Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Society)

Reflections on Religions
Kenneth D. Boa, series editor
Trinity House, 2025

Jehovah’s Witnesses, members of the religion operated by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, claim that theirs is the only true religion. They profess to base all their teachings and practices solely on the Bible. The Witnesses are well known for their zeal in door-to-door and street proselytizing all over the world. Remarkably, though, their beliefs differ radically from those of historic Christianity. Here are just some of the surprising facts about the Watchtower religion discussed in this concise booklet: 

• Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus’ body was raised from the dead.
• The Watchtower teaches that Christ’s second coming was an invisible “presence” that began in 1914.
• Witnesses claim that the Bible condemns the celebration of birthdays and holidays.

This booklet tells the story of the origins of the Jehovah’s Witness religion. It then offers a careful description and evaluation of Watchtower doctrine based on the teachings of the Bible. Robert M. Bowman Jr. is the president of the Institute for Religious Research. He is the author of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Zondervan) and three other books about Jehovah’s Witnesses.