Religious minorities in France - Jehovah's Witnesses

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN FRANCE Panorama of contemporary diversity LES MINORITES RELIGIEUSES EN FRANCE Panorama de la diversité contemporaine Editions Bayard, 2019, EAN 978-2-227-49485-5, p. 1201-1213 Jehovah's Witnesses  I. General Information  Group Name  Jehovah's Witnesses.  Denomination  Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination. They were founded in the United States by Pastor Charles Russell in the 1870s. Initially called "Bible Students," they changed their name to "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931.  Position in Religious Currents  Jehovah's Witnesses strongly affirm that they are Christians. However, they are "unitarians," meaning they believe in one God, Jehovah (a way to interpret the name given to God in the Old Testament), and they reject the Trinity. Because they reject the Trinity, which they view as a pagan, polytheistic dogma without biblical foundation, major Christian churches, particularly the Catholic Church, oppose them. Most Christian churches, being Trinitarian, challenge Jehovah's Witnesses' Christianity, arguing that their faith is heretical because they claim Jesus is not God but only the Son of God.  This controversy is, however, purely theological, and Jehovah's Witnesses are de facto part of Christianity. They believe, according to the Bible, which they, like all Christians, consider the Word of God, that Jehovah God's millennial kingdom is near (millennialism). This reign, entrusted to Christ, will restore peace and happiness on Earth, and they prepare for it by striving to practice Christianity in its original form (restorationism).  Jehovah's Witnesses are especially known for their famous door-to-door evangelism with the Bible in hand. They proclaim the imminent intervention of Jehovah God through His Son, Jesus Christ, who will put an end to the wicked world during the Battle of Armageddon described in the Book of Revelation.  Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves the only ones who have succeeded in restoring primitive Christianity, founded by Jesus Christ. They criticize other religions as part of what the Book of Revelation calls "Babylon the Great" because these religions have participated in human wars. They maintain a strictly neutral and apolitical stance, which has led to severe persecutions throughout the 20th century, particularly under Nazi and communist regimes.  Jehovah's Witnesses are close to the evangelical Protestant tradition. Their beliefs systematically refer to the Bible for matters of faith and Christian life (Sola scriptura). They reject the papacy, the veneration of Mary and saints, the Latin cross—a symbol of the Catholic Church—and doctrines such as the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, and the Trinity. They emphasize salvation by grace (Sola gratia) while incorporating the apostle James's amendment on the necessity of works for faith.  International Dimension  Jehovah's Witnesses are present in nearly every country in the world. Their 2018 global report notes that 240 countries and territories send activity reports to their worldwide headquarters in the United States.  II. Presence and Population  Estimated Numbers and Demographic Trends  In 2018, Jehovah's Witnesses numbered between 8.5 million and over 20 million worldwide.  This figure can vary depending on whether only active members are counted or if all individuals associated with the movement are included.  Jehovah's Witnesses emphasize that a Witness is someone who actively preaches the Gospel each month. In this strict sense, there are over 8 million "active" members. However, some members no longer preach regularly or have stopped entirely, yet remain baptized members. Others have been excommunicated but maintain a connection with the movement. Lastly, some sympathizers identify as Jehovah's Witnesses even though they are not or not yet baptized.  All of these groups gather annually in the Kingdom Halls—their places of worship—to celebrate the Memorial of Christ’s Passover. In this broader sense, the Jehovah's Witnesses movement includes approximately 20 million affiliated individuals worldwide.  Globally, the movement grows by about 1 to 2% annually, adding more than a quarter of a million baptized members each year.    Brief History of the Group's Presence in France and Its Evolution  The movement was founded in the United States in the 1870s. By 1891, Jehovah's Witnesses' biblical publications were translated into French. Subsequently, Adolf Weber, a Swiss man, began evangelizing in French-speaking European countries and published advertisements in newspapers offering Jehovah’s Witnesses’ biblical literature.  