Food for Thinking Christians (1881) – Why Evil Was Permitted and Kindred Topics

📘 Food for Thinking Christians (1881) – Summary & Analysis

🔹 Title:
Food for Thinking Christians: Why Evil Was Permitted and Kindred Topics

🔹 Author:
Charles Taze Russell

🔹 Publication Year:
1881

🔹 Purpose of the Book:
This work was published to offer sincere Bible students an accessible explanation of why God permits evil, how it fits into His divine plan, and the hope of restoration through Christ. Russell aimed to challenge traditional doctrines of Christendom and present a clearer view of Jehovah’s purpose using Scripture and reason. Over 1.5 million copies were distributed freely to churches and individuals.

🆓 Public Domain Use

Food for Thinking Christians, written by Charles Taze Russell and first published in 1881, is in the public domain. As it was released well before January 1, 1929, and no copyright renewal or restrictions apply, this book is no longer under copyright protection under U.S. law. It may be freely copied, shared, reproduced, or reformatted without permission or payment of royalties.

1881_Food_for_Thinking_Christians_-_Why_Evil_was_Permitted_and_Kindred_Topics

❗ Doctrinal Issues & Revisions in Food for Thinking Christians (1881)

🔍 Topic	📖 What Russell Taught (1881)	⚠️ Modern JW or Historical Concern
Trinity	Denied the Trinity as unscriptural and pagan.	Consistent with JW doctrine, but harsh language and tone may seem extreme or dismissive today.
Hellfire	Rejected eternal torment; taught “second death” as extinction.	JