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In one of the first major studies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Andrew Holden brings clarity to one of the most misunderstood faiths of our age. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, Holden explores how Jehovah’s Witnesses navigate—and shape—the modern world. He shows how their rapid global expansion hinges on a delicate balance of social control, doctrinal coherence, and strategic adaptation.
Rather than dismiss or demonize, Holden treats the movement’s internal logic with rigor and respect. He reveals how an ostensibly “quasi-totalitarian” structure depends on deeply human needs—belonging, certainty, moral order—while also resisting secular fragmentation of community and meaning.
Holding a mirror to truth and faith, this book uncovers how Jehovah’s Witnesses separate “fact” from belief, privatize religion, erode communal life, and impose a disciplined pathway to spiritual identity.
For scholars of religion, psychology, or belief systems, Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement is an essential guide—not only into the world of Jehovah’s Witnesses but into the broader interplay of control, conviction, and community in modern faith.
In one of the first major studies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Andrew Holden brings clarity to one of the most misunderstood faiths of our age. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, Holden explores how Jehovah’s Witnesses navigate—and shape—the modern world. He shows how their rapid global expansion hinges on a delicate balance of social control, doctrinal coherence, and strategic adaptation.
Rather than dismiss or demonize, Holden treats the movement’s internal logic with rigor and respect. He reveals how an ostensibly “quasi-totalitarian” structure depends on deeply human needs—belonging, certainty, moral order—while also resisting secular fragmentation of community and meaning.
Holding a mirror to truth and faith, this book uncovers how Jehovah’s Witnesses separate “fact” from belief, privatize religion, erode communal life, and impose a disciplined pathway to spiritual identity.
For scholars of religion, psychology, or belief systems, Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement is an essential guide—not only into the world of Jehovah’s Witnesses but into the broader interplay of control, conviction, and community in modern faith.