Jehovah's Witnesses in northern France: siting and expansion ; Les Témoins de Jéhovah dans le Nord de la France : implantation et expansion

Abstract

James A. Beckford ed. Number on Jehovah Le Jehovah's Witnesses has seen a significant expansion in the mining basin of northern France, where he recruited mainly Polish emigrant workers but also French workers to a lesser extent. The author tries to trace the history of the expansion of this religion. It examines the causes of this unique development in France. These are linked to the social conditions of this population: cultural and social change, unmet hopes, lack of political role, crisis of conscience towards the Catholic Church. They may refer to a more general assumption that the Jéhoviste Movement would have been a home for the Polish emigrated travalers. Recruits of French origin partly shared the destiny of Polish workers. Individual particularities must also be taken into account. ; International audience The Watchtower movement saw considerable expansion in Northern of France, especially in the mining basin where it recruited Polish emigrant workers, but also French workers in lesser proportions. The author attempts to retrace the history of the spread of the movement in this region and examine the causes of its unique development in France. These causes could be linked to the social conditions of this population : social and cultural change, unsatisfied expectations, absence of political power, a cris of confidence in the Catholic Church. They could also be subsumed under a more global hypothesis according to wich the Watch Tower movement would have constituted a substitute homeland for the emigrant Polish workers. As for the Franch Jehovah's Witnesses, it was seen that they partially shared the Polish workers'fate, and individual particularities had to be taken into account. ; James A. Beckford ed. Number on Jehovah Le Jehovah's Witnesses has seen a significant expansion in the mining basin of northern France, where he recruited mainly Polish emigrant workers but also French workers to a lesser extent. The author tries to trace the history of the expansion of this religion. It examines the causes ...