETT PRETTYMAN, JR. SHAWN FRANCIS PETERS BENNETT BOSKEY GATHIE BARNETT EDMONDS MARIE BARNETT SNODGRASS JOHN Q. BARRETT WELCOMING REMARKS GREGORY L. PETERSON† Welcome. The Robert H. Jackson Center exists to preserve and advance the legacy of Justice Jackson through education, events, and exhibitry. Today’s special gathering, featuring the Barnett sisters and the attorney who served during 1943 as the senior law clerk to the Chief Justice of the United States, Harlan Fiske Stone, furthers that mission. During World War II, Gathie and Marie Barnett, along with their parents and other Jehovah’s Witnesses, challenged the constitutionality of compelling school children to pledge allegiance and salute the American flag. Their Supreme Court victory, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette,1 is now a constitutional law landmark. It is a case in which Justice ∗ These proceedings, cosponsored by the Robert H. Jackson Center and the Supreme Court Historical Society, occurred at the Jackson Center in Jamestown, New York, on April 28, 2006. The following remarks were edited for publication. † Partner, Phillips Lytle LLP and Chair of the Board of Directors, Robert H. Jackson Center, Inc. 1 319 U.S. 624 (1943). During the litigation, courts misspelled the Barnett family surname as “Barnette.” 755 BARNETTE FINAL 9/25/2007 11:11:19 AM 756 ST. JOHN’S LAW REVIEW [Vol. 81:755 Jackson wrote for the Court one of his most eloquent and important opinions during his thirteen years as a Justice.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]