Jehovah's Witnesses publications#Our Kingdom Ministry

File:Jehovah's Witnesses outside the British Museum 01.jpg]]

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 translation of the Bible published in whole or part in over 130 languages.{{cite book|title=2015 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses|page=23}} This is the Bible translation primarily used by Jehovah's Witnesses.
• Awake!, published in over 100 languages once per year, a general-interest annual magazine covering many topics from a religious perspective.
• The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom, published in 413 languages annually, focuses mainly on doctrine.{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|url=https://d34ji3l0qn3w2t.cloudfront.net/31257e38-a6e9-45db-b60b-b1ac6bbf03d8/1/wp_E_202305.pdf |title=The Watchtower—Public Edition|page=2|date=2023}}

When interested individuals are encountered, Witnesses offer a home Bible study course, using a current publication, such as Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course,{{cite book |url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/enjoy-life-forever/ |title=Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course|publisher=Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania|year=2024}} which 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. 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".{{cite book|title=What Does The Bible Really Teach?|publisher=Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania|year=2005|page=7}}

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.{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|title=Teach What the Bible Really Teaches|date=January 15, 2007|pages=24–25}} Bible students are expected to be making progress to become baptized as a Jehovah's Witness by the time the course is completed.{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=January 2004|page=3|quote=Your goal is to help the student achieve greater insight into the truth, qualify as an unbaptized publisher, and become a dedicated and baptized Witness of Jehovah.|title=Be "Intensely Occupied" With Your Ministry}}

Jehovah's Witnesses previously offered their literature for a price determined by the branch office in each country, to cover printing costs.{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=October 1984|page=8|title=Presenting the Good News—By Effective Use of Magazines}} Since 2000, Jehovah's Witnesses have offered their publications free of charge globally.{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=May 1990|page=7|title=Use Our Literature Wisely|quote=At the end of February 1990, it was explained that magazines and literature will be provided to publishers and to the interested public on a complete donation basis, that is, without asking or suggesting that a specific contribution be made as a precondition to receiving an item.}}{{cite book|title=2001 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses|page=18|quote=The voluntary donation arrangement is explained to people, but no charge is made for the literature. As of January 2000, that arrangement was extended to all lands where it was not already in operation.}} Printing is funded by voluntary donations from Witnesses and members of the public.{{cite book|title=2001 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses|page=18|year=2002}} Jehovah's Witnesses accept donations if offered by householders.

Some publications, such as the hymnal Sing to Jehovah, The Watchtower Study Edition,{{cite book|title=An Educator's Classroom Guide to America's Religious Beliefs and Practices|author1=Benjamin Jerome Hubbard|author2=John T. Hatfield|author3=James A. Santucci|year=2007|publisher=Libraries Unlimited}} and the textbook Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education{{cite book|title=Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America|author1=Eugene V. Gallagher|author2=W. Michael Ashcraft|year=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group}} are for use by those who attend congregation meetings. Others, such as the organizational manual Organized to Do Jehovah's Will{{cite book|title=Jehovah's Witnesses: The African American Enigma—A Contemporary Study|volume=1|author=Firpo W. Carr|year=2002|publisher=Morris Publishing|page=207}} and Watchtower Library (containing the Watch Tower Publications Index from 1930, issues of The Watchtower since 1950, and most other Watch Tower Society literature published since 1970),{{cite journal |last1=Torres-Pruñonosa |first1=Jose |last2=Plaza-Navas |first2=Miquel-Angel |last3=Brown |first3=Silas |date=2022 |title=Jehovah's Witnesses' adoption of digitally-mediated services during Covid-19 pandemic |journal=Cogent Social Sciences |volume=8 |issue=1 |doi=10.1080/23311886.2022.2071034 |quote=The 2021 English edition organises and hyperlinks some 137,000 printed pages|doi-access=free |hdl=10261/268521 |hdl-access=free }} are intended for members. Certain publications are limited to members in appointed positions, such as the manual for congregation elders, "Shepherd the Flock of God".{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions|author1=John Ankerberg|author2=John Weldon|year=1999|publisher=Harvest House Publishers|page=165}}{{cite book|title="Shepherd the Flock of God"|page=6|chapter=Introduction|publisher=Watch Tower Society}}

Some publications are typically distributed only to members, but may be supplied to other interested individuals on request or made available in public libraries. These include the Bible encyclopedia Insight on the Scriptures and Jehovah's Witnesses' official history book Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom.{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|title=Selected Publications of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania|page=6|date=November 1991}}{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|date=1 July 1994|page=21|title=The Christian View of Authority}} Many of these publications are also available from their website in the Watchtower Online Library.

In addition to Jehovah's Witnesses' widely distributed magazines, various publications have received attention from the media and other commentators.

Aid to Bible Understanding was the first doctrinal and biblical encyclopedia of Jehovah's Witnesses, published in full in 1971. Raymond Franz, a former member of the Governing Body who left the organization1973 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 257 claimed to have been one of the researchers.{{cite book|title=Crisis of Conscience|author=Franz, Raymond|publisher=Commentary Press|year=1983|page=20}} Research for the book led to new interpretations of some concepts, providing a catalyst for changes in doctrine.{{cite book|title=Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom|publisher=Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society|pages=233–235}}{{cite book|title=Crisis of Conscience|author=Franz, Raymond|publisher=Commentary Press|year=1983|pages=23–25}} It was replaced in 1988 by Insight on the Scriptures, which contains much of the original content from Aid to Bible Understanding.{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|date=March 15, 1989|page=10|title="Insight on the Scriptures"—A New Bible Encyclopedia|quote=Insight on the Scriptures includes much of what was formerly in the book Aid to Bible Understanding and a great deal more.}}

Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?, first published in 1985, presents the Old Earth (Gap and Day-Age) creationism of Jehovah's Witnesses,{{cite book|last1=Chryssides|first1=George D.|title=Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses|date=2008|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810862692|page=37|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xx6nUwZzeCsC&pg=PA37|language=en}} and their criticism of evolution. Biologist Richard Dawkins criticized the book for repeatedly presenting a choice between intelligent design and chance, rather than natural selection.{{cite book|title=The God Delusion|pages=119–121|author=Richard Dawkins}} The book was supplemented by the 1998 book, Is There a Creator Who Cares About You?, and the 2010 brochures The Origin of Life—5 Questions Worth Asking and Was Life Created?

The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life was a Bible study textbook published in 1968 and revised in 1981 (now out of print).{{cite book|title=Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses|year=2000|page=78}} The 1975 Guinness Book of Records included this book in its list of highest printings.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19741218&id=-3c0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ep0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7330,4741666&hl=fi|title=Guinness book sets sale record}} According to the Watch Tower Society, by 1992, publication had reached 107,553,888 copies in 117 languages.{{Cite book |url=https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101993036#h=174-180 |title=Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom |publisher=Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania |year=1993 |pages=594 |language=English}}

• The Photo-Drama of Creation – film produced by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society under Charles Taze Russell

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{{Commons category|Jehovah's Witnesses literature}}

• [http://www.jw.org/en/library jw.org - Download of publications of Jehovah's Witnesses and official website]
• [http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200276167 Watch Tower publications listed] in Watchtower Online Library

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