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Jehovah's Witnesses
Watch Tower 1879; name adopted 1931· Religion or tradition· New movements & secular thought
Historical recordConfirmed by archaeology, outside sources or contemporary records.
A Bible-based movement begun by Charles Taze Russell's study group in Pennsylvania in the 1870s; about 9 million active members.
See it on the World Religions map →What it is
Russell, a Pittsburgh businessman, began publishing Zion's Watch Tower in 1879, teaching that Christ's kingdom was near. Under his successor Joseph Rutherford the group took the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931. Witnesses reject the Trinity, holding that Jesus is God's son but not God. They do not celebrate birthdays or Christmas, refuse blood transfusions and military service, stay out of politics, and preach door to door. Their headquarters is in Warwick, New York.
Why it matters
Their refusal to salute flags or bear arms brought persecution, including in Nazi camps, and landmark court rulings on religious freedom in the US and Europe.
Sources and history
The Watchtower and other publications, the movement's annual service reports, court cases such as West Virginia v. Barnette (1943), and Nazi camp records marking Witnesses with purple triangles.
Questions and debates
Scholars study how the movement adjusted after expected dates such as 1914, 1925 and 1975 passed; Witnesses teach that Christ's invisible rule in heaven began in 1914.
Connections (2)
▸Jehovah's Witnesses rejects the creed of Council of Nicaea and the Nicene CreedHistorical record
The connection
The Nicene Creed (325) declared the Son 'of one substance' with the Father, a cornerstone of Trinitarian belief. Jehovah's Witnesses reject it, teaching that Jehovah alone is almighty God and that Jesus is God's first creation and son, not his equal. They see the creed as a later departure from the Bible.
When and where
Russell taught this from the 1870s in Pittsburgh; Witness literature such as 'Should You Believe in the Trinity?' (1989) sets out the case.
Historical evidence
Witness publications and their New World Translation of the Bible (1950–61) reflect the view, for example rendering John 1:1 as 'the Word was a god'.
Questions and debates
Scholars debate how closely Witness teaching matches ancient Arianism, the view the council condemned; Witnesses say they follow scripture, not Arius.
▸Jehovah's Witnesses grew from Adventist circles in Evangelicalism and the Great AwakeningsMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
From Adventists such as Jonas Wendell and George Storrs, Charles Taze Russell took key ideas: an imminent end of the age, no eternal hellfire, and the dead unconscious until resurrection. Adventism grew from William Miller's movement, which expected Christ's return in 1843–44, amid the revival fervor of the Second Great Awakening.
When and where
Pittsburgh, around 1870, where Russell heard Wendell preach; in 1876 he partnered with the Adventist Nelson Barbour, before starting his own magazine in 1879.
How do we know?
Russell's own recollections credit Wendell and Storrs, and the publications he shared with Barbour survive.
Questions and debates
Whether Adventism counts as part of evangelicalism or a separate stream is debated, as is how original Russell's system was.