In 1905, Élie Thérond's house in Ardèche became their first publication depot in France. Other local congregations were later established in northern France, in Denain, Lens, and Sin-le-Noble. By 1909, Jehovah's Witnesses were present in about twenty French départements.  During World War II, Jehovah's Witnesses were banned, and some were deported to concentration camps. However, by 1945, the movement had 2,000 adherents, a number that grew to 10,000 by the late 1950s. In 1973, 60,000 people attended their annual convention titled "Divine Victory." By 1988, there were 100,000 active Jehovah's Witnesses in France. In 2018, there were more than 155,000 active members in France, with over 287,000 attendees at their annual Passover Memorial celebration.    Geographical Concentration  In France, Jehovah's Witnesses have become more visible in recent years by using mobile display carts containing their magazines, The Watchtower and Awake!, while continuing their traditional door-to-door evangelism.  They conducted a thorough analysis of their geographical distribution. The Kingdom Halls—more than a thousand in number—now cover almost the entirety of mainland France. However, after studying differences in presence between urban centers and rural areas, Jehovah's Witnesses concluded that they needed to refocus their efforts on cities.  For example, while the proportion of Jehovah's Witnesses in France in 2015 was about 1 per 504 inhabitants, this ratio dropped to about 1 per 1,000 in major cities. As a result, local congregations were called upon to encourage Jehovah's Witness families to move to specific urban areas and for young members, in particular, to actively engage in these regions.  Composition  Jehovah's Witnesses share the Gospel with everyone without prejudice. Their urban local congregations are notably diverse. Currently, they are making significant efforts in translation to reach all ethnic groups.  Recent Demographic Trends and Conversions  In France, the Jehovah's Witnesses community includes more than 287,000 individuals (including mainland France and overseas departments), making this religious group the fifth-largest Christian denomination in the country. Their numbers are growing by approximately 1% annually.  III. Self-Definition and Discourse  International Relations  Jehovah’s Witnesses are by nature an international organization. They strive to avoid the fragmentation that is common among evangelical Protestant denominations (e.g., one neighborhood, one church, one pastor). Their organizational structure and teachings are uniform worldwide, ensuring that a Jehovah's Witness is never truly out of place when changing local congregations.  Jehovah’s Witnesses have a particularly homogeneous structure. The Governing Body, currently based in Brooklyn, New York, regularly sends representatives to national offices (called Bethels, meaning "House of God" in Hebrew). These representatives provide the same instructions globally. These organizational methods are then conveyed by regional representatives sent by the national Bethel to local congregations.  Foundational Text  Jehovah's Witnesses assert that only the Bible (Old and New Testament) is infallible and constitutes the Word of God. Their monthly magazine, The Watchtower, does not hold such status but provides the official position of the group and serves as a record of its history.  For over 130 years (since 1879), The Watchtower has explained Jehovah's Witnesses’ interpretation of the Bible. They take most biblical verses literally but are not fundamentalists. For example, they do not believe that the world was created in six literal 24-hour days but rather over an indeterminate period. However, they do believe in God's creation of the first humans, rejecting the theory of evolution.  For Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as for all other Christians, but he is not God. God the Father is Jehovah, the name given to Him in the Old Testament (commonly rendered as Yahweh or Jehovah in French). According to their interpretation of the Bible, Jehovah God transferred the life of His firstborn son—known in heaven as Emmanuel or the archangel Michael—into the womb of the Jewish virgin Mary, so he could be born as the man Jesus Christ.  By sacrificing his life for humanity on Nisan 14 in the year 33 CE, Jesus became the Redeemer. Through this ransom, those who have died will be resurrected (recreated). For Jehovah's Witnesses, humans do not possess souls; they are souls. Upon death, a person ceases to exist entirely, leaving only their memory in God's mind, who can recreate them on Earth after the final war and the establishment of Paradise.  Because the soul, blood, and life belong exclusively to God (as stated in the Bible, according to Jehovah's Witnesses), they refuse blood transfusions and the consumption of blood. Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to await the end of this world, which they see as disrespectful of life and distant from God.  Training  Jehovah's Witnesses place significant emphasis on Christian education. They cultivate personal piety through daily Bible reading, individual study, and regular attendance at weekly worship services.  Their religious services are not highly emotional. They consist of study meetings where members listen to talks, read the Bible, comment on the movement's publications—primarily The Watchtower—and practice preaching, reflecting the central role of systematic door-to-door evangelism, which is the responsibility of every Witness (based on the universal priesthood of believers).  Young members are trained in public speaking, reading, and active group participation during the midweek meeting called "Christian Life and Ministry."    IV. Religious Participation  Statistics  A quantitative sociological study conducted in February 2001 found that 59% of Jehovah’s Witnesses regularly engage in preaching. A majority attend worship services (over 70%), indicating a high level of religious practice. Members support their evangelistic work through donations, and their religious organization constructs places of worship worldwide at a rapid pace.  Religious Celebrations  Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate only one religious event: the Lord's Evening Meal, observed annually on the anniversary date corresponding to Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar (a movable feast), as a commemoration of Christ’s Passion. They refer to this event as the "Memorial," the "commemoration," or the "Lord’s Supper."  During this occasion, they recall the events leading to Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and they pass among the attendees unleavened bread and red wine, which symbolize Christ’s body and blood.    Dietary and Dress Practices  Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke to avoid defiling their bodies but consume alcohol in moderation. They eat according to personal preferences but abstain from consuming blood in obedience to the apostolic directive in the Book of Acts.  For worship services, men wear suits with ties, and women wear skirts or dresses that reach the knee and tops that cover the shoulders and chest without revealing necklines. In daily life, they dress according to personal taste but always modestly, avoiding any attire perceived as provocative.    V. Youth  Jehovah's Witnesses practice family worship. Their Kingdom Halls are designed to accommodate families, including small children (with nurseries available in most cases). They exhibit strong intergenerational interaction, with young and old alike participating in activities based on their abilities.  Young members are strongly encouraged to join the ranks of pioneers. This involves committing formally, in writing, to evangelism and dedicating a certain number of hours each month (30, 50, 70, or 140). This commitment is personal and voluntary. Pioneers are then offered specialized training called the "Pioneer Course."  VI. Religion and State  Legal Status / Relationship with the State  Jehovah's Witnesses take a radical stance by refusing any compromise with political systems on issues of militarism and patriotism. Members consider themselves neutral, meaning they do not take political positions. They are entirely non-violent, even when persecuted or threatened, believing that they never pose a threat to people, property, or public order. When banned, they continue their religious activities clandestinely.  Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to perform military service out of pacifism but agree to undertake civil service as a civic duty. They consider saluting the flag a form of idolatry but respect it as a national symbol. While they do not sing the national anthem, they stand respectfully when it is played. They register to vote and go to polling stations. Despite controversies—particularly regarding their refusal of blood transfusions—the movement has gained official recognition in France and within the European Union.    Structures and Institutional Presence  Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916) founded the Christian religious movement in Pennsylvania in 1870. Of Irish-Scottish descent, Pastor Russell was a Presbyterian-Congregationalist. He briefly collaborated with an Adventist journal before launching The Watchtower, a religious publication still issued by Jehovah's Witnesses, in July 1879. He officially declared his religious association, also called The Watchtower, in 1884. His Bible Society, still directed by Jehovah's Witnesses today, was created to proclaim a simple message: Jehovah will soon send His son, Jesus Christ, to destroy the wicked and restore Paradise on Earth.  