Institutions Analysis:

Jehovahs
Witnesses
Jessica Sada
Project 2
Prof. Mozzini
Sociology 1
Summer 2017
Overview:
I. History
II. Beliefs
III. Rituals
IV. Conduct
V. Organizational Structure
VI. Congregation Structure
VII.Supreme Court Cases
VIII.U.S. Facts
IX. Perspectives
History
First founded in 1872 by Charles Russell Taze in Pittsburgh, PA. Originally called Russellites or Bible Students.

Russell had come to reject Protestant ideas of an eternal hell and believed that the bible could be used to

predict prophesies.

Russell believed that Christ would return invisibly rather than bodily to resurrect the dead and during his

presence would establish rule over heaven and earth.. His mission was to seek the truth in scripture and

advertise this to all, principally through the printed page (Knox).

In 1878 he began publishing the Bible journal the Watchtower spreading his teaching throughout the states.

In 1884 the organization founded the legal corporation Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (aka the Society)

and by 1900 the corporation had spread to Europe.

History continued...
After Russells death in 1916, Joseph Franklin Rutherford served as president of the Society until 1942.

It was under Rutherford where initial changes to make the organization identifiable and disciplined began to

take place. In July 1931 Rutherford changed the organization's name to Jehovahs Witnesses.

Like Russell, Rutherford emphasized that the Apocalypse was near and introduces doorstep ministry to get

more followers (Gordon).

In 1943 The Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, a missionary academy, was established and two years later the

first printed guide for ministry was created.

By the 1970s branches of The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society were opened in Africa, Asia, and India.
Beliefs
Jehovahs are Christians.

System of beliefs built from the Bible (all 66 versions). The Bible is the truth and the inspired word of God.

Monotheistic, believe in one God whose name is Jehovah.

Follow Gods Law over earthly laws.

Jesus Christ is honored as savior and son of God. Do not believe in the holy trinity.

The Kingdom of God is a real government in heaven.

Salvation cannot be earned.

Heaven (spirit realm) is only where Jehovah, Jesus, and angels reside in. Only 144,000 humans will be
resurrected to life in heaven after Armageddon.
Beliefs continued...
Armageddon, Jesus will lead Gods angels and destroy all who oppose God. Then Jesus will imprison Satan for
1,000 years. Gods people will survive the destruction and will enjoy everlasting life in Paradise on earth.

The soul is the entire person, not some part that survives after death. There is no afterlife or hell.

All will be resurrected from the dead when Jesus comes to reign on earth and those who refuse to learn Gods
ways after being raised will be destroyed forever.

Marriage is only for one man and one woman. Adultery is the only basis for divorce.

All races are equal to Jehovah.

https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovah-witness-beliefs/
Practices and Rituals
Door-to-door proselytizing.

Jehovahs Witnesses do not celebrate holidays or birthdays because these traditions are not found in the
Bible.

Politically neutral. Neither vote or run for office because all allegiance is given to God. God has all the
solutions and man is incapable of solving the world's problems.

A special occasion is the Memorial of Jesus Death also known as the Lords Supper. The purpose of this
annual event is to remember Jesus and show gratitude for his sacrifice. It is important because they believe
Jesus himself commanded his disciples to memorialize his death when he said "Keep doing this in
remembrance of me" (The Bible, Luke 22:19).

Baptism is restricted to adults, usually performed at assemblies or conventions, once baptized you are
considered an ordained minister.
Conduct
The Bible is the source of reference for moral conduct.

One should pursue goals that honor God.

Jehovahs Witnesses are expected to show love, perform acts of

kindness, and be patient with fellow believers.

Jealousy and envy is a threat to the congregation and can disturb the

peace. One should avoid being stubborn or prideful and should not

rejoice over someone else's shortcomings.

Avoid practices that displease God such as manslaughter, sexual

immorality, idolatry, drunkenness, stealing, misuse of blood, lying,

Organizational
Structure
The Governing Body, all males, based at headquarters
in NY; directs org.; oversees production of publication
and other administrative duties. Selected by existing
body.

