This chapter offers an introduction to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society or the Jehovah’s Witnesses, with particular attention to their distinctive Bible-reading strategies. The aim is broad description rather than detailed commentary and is highly selective owing to the limited space available. The chapter begins with the acknowledgment that the topic is a difficult one for outsiders, and with that caveat in place, then turns to general characteristics of Watch Tower hermeneutics. As much as possible, the study relies on examples of interpretation drawn from (more or less recent) Watch Tower publications. There are also a few notes about the organization’s New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

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Michael J. Gilmour is Associate Professor of New Testament at Providence University College in Manitoba, Canada. His books include Gods and Guitars: Seeking the Sacred in Post-1960s Popular Music (2009), The Gospel According to Bob Dylan: The Ol.

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