Reviews ... Again

1881 - VERY temporary post

Usual stuff. You may copy for your own use. Do not share. This is work in progress. It may change. Further research may show some of it unreliable. Comments are welcome. Footnotes deleted from this version for ease of posting.

Approach to Eighteen Eighty-One

The subject we consider in this chapter is much distorted without context. America with much of the Christian world was religious. Faith was serious business. If churches differed in doctrine, sometimes hated each other condemning others to a fiery Hell – Protestants listened to the Scripture’s prophetic voice. Historians who write about this period tend to focus on extremist and Adventist movements. But interest in prophecy was not limited to fringe movements. It was a main-stream phenomenon. Baptists of various stripe, Anglicans, Presbyterians and nearly everyone else had well defined interest in prophetic fulfillment. Some Catholic writers believed Christ’s return impended. In 1881, a French priest, Charles Arminjon, published a series of lectures predicting the near return of Jesus, translated into English and published at The End of the Present World, and the Mysteries of the Future Life.

Remainder of the post has been deleted.

Volunteer?

We need every WT use of the phrases "changed condition" and "change of condition" from 1920 to 1950. If you have the searchable disks and time to find this, we would be grateful.

Recent Visitors

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Thanks!

Our request for reviews resulted in a few. Some from long time readers of this blog. And I think Sergio and Bruce posted on an older forum years ago. Thanks to all.

To meet an Amazon standard and make our book more visible, we need slightly more than 20 reviews. We have seven, all very positive and very flattering. If you haven't done so, please leave a review on Amazon.

Google books, lulu, B&N and some regional sellers take reviews too.

R

Useful links Herman Heinfetter

https://books.google.com/books?id=PYsEAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Herman+Heinfetter&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjq_bmh-__QAhWl64MKHeS-DQMQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=Herman%20Heinfetter&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=oYAEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=Herman+Heinfetter&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjq_bmh-__QAhWl64MKHeS-DQMQ6AEIPzAG#v=onepage&q=Herman%20Heinfetter&f=false

https://archive.org/details/aliteraltransla00unkngoog

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/herman-heinfetter/an-english-version-of-the-new-testament-1864/paperback/product-15739159.html

Can You Help?

by Jerome

Rachael has several times bemoaned the fact that few have written reviews of Separate Identity, volume one. As an attempt to raise awareness of this book, as well as the current work in progress, I am joining in asking if you can possibly help the project in this way.

Over recent years, a number of people have left comments on the blog, and this has been really appreciated. If everyone who felt moved to send a comment, could also send a review to the key sites, Amazon, Lulu, etc. that would really give the project the increased recognition it needs.

In addition there are an increasing number of readers worldwide. You read what is here but may not add a comment, because quite often posts ask for specialised information and you feel you cannot help. But you still could write your own review, based on your own feelings about what you have read.

It doesn’t have to be a long review. Many reviews on these sites are quite brief, although obviously feel free to do whatever you wish. And if you wish to use a pseudonym then that is fine. This is what I have done for the three reviews I have posted on different sites.

There are several books covering this ground out there, and some have received a lot more publicity than this project. But they all have an obvious agenda, either in attack or defence, and crucially, are often riddled with inaccuracies. Repeating oft told tales from secondary sources does not suddenly make them right. What the Separate Identity authors have done is go back to primary sources where they exist, and to search out what no-one else knew did exist. And then they have attempted to be as even-handed and as objective as is possible. As someone who strives to write “neutrally” - even though like everyone else I have my own point of view on some matters - I appreciate the authors’ general approach.

So where to review? The biggest site of all has to be Amazon. Actually, Amazon is a number of sites, because different countries have their own version that publish country-specific reviews and in their own languages. So why not check yours? See what has been written - if anything. If there are reviews there, can you add another? If there are no reviews at all as yet, can you be a groundbreaker? I note that Rachael asks people to post to the American Amazon site. The problem here is that if you are using your own country-specific Amazon site, the American reviews do not show up on it, unless you are motivated to go looking for them. Using a belt and braces approach, if you write a review, why not try and post it on both.

Realistically these books are not going to be best-sellers, although I know Rachael would love them to be. Best-sellers tend to be overblown fiction or lucky school text books. Unless you are hit by an extreme fluke, if you want to make real money, get a “proper job.” But they add to knowledge in a specialised field. That should be its own reward, although covering research costs from sales is an obvious plus, and helps to fund continuing investigation.

So what about it? If you enjoyed Separate Identity and found it of value, then spend a few minutes and say so. If you have a possible comment to make on an existing review out there, then make it. I admit that I rarely read all the reviews on materials I might purchase, but I do notice the volume of reviews and the starring system that sites use.

So again - can you help?

As a“filler”, below is one of the reviews I wrote a couple of years ago. To issue the standard sort of disclaimer, the opinions expressed in this review are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the blog owners.

This is the history or rather the pre-history of the Bible Student movement associated with Charles Taze Russell. He founded a magazine (still published today) originally called Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. It started in 1879, and yet this first lengthy volume only takes the reader up to that year. There is a massive untold story before that year, and this is the only volume to my knowledge that really does that justice.

Schulz and de Vienne try hard to be accurate and fair to all concerned. The problem with history is that we all tend to come at it with preconceptions. Perhaps the biggest error we make – even unconsciously - is to try and graft our modern sensibilities onto those of the 19th century. Of course, people are people in any era, but only when you understand the background of the times can you appreciate some of the things they believed and did. And rather than swing between the extremes of adulation and criticism, to understand where they were coming from in all sincerity AT THE TIME.

Also the ideas of Charles Taze Russell did not exist in a vacuum, and this volume brings back to life many of the people he associated with. At the time he willingly gave them credit, but this has tended to be lost as the years have rolled by and the focus has concentrated on one man – a focus distorted by incomplete data. This book has attempted to right that situation.