Over 30 years before 1914, Russell pinpointed that year as the beginning of Christ’s reign and the start of the end times. Jehovah's Witnesses continue to believe that the millennial kingdom of Christ is near.  After Russell's death in 1916, despite internal divisions, Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869–1942) was elected president of The Watchtower Bible Society. In 1931, a general vote among members in all local congregations led to the movement adopting the name "Jehovah's Witnesses." This was intended to clearly distinguish them from other Christian movements and to reject terms like "Russellites," "Rutherfordites," or "Bible Students," which they found too vague.  Nathan Homer Knorr (1905–1977) succeeded Rutherford in 1942, initiating a large missionary expansion, which significantly increased the number of adherents. The last historical president of the Jehovah's Witnesses movement was Frederick Franz, a university scholar in Hebrew and Greek, who participated in translating the Bible into French as The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, the official Bible of Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Today, the global church of Jehovah’s Witnesses is led by a governing body of about ten individuals who draft the movement’s primary journal, The Watchtower.  Adherents are organized into local congregations. Their pastors, known as "elders" (from the Greek presbyteroï), are unpaid volunteers, often married and working in secular jobs. They undergo extensive internal training and provide religious services, including baptisms, weddings, and funerals. They also lead various activities, such as evangelism groups, visits to the sick and isolated, and representation of their local congregations externally. Elders operate without hierarchy within a "body of elders" to oversee local congregations. Some specialize in construction projects for Kingdom Halls, hospital support for the sick, or media communication. Others, though fewer in number, serve in regional management.  In France, Jehovah's Witnesses lack chaplaincies in public institutions. Since 2014, with the official recognition of Jehovah's Witness ministers as approved chaplains, they have appointed chaplains in prisons and hospitals (via the hospital liaison committee). They do not have military or school chaplaincies but do not request them due to their stance of strict neutrality.  Religious Education  Jehovah's Witnesses do not operate confessional schools. Most of their children attend public schools, with some opting for private education based on family and personal preferences.  Children participate in the internal training program provided at the Kingdom Hall during the midweek meeting titled "Christian Life and Ministry." These courses are entirely free of charge.  Financing  The religious entities of Jehovah's Witnesses are all legally registered as local, regional, or national religious associations. They benefit from the tax exemptions granted to religious associations, similar to the Catholic Church and other recognized faiths in France.  In accordance with the French law on the separation of Church and State dated December 9, 1905, Jehovah's Witnesses do not receive any government subsidies for their religious activities or the maintenance of their places of worship. Their members fully fund these needs.  Donations made by Jehovah's Witnesses to their religious associations are eligible for tax deductions under French law.  VII. Religion and Society  Social Recognition — Ongoing Debates  France neither recognizes nor subsidizes any religion. However, the state grants tax benefits to religious associations and certain privileges, such as the ability to appoint chaplains.  The first association of "Bible Students" was officially registered in France in 1906. The International Bible Students Association, headquartered in Paris, was established on August 27, 1919. In 1930, the Watch Tower Bible Society opened a national office in Paris. By September 1947, the association of Jehovah's Witnesses was officially registered.  In 1993, the French Council of State recognized that Kingdom Halls (places of worship) belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities were exclusively dedicated to worship and therefore exempt from taxes. In 2000, the Council of State confirmed that these entities were purely religious and eligible for tax exemptions.  In France, an anti-sect organization sought to classify Jehovah's Witnesses as a "sect" to provoke their ban. This group influenced public opinion by using media outlets to incite controversies, particularly regarding Jehovah's Witnesses’ refusal of blood transfusions and claims of social isolation. These allegations were echoed in a parliamentary commission's report titled Cults in France in 1995.  