Second Edition. The biography of an American original. Charles Taze Russell was founder of the Watchtower Bible and Track Society. Many religious groups, including the Jehovah's Witnesses, the International Bible Students Association, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement, Dawn and other Bible student groups have formed around his teachings.

This first comprehensive biography of Charles M. Russell examines the colorful life and times of Montana’s famed Cowboy Artist. Born to an affluent St. Louis family in 1864, young Russell read thrilling tales of the West and filled sketchbooks with imagined frontier scenes. At sixteen he left home and headed west to become a cowboy. In Montana Territory he consorted with cowpunchers, Indians, preachers, saloon keepers, and prostitutes, while celebrating the waning American frontier’s glory days in some 4,000 paintings, watercolors, drawings, and sculptures. Before his death in 1926, Russell saw the world change dramatically, and the West he loved passed into legend. By then he was revered as one of the country’s ranking Western artist with works displayed in the finest galleries, his romantic vision of the Old West forever shaping our own. Taliaferro reveals the man behind the myth in his multifaceted complexity: extraordinarily gifted, self-effacing, charming, mischievous, and playful, a friend to rough frontier denizens and Hollywood stars alike. The author also explores Russell’s controversial partnership with his fiery young wife, Nancy, whose ambition and business savvy helped establish Russell as one of America’s most popular artists.

This treatise of Charles Taze Russell was published by the society after his death in the back of certain printings of the Studies in the Scriptures.CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL, known the world over as Pastor Russell, author, lecturer and minister of the Gospel, was born at Pittsburgh, Pa., February 16, 1852; died October 31, 1916. He was the son of Joseph L. and Eliza Birney Russell, both of Scotch-Irish lineage. He was educated in the common schools and under private tutors. Author of "OBJECT AND MANNER OF OUR LORD'S RETURN," "FOOD FOR THINKING CHRISTIANS," "TABERNACLE SHADOWS," "THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES," "THE TIME IS AT HAND," "THY KINGDOM COME," "THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON," "THE ATONEMENT," "THE NEW CREATION," "WHAT SAY THE SCRIPTURES ABOUT HELL," "SPIRITISM," "OLD THEOLOGY TRACTS," "THE PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION," et cetera, et cetera.He was married in 1879 to Maria Frances Ackley. No children blessed this union.Seventeen years later they disagreed about the management of his journal and a separation followed.Reared under the influence of Christian parents, at an early age he became interested in theology, uniting himself with the Congregational church, and became active in local mission work. The doctrine of eternal torment of all mankind except the few elect became so abhorrent to him that at the age of seventeen he was a skeptic. He said, "A God that would use his power to create human beings whom He foreknew and predestinated should be eternally tormented, could be neither wise, just nor loving; his standard would be lower than that of many men." He continued to believe, however, in the existence of God, but was not willing to accept the commonly understood teachings as God's revelation of himself to man. He turned his attention to the investigation of heathen religions, only to find all of these unsatisfactory.

This is a fascinating account of a neglected man and a neglected chapter in the history of Zionism.... David Horowitz' well-written book makes extremely interesting reading. I definitely recommend it....--Jeane Kirkpatrick Mr. Horowitz has performed an admirable service in restoring to public knowledge the story of this important Christian Zionist....--Benjamin Netanyahu

This book is a critical examination of the teachings and practices of Charles T. Russell, the founder of the religious movement known as Jehovah's Witnesses. John Jacob Ross provides detailed analysis of Russell's public statements, writings, and actions, revealing many inconsistencies and contradictions in his teachings. This is an important resource for anyone interested in understanding the history and development of the Jehovah's Witnesses, or for those seeking to critically evaluate the teachings of their religious leaders. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.