Literature For Preaching
Most literature produced by Jehovah's Witnesses is intended for use in their evangelizing work. Publications for preaching are also routinely studied by members, both privately and at their meetings for worship. Their most widely distributed publications are:
- New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT), a modern-language translation of the Bible published in whole or part in over 100 languages. This is the Bible translation primarily used by Jehovah's Witnesses.
- Awake!, published in nearly 100 languages, a general-interest monthly magazine covering many topics from a religious perspective. It has an average printing of over 43 million copies per issue.
- The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom, published in over 200 languages semimonthly, focuses mainly on doctrine. With an average printing of nearly 45 million copies of the Public Edition, The Watchtower is the most widely distributed magazine in the world. Since 2008, the issue dated the 1st of each month is distributed to the public and is referred to as the Public Edition. The issue dated the 15th, called the Study Edition, is distributed only to members for use in the Watchtower Study.The Study Edition of The Watchtower has an average printing over 14,000,000, as the Russian edition shows.
When interested individuals are encountered, Witnesses attempt to initiate a home Bible study course, using a current publication, such as What Does the Bible Really Teach?, that outlines their primary beliefs and interpretations of the Bible. The Witness then visits the student on a regular basis, generally considering a chapter on each visit, depending on the student's circumstances. Students are requested to examine the material prior to the arrival of the Bible study conductor, using the questions at the bottom of each page, to "help prepare the student for the Bible study". Jehovah’s Witnesses customarily read each paragraph aloud together with the student, and then ask the question(s) provided for that paragraph. Students are encouraged to read the scriptures cited in the material. Bible students are expected to be making progress to become baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses by the time the book is completed, and may be asked to study a second publication, such as "Keep Yourselves in God's Love".
Jehovah's Witnesses previously offered their literature for a price determined by the branch office in each country, to cover printing costs. Since 2000, Jehovah's Witnesses have offered their publications free of charge globally. Printing is funded by voluntary donations from Witnesses and members of the public. Jehovah's Witnesses accept donations if offered by householders, and are instructed to invite donations in countries where soliciting funds is permitted.
Read more about this topic: Jehovah's Witnesses Literature
Famous quotes containing the words literature and/or preaching:
“Herman Melville was as separated from a civilized literature as the lost Atlantis was said to have been from the great peoples of the earth.”
—Edward Dahlberg (1900–1977)
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