Editorial Reviews - Jehovah's Witnesses From the Publisher Chapters: Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses, History of Jehovah's Witnesses, Bible Student Movement, Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, Beth Sarim, Jehovah's Witnesses by Country, Jehovah's Witnesses and Civil Liberties in the United States, Jehovah's Witnesses and the United Nations, Jehovah's Witnesses Splinter Groups, Silentlambs, Operation North, Knocking, Associated Bible Students, Demographics of Jehovah's Witnesses, Lillelid Murders, Multilanguage Electronic Phototypesetting System, Purple Triangle, Elliott Kanem Kamwana, the Dawn, Jehovah's Witnesses in Norway, Plurality, the New Creation. Excerpt: Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism; they report convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 18 million. They are directed by a Governing Body of elders which exercises authority on all doctrinal matters. Witnesses base their beliefs on the Bible, and prefer their own translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. The group emerged from the Bible Student movement, founded in the late 19th century by Charles Taze Russell, with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society. A schism developed in the movement after Russell's death and the branch that maintained control of the Society underwent significant organizational changes. Joseph Franklin Rutherford became president of the Society, bringing its authority structure and methods of evangelism under centralized control, and placing new emphasis on public preaching. The name Jehovah's witnesses, based on Isaiah 43:1012, was adopted in 1931. Since its inception, the Watch Tower Society ha... Synopsis Chapters: Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses, History of Jehovah's Witnesses, Bible Stud