Table of Contents

1. Origins
2. Becoming a Jehovah’s Witness
3. Teachings
4. Congregational life
5. Lifestyle
6. Rites of passage and festivals
7: Expectations
8: Opposition
9: Pressures to reform
10: Prospects
Bibliography
Index

Promotional Information

An unbiased introduction to the beliefs and practices of this often misunderstood religious community, written by a leading scholar of Jehovah's Witnesses.

About the Author

George D. Chryssides is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at York St John University, UK. His books include The Bloomsbury Handbook to Studying Christians (Bloomsbury, 2019), Historical Dictionary of Jehovah’s Witnesses 2nd edition (2019), Jehovah’s Witnesses: Continuity and Change (2016), and The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements (Bloomsbury, 2016).

Reviews

Chryssides’s book doesn’t avoid contentious Jehovah Witness issues, such as internal dissent or persecution, but because the author might be thought of as a friendly observer, his overview will appeal to a wide audience that seeks understanding rather than controversy.
*Library Journal*

Dr. Chryssides is the world’s foremost expert on Jehovah’s Witnesses. His book offers a careful and much-needed introduction to the beliefs and practices of this often misunderstood religious community.
*Emily B. Baran, Interim Chair and Associate Professor, Middle Tennessee State University, USA*

Everything you wanted to know about the Jehovah’s Witnesses but did not know whom to ask. An essential introduction, of great use to scholars and easily readable for the general public.
*Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director, Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), Italy*