Presidential Election and the morality of abortion heightened fanaticism regarding these topics (Studies 6 and 7). Generalizing these findings to real-world contexts, inducing participants with discordant knowledge about the 2020 U.S. Additional analyses found that this effect occurs via threat-based mechanisms (Studies 1-7), can be intervened on to prevent fanaticism (Study 2), is conditional on the potency of opposition (Study 3), differs from effects on extremism (Study 4), and extends to mental representations of the self (Study 5). Across multifaceted approaches, experimentally manipulating participants' views to fall under this framework (e.g., 'I am certain about X, but most other people think X is unknowable or wrong') heightened indicators of fanaticism, including aggression, determined ignorance, and wanting to join extreme groups in the service of these views. In nine studies (N = 3,277), we examined whether discordant knowing-felt knowledge about something that one perceives as opposed by most others-underlies fanaticism.

Thoroughly revised, the third edition of Penton’s classic text includes substantial new information on the sources of Russell’s theology and on the church’s early leaders, as well as coverage of important developments within the sect since the second edition was published fifteen years ago.Įxamining the epistemic and social-cognitive structures underlying fanaticism, radicalization, and extremism should shed light on how these harmful phenomena develop and can be prevented. Others involve internal controversies, including political control of the organization and the handling of dissent within the ranks. Some of the issues he discusses are known to the general public, such as the sect’s opposition to military service and blood transfusions. His book is divided into three parts, each presenting the Witnesses’ story in a different context: historical, doctrinal, and sociological. As a former member of the sect, Penton offers a comprehensive overview of the Jehovah's Witnesses. James Penton’s Apocalypse Delayed has been the definitive scholarly study of this religious movement. They distribute a billion pieces of literature annually, and continue to anticipate the end of the world. Ever since that time, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been predicting that the world would end “shortly.” Their numbers have grown to many millions in over two hundred countries. The first prophecy was not fulfilled, but the outbreak of the First World War lent some credibility to the second. Russell, their founder, advised his followers that members of Christ’s church would be raptured in 1878, and by 1914 Christ would destroy the nations and establish his kingdom on earth. Since 1876, Jehovah’s Witnesses have believed that they are living in the last days of the present world.

Apocalypse Delayed by M. James Penton