The definitive condemnation of France by the European Court of Human Rights on June 30, 2011, for violating Jehovah’s Witnesses’ religious freedom (in the case of Association des Témoins de Jéhovah v. France) ended the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses and clarified the religious nature of this movement, which is now well established in France and Europe.  Self-Perception and Aspirations  Today, Jehovah's Witnesses fully enjoy their rights as a recognized religious entity. They aspire to establish their places of worship in peace, particularly their large regional assembly halls. They also seek acceptance as part of the normalization of their relationship with society in general. Their door-to-door proselytism is now a familiar feature of the French religious landscape.  Interfaith and Interdenominational Relations  For Jehovah’s Witnesses, their movement is the only one approved by God due to its neutral stance on politics and wars. They believe Christianity cannot condone any form of violence. In their view, Christian denominations that have asked chaplains to bless armed conflicts have permanently disqualified themselves in God's eyes.  Additionally, because most Christian denominations are Trinitarian, Jehovah's Witnesses—who are strictly monotheistic (unitarian)—consider themselves in fundamental disagreement with these groups on a critical theological point. Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in any ecumenical movements.  Presence in Media and Publications  Their religious monthly magazine, The Watchtower, is now published in more than 200 languages. Each issue is printed in over 42 million copies, making it the most widely distributed magazine in the world. Anyone can access it on the official Jehovah's Witnesses website, available in over 900 languages.  Jehovah’s Witnesses also run a publishing house: Éditions Les Témoins de Jéhovah (Editef). It produces magazines, audio and video materials, and numerous books (including the Bible) in over 990 languages, among which are about 80 sign languages.  Surveys  In 1998, the polling institute SOFRES conducted a survey at the request of Jehovah's Witnesses.    VIII. Research  Ongoing Studies  Sociologists have been studying Jehovah's Witnesses for more than thirty years, seeking to explain the functioning and objective reality of this global Christian movement with its original Christian approach.  The primary doctoral research on Jehovah's Witnesses in France was conducted by sociologist Régis Dericquebourg. His 1979 dissertation, Jehovah's Witnesses: Dynamics of a Minority Religious Group and Relationship to Institution, was supervised by Jean Séguy.  His work is being continued by Philippe Barbey, a sociologist specializing in religion and secularism at the Center for Studies on the Contemporary and the Everyday at Paris 5 Descartes-Sorbonne University. Barbey maintains the website Focus Sociologique, which is entirely dedicated to this topic of study.  Future Perspectives  Given the strong dynamism of the Jehovah's Witnesses movement and the many changes they have implemented in recent years, there remains significant work to be done in researching their practices. They also present an interesting opportunity to analyze the relationship between society and religion.    IX. Sources and References  Philippe Barbey, Jehovah's Witnesses: For an Original Christianity, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2003, "Religion & Human Sciences" collection.  Philippe Barbey, Jehovah's Witnesses: A Sociological Analysis. Max Weber and Specific Charisms, Globalization of a Conversion Christianity: A Charism of Evangelization?, National Thesis Reproduction Workshop (ANRT), University of Lille 3, 2008 (published version of a doctoral thesis in social sciences—sociology/demography defended at Paris 5 René Descartes-Sorbonne University).  Sabine Besson, Family Law, Religions, and Sects, Lyon, Éditions EMCC, 1997.  Bernard Blandre, Jehovah's Witnesses, Turnhout, Brepols, "Sons of Abraham" collection, 1991.  Guy Canonici, Jehovah's Witnesses Facing Hitler, Paris, Albin Michel, 1998.  Céline Couchouron-Gurung, Jehovah's Witnesses in France: Sociology of a Controversy, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2011, "Religions & Spirituality" collection.  Davy Forget, Jehovah's Witnesses in France: Between Recognition and Discrimination, Jouy-le-Moutier, ILV-Édition, 2010.  Philippe Goni, Jehovah's Witnesses: Religious Practice and the December 9, 1905 Law, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2004.  Massimo Introvigne, Jehovah's Witnesses, Paris, Cerf, 1990.  10. 2018 Annual World Report, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 2018.  11. European Circle of Former Jehovah's Witnesses Deported and Interned (CETJAD), Witness Testimonies, 1933–1945, September 1994.  Translation by Abigaïl BARBEY, January, 2025