LEADER 03637cam a2200409Ii 4500001 92902 005 20240621153552.0 008 040421s2015 oncacf b 001 0 eng 010 2014906299 020 9781442647930 |q(cloth) 020 1442647930 |q(cloth) 020 9781442616059 |q(paper) |q(acid-free paper) 020 1442616059 035 (OCoLC)ocn892301589 035 92902 049 LHMA 040 NLC |beng |erda |cNLC |dOCLCO |dYDXCP |dBTCTA |dBDX |dOCLCF |dEDX |dVP@ |dCDX |dLTSCA |dN15 |dIQU |dDRU |dTLE |dILC |dCHVBK |dDLC |dOCL |dLMR |dCLE |dLHM 090 BX8526 |b.P46 2015 100 1 Penton, M. James, |d1932- |eauthor. 245 10 Apocalypse delayed : |bthe story of Jehovah's Witnesses / |cM. James Penton. 246 30 Story of Jehovah's Witnesses 250 Third edition. 264 1 Toronto ;Buffalo : |bUniversity of Toronto Press, |c2015. 300 xix, 547 pages, 11 unnumbered pages of plates : |billustrations, portraits ; |c24 cm 336 text |btxt |2rdacontent 336 still image |bsti |2rdacontent 337 unmediated |bn |2rdamedia 338 volume |bnc |2rdacarrier 504 Includes bibliographical references (pages 475-507) and index. 505 00 |gHistory. -- |tDoctrinal background of a new American religious movement -- |tCharles Russell and the Bible student movement -- |tCreation of a theocracy -- |tEra of global expansion -- |tProphetic failure and reaction -- |tFrom dynamic growth to organizational stagnation -- |tRelations with the world -- |gConcepts and doctrines. -- |tBases of doctrinal authority -- |tMajor doctrines -- |gOrganization and community. -- |tOrganizational structure -- |tWitness community -- |tConclusion. 520 "Since 1876, Jehovah's Witnesses have believed that they are living in the last days of the present world. Charles T. Russell, their founder, advised his followers that members of Christ's church would be raptured in 1878, and by 1914 Christ would destroy the nations and establish his kingdom on earth. The first prophecy was not fulfilled, but the outbreak of the First World War lent some credibility to the second. Ever since that time, Jehovah's Witnesses have been predicting that the world would end "shortly." Their numbers have grown to many millions in over two hundred countries. They distribute a billion pieces of literature annually, and continue to anticipate the end of the world. For almost thirty years, M. James Penton's Apocalypse Delayed has been the definitive scholarly study of this religious movement. As a former member of the sect, Penton offers a comprehensive overview of the Jehovah's Witnesses. His book is divided into three parts, each presenting the Witnesses' story in a different context: historical, doctrinal, and sociological. Some of the issues he discusses are known to the general public, such as the sect's opposition to military service and blood transfusions. Others involve internal controversies, including political control of the organization and the handling of dissent within the ranks. Thoroughly revised, the third edition of Penton's classic text includes substantial new information on the sources of Russell's theology and on the church's early leaders..."-- |cAmazon.com viewed on March 9, 2015. 591 Record updated by Marcive processing 21 June 2024 650 0 Jehovah's Witnesses. 610 20 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 610 27 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. |2fast |0(OCoLC)fst00518924 650 7 Jehovah's Witnesses. |2fast |0(OCoLC)fst00982261 852 0 |bstacks |hBX8526 |i.P46 2015