In recent years there have been several books covering this ground, generally far more sympathetic than past attempts with a specific religious agenda. But for sheer minutia of research, backed up by references of the time, this book is ground breaking. Don’t take my word for it, if you have any interest in this subject or in the general ambience of those times, get it and read it for yourself. Whether your personal beliefs match or differ from these men of 150 years ago, it will complete many pieces of a jigsaw that you likely never knew existed.

Rachael adds: Another place to leave a review [hopefully a positive one] is here http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-separate-identity-b-w-schulz/1119584341

REVIEWS

Posting a review on Amazon or googlebooks or lulu.com helps us. Few have done it. You don't like our books? We finance our research out of pocket and from sales. Reviews help sales.

Twenty more reviews will materially help us with Amazon. Will you do it?

Update: Remember to post your review to the USA Amazon site. Reviews posted on other sites do not show up on the main site.

CTR's brother-in-law, Lemuel Ackley

When Maria married CTR at her mother’s residence on March 13, 1879 (service conducted by John H Paton) her younger brother, Lemuel, was likely one of the guests. Unfortunately, the modern practice of group photos for weddings was not applied to this particular wedding, so we are left with supposition. However, Lemuel was born in Allegheny in 1857 and is found in the census returns there for 1870 and 1880.

The photograph comes from the volume Chicago Biography from c. 1891. The text mentions that he had been a reporter on the Pittsburgh Dispatch and Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette from around 1879-1883. He then went to Law School in Michigan from 1883-1885, and moved to Chicago in 1887.

When Maria left CTR she first went to Chicago to stay with Lemuel.

Lemuel death made the news. He was murdered in court by a disgruntled police sergeant in 1921. The story is found in the New York Evening World for July 29, 1921. One wonders whether Maria traveled to the funeral.

 

Someone there likes this article. Multiple visits.

Early Italian Tract - An article by Roberto

With English language help from Rachael

In 1911 (or soon after), the Italian Watch Tower branch published a four-page tract entitled: “Dando Ascolto alle Dottrine dei Demoni” (Listening to the Doctrines of Demons). The caption under the picture reads: “Gehenna, which symbolized final destruction.”

The Tract begins this way:

“LISTENING TO THE DOCTRINES OF DEMONS by C. T. Russell, 1911
The angels which kept not their first estate. Jude 6.

Today very few believe to the Bible statement that the earthly atmosphere is infested by evil spirits. And as a result of this incredulity, thousands of right-minded people are easily deceived by this evil spirits. The fog is together physical and moral. The usual method of these spirits is to arise (stir up, excite) curiosity ....”

The article’s subtitles are:
- They teach false doctrines
- Ready for these deceivers
- Seductive Spirits, fiendish doctrines
- Libidinousness of the fallen angels
- Confined angels, dark chains
- Enemies of God and men
- Jesus drove the devils out
- Scientists fall into the traps

A second and short article is entitled: “A Rare Case.” It reports of thirty-three Catholic priests of Canada that left the church. They denounce seven Catholic doctrines that conflict with the Bible. It looks like false news.

The third article is entitled: “The appeal of the Angel of Laodicea”. It is a treatment of Revelation 3:14, applied to Russell.

Can anyone tell me the original Watch Tower publication of the first article? The year seems to be 1911.

[Editor’s note: The last article would mark this tract as from after 1917. – R]

Reviews

We need more Amazon reviews, preferably good ones. Twenty would be nice. If you liked our book, review it on Amazon, please.

Volunteer?

I've found the text of a 'forgotten' debate from 1920. We need someone to transcribe it. This represents a lot of work. Anyone?

Pilgrim Visits

Questions

Many of the questions asked on this blog or sent to us through email can be answered by consulting one of the digitized libraries of Watch Tower publications.

Photodrama Handbill

Morton Edgar Letter - Click image to view it entire.

 

Currently on Ebay

Inside Bible House 1889-1908

Several in the comment trail and back-channel have enquired about the rooms inside the Bible House and asked if photographs exist.

With very grateful thanks to Bernhard (who has done all the work on this), below is a picture of the building along with seventeen extra photographs taken at the site prior to the move to Brooklyn in 1909. Ideally, you will need to transfer the graphic into a program like Microsoft Office Picture Manager, and then you can increase it to a readable size. You can also then select and separate the individual photographs if you wish.

Some additional comments about the second floor of the building will follow this.

The previous description of Bible House mentioned that the second floor was rented out for commercial purposes. This information came from Dr Leslie Jones (who produced the convention reports 1904-1916). His memories of visiting Bible House and the layout were written in 1929. However, it seems that only part of the floor was rented out because Watch Tower offices like the Colporteur Department were on this floor. Below is a picture of part of the second floor from both outside and inside the building to establish this.

However, a check of trade directories of the day show that various businesses, including insurance and music teaching, as well as some probably connected to CTR at some point, were also carried on from the Arch Street address. So it would seem the second floor was used by both the Watch Tower Society and other interests. With over 2500 square feet per floor it would be large enough to accommodate both.

End of Bible House

Probably from the Pittsburgh Press in 1963 and probably written by George Swetnam, this is the story about the end of the Bible House building.

With grateful thanks to S P Olsen who sent it in.

Location of Bible House

In response to the question on the previous post on Bible House, I have been sent a map of modern Allegheny/Pittsburgh, where the red dot shows the former location of the building. The nearest street is West Commons Street.

You may need to enlarge the picture to see the streets more clearly.

For these kind of queries I can recommend the book 'Watch Tower of Allegheny Historical Tour' which is available from Amazon and other places. Google and ye shall find.

From Andrew

Click on image to see the whole thing ...