Includes bibliographical references and index.

Researching Jehovah's Witnesses -- historical background -- Belonging -- Teachings -- Congregational life -- Lifestyle -- Festivals and rites of passage -- Expectations -- Opposition -- Pressures to reform -- Prospects.

"What would happen if I accepted an invitation to Bible Study from Jehovah's Witnesses? What would attending a Kingdom Hall meeting involve? And if I invited door-knocking Witnesses into my home? This book introduces Jehovah's Witnesses without assuming prior knowledge of the Watch Tower organisation. After outlining the Society's origins and history, the book explains their key beliefs and practices by taking the reader through the process of the seeker who makes initial contact with Witnesses, and progresses to take instruction and become a baptised member. The book then explores what is involved in being a Witness - congregational life, lifestyle, rites of passage, their understanding of the Bible, and prophetic expectations. It examines the various processes and consequences of leaving the organisation, controversies which have arisen in the course of its history, and popular criticisms. Discussion is given to the likelihood of reforms within the organisation, such as its stance on blood transfusions, the role of women, and new methods of meeting and evangelising in response to the COVID-19 pandemic"--