Témoins de Jéhovah et Etudiants de la Bible. Qui est schismatique ?

Abstract

Russell's failure to provide his movement with a clear authority structure together with the disappointment of 1914 led to central and local schisms after his death, in which informal elites in the movement struggled for power. Russell's movement split into different groups, each emphasising a part of his message. The Pastoral Bible Institute catered for the introversionist perspective of individual character development and contemplative study ; the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement emphasised the exegetical and doctrinal complexity purveyed by a charismatic leader; the Watch Tower Society under Rutherford concentrated on evangelis ation and en passant a rigid, centrally controlled sect struc ture ; and finally the Dawn Bible Student Association catered for those elements in Russell's following who eschewed the extremes and moved towards a denominational position. Rutherford, through the Watch Tower Society, succeeded in changing all aspects of the sect from 1919 to 1932 and created the Jehovah's Witnesses — a schismatic offshoot from the Bible student community. The subsequent develop ment of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Bible student groups is used to illustrate a number of central sociological issues.