La préhistoire des témoins de Jéhovah

 La préhistoire des témoins de Jéhovah

Edition of the AEIMR (Association for Study and Information on Religious Movements); BP 70733, F. 57207 Sarreguemines cedex). 250 pages. Index €18 + €6 postage. (The AEIMR offers postage to subscribers to the Mouvements Religieux magazine )

I seldom allow book reviews. If my memory is accurate we’ve reviewed four books since I started this blog in 2007. I’ve read Professor Blandre’s newest book, despite my inadequate French. It is a worthwhile read. I take exception to his chart of origins found at the end, and there are a few points to which I will give some thought and some which are incorrect. But those are few. Bernard’s book dramatically contrasts with another recently published book; La préhistoire des témoins de Jéhovah is neutral, ethical research without an agenda.

Professor Blandre’s description of his book follows:

This book reviews the historical origins of Jehovah's Witnesses, but also many religious organizations which refer to the teaching of Charles Taze Russell without having ever belonged to the Jehovah's Witnesses: Bible students, Aurorists, Lay Interior Missionary Movement, friends of man ... Russell, founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses? 

It is said that Russell was the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. It is true that they refer to him, that part of their teaching comes from him and that he was the creator of the Society of the Watchtower ( Watch Tower Bible an Tract Society ) which distributes the magazine  The Watchtower  and for which several million Jehovah's Witnesses circulate. 

But for Jehovah's Witnesses, Russell's teaching is outdated and after his death "the truth" has progressed.

It is only after Russell that the Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to celebrate the religious holidays of other Christians: Christmas, Easter, etc. It is only after Russell that Jehovah's Witnesses consider the cross to be a pagan symbol. It is only after Russell that the Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions…

Russell taught that the soul is not immortal and that hell does not exist; but he only took over these beliefs from the Adventists who received them from George Storrs. 

Russell rejected belief in the Trinity; but he only took up what Henry Grew taught who had made Adventists admit this denial.

Russell is the one who taught that 144,000 anointed ones would be specially selected for leadership in the millennium. He had fixed the year 1914 as the end of the present "system of things." He taught that the great pyramid of Egypt announced this year 1914 by its dimensions. But he only repeated what Adventist Nelson Barbour had written before him. Jehovah's Witnesses no longer refer to the pyramid and have revised the 1914 meaning.

Russell taught that the restored Jewish people in Palestine would have leadership in the millennium. It was at a time when Israel did not exist. But he took this belief from Adventists in the age to come, and Jehovah's Witnesses now reject this doctrine.

Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate only one religious holiday each year: the memorial. It was George Storrs who introduced him to Russell. 

In fact Russell was not the creator of a new religion. He took up what his predecessors taught. His historic work has been to spell out details of a belief system that existed before him, and to have effectively made it known to a large number of people, groups and organizations, many of whom have remained more faithful to him than the Jehovah's witnesses.

The content of my book   La préhistoire des témoins de Jéhovah:

    This book presents the progressive creation of the belief system that Russell took up and disseminated. 

     The story begins in the late 18th century and ends in 1879, when Russell founded  Zion's Watch Tower magazine and became the true leader of the Bible Students, after his to be freed from the influence of one's main thought leaders. 

    This book is the result of research work which, without neglecting what has already been published, is based on the original sources published at the time of the events. 

    It is a book that respects the method and ethics of historical research: establishing the facts as they really happened. It is neither a book of propaganda, nor denigration, nor controversy. Jehovah's witnesses and Bible students who want to know the origin of their religion can read it without putting themselves in contradiction with their co-religionists, except intolerance. Those who have separated from the Jehovist organization, those who militate against the Jehovah's Witnesses can read it; they will be able to find objective arguments that they can interpret and avoid erroneous argumentation (No, the number of people saved is not limited to 144,000). And, perhaps most importantly, the author will take note with interest of the criticisms which could be addressed to him. 

Bernard Blandre