Do you have a non-apologetic informational book on Jehovah's Witnesses?

[avempc]

I’m ghostwriting/editing a nonfiction novel whose author wants to find out more about Jehovah’s Witness religion because one of the main people in the book is a JW, although how it impacts his life is not central to the book. The author, a mid-40s man, is a cultural Catholic who’s not well-catechised (and probably only casually practising, if you can call casual observance practising). He doesn’t know a lot about religion in general, including Christianity, at least compared to someone who tries to be a serious Catholic. I’ve read all your on-line material about JW, but want to know if there’s a book for those who are NOT looking to confront JW’s or defend Catholicism, but just to understand the basics about this “religion.” I could show him your articles, but they seem mainly written for serious Catholics and I think they’d sound a bit defensive or biased to him. I don’t want to turn him off with that, and I need to sound credible, and not like an apologist, in this situation. The author told me he’s tried to find books on JW through Amazon et al, but no dice. Thanks MUCH.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear A,

I suggest the book, “Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses” by Jason Evert, one of our Catholic Answers apologists. Yes, it is an apologetic work. The man you mention is a Catholic and one who needs to know more about his religion as well as its relation to other religions. The first chapter is a history of the sect. The second chapter describes JW life. The rest of the book deals quite rationally with its beliefs from a Catholic standpoint. This is something a cultural Catholic SHOULD read. I would be more worried about his not understanding this sect in relation to his own faith—than that such a read would scare him away from his faith.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.