New pro-JW book out on JWs in the Third Reich

M.J.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0299207943/ref=pe_5050_7762570_pe_snp_943

Now that I look more into it, I believe its a recent English translation of a 10 year old German book. I wonder if Penton's book referenced the German version of it.

Does anyone know if the author, Detlef Garbe, is a JW?

GermanXJW

I have mentioned it here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/150174/2734295/post.ashx#2734295

Garbe is not a JW. He is the director of the concentration camp memorial Neuengamme near Hamburg. He wrote his doctoral thesis on JW without any support from the Watchtower who denied. When they changed their policy they started to support him and granted him access to the Watchtower Archives. To me, it is still one of the best (the best?) work on the topic.

edited to add: yes, Penton refers to Garbe.

M.J.

Thanks, Sir. I was thinking of you when I posted this. So you think it is a balanced treatment of the subject?

Certainly, I can sympathize with, and respect the JWs who were caught in this situation. But I can't say the same for Rutherford.

How would you compare it against James Penton's book? Or is the focus too different for a valid comparison?

GermanXJW

I own both books and would say that Penton's book has a more negative touch. Of ocurse, as an XJW Penton remembers that the JW claim to be God's only religion and this is the benchmark he uses. Garbe sees them as just another group that was persecuted but was outstanding in some way. To me, Garbe collected more details and has more internal distance to the topic. Penton does a lot of ad hominem against JW apologets (which may be deserved). When reading Penton I did not find anything new because I had read Garbe before.

Some claim Garbe is pro-JW because he spoke at the "Stand firm"-exhibitions and because he changed some things in later edition after having access to the Watchtower Archives. But you have to notice that he also rejects the idea of JW being an "example for today" as they have claimed in Germany.

Garbe's data are found here:
http://www.clio-online.de/forscherinnen=4156

TheOldHippie

How would you evaluate Hans Hesse compared to Garbe? I have the third edition of Garbe (German) and it is an amazing piece of work.

ozziepost

Mrs Ozzie has recently been given a book on a similar theme to read. It's entitled "Facing the Lion" by Simone Arnold Liebster.

I believe it's very popular amongst the 'in crowd' amongst Witnesses downunder.

M.J.

Considering it was likely translated into English by a JW, I wonder if "Jehovah" was inserted a few too many times, if you know what I mean.

GermanXJW

How would you evaluate Hans Hesse compared to Garbe? I have the third edition of Garbe (German) and it is an amazing piece of work.

The current fourth edition of Garbe's book is an unchanged reprint of the third edition.

Hesse is superficial compared to Garbe. He also has a broader field of interest. His main work on JW is a collection of different essays on JW in the third reich. (This book is also distributed by the public affairs desk.) His is mentioned in the imprint of http://www.standhaft.org/impres.html (this shelters this private JW-site from the WTS).

GermanXJW

Considering it was likely translated into English by a JW, I wonder if "Jehovah" was inserted a few too many times, if you know what I mean.

We will have to wait and see. We can always check with the German edition and with Garbe himself. At least, it is published by a university.

New pro-JW book out on JWs in the Third Reich

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