Traveling overseers are appointed by the Governing

Body. They they oversee circuits of about twenty
congregations, performing twice-yearly week-long visits
with each.

No professional clergy. Each congregation appoints

elders, who teach and counsel members.

Ministerial Servants are equivalent to deacons and

are appointed to assist the elders with routine work.

Baptized Publishers are members who have been

publicly baptized. Unbaptized publishers are those
waiting to be baptized and who have permission to join
in the formal ministry.
Congregation Structure
Congregations are the spiritual and social centers for Jehovah's

Witnesses.

Congregations meet in Kingdom Halls, not churches.

Simple classroom style building with chairs and speaker platform.

No pictures, religious images, or collection plate.

In order to maintain sense of community congregations have less

than 200 members.

Congregations meet three times a week and consist of lecture,

discussion, song, prayer, and lessons.

 Jehovahs Witnesses
Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940):

- Cantwell and sons arrested going door-to-door for failure to have a license to solicit funds and breach of the
peace.

- Supreme Court sided with the Cantwells, making it clear for the first time that the First Amendment protected
religious practices at the state and local levels, not just at the federal level.

Jones v. City of Opelika (1942):

- Jones charged with selling books without a license.

- The Supreme Court sides with the city. A year later in a similar case, Murdock v. Pennsylvania, the Court held
that an ordinance requiring solicitors to purchase a license was an unconstitutional tax on the Witnesses' right
to freely exercise their religion.

Barnette vs. West Virginia State Board of Education (1943):

- Witness children expelled from school for not saluting the American flag.

- Debate created a hostile environment for Witnesses. 1,500 assaulted in 335 separate attacks.
 Sociological Perspectives
Functionalist View
Religion serves society by providing social
order, a sense of shared identity, and meaning and
purpose in the lives of believers. Although Jehovahs
Witnesses is considered an established sect and is
not yet widely accepted, the religious group still
serves society in these ways. The group unites
people from different ethnic and language
backgrounds through common goals and the
honoring of Jehovah. Their ideas of how one should
behave promote moral order and socialization.
Conflict View
Conflict theorists such as Marx view religion as
a distraction from real world problems that create
submissive believers and allows those in power to
maintain control. Jehovah's WItnesses fall victim to
this analysis because it is part of their beliefs to reject
getting involved in any type of political, economic, or
government issues. Jehovahs are aware of the many
inequalities in our world but attribute it to the work of
Satan. Instead of trying to be part of change they are
waiting submissively for the returning of Christ to
better our society.
 Works Cited
"Jehovahs Witnesses." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, p. 1p. 1. EBSCOhost,
login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=JE015100&site=ehost-live.

Knox, Zoe. "Writing Witness History: The Historiography of the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of
Pennsylvania." Journal of Religious History, vol. 35, no. 2, June 2011, pp. 157-180. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1467-
9809.2010.01030.x.

Gordon, Sarah Barringer. "What We Owe Jehovah's Witnesses." American History, vol. 46, no. 1, Apr. 2011, p. 36. EBSCOhost,
login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=58599593&site=ehost-live.

"Jehovah's Witnesses." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition, Mar. 2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost,
login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=39014515&site=ehost-live.

The Lord's Supper-Why Do Jehovah's Witnesses Observe It Differently From the Way Other Religions Do? JW.ORG, Atch Tower
Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 2017, www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/lords-supper/.

Rituals and Worship. Library, Patheos, 2008, www.patheos.com/Library/Jehovahs-Witnesses/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism.

Heyward, Richara Leona. "Witnessing in Black: Jehovah's Witnesses, Textual Ethnogenesis, Racial Subjectivity, and the Foundational
Politics of Theocracy." Black Theology: An International Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, Apr. 2012, pp. 93-115. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1558/blth.v10i1.93.
 Works Cited
Knocking: Myths and Realities. PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Aug. 2007,
www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/myths.html

Organizational Structure of Jehovah's Witnesses. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 May 2017,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_structure_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses#Unbaptized_publishers.

Gao, George. Jehovahs Witnesses in the U.S. Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 26 Apr. 2016, www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/ft_16-04-26_jehovahswitnesses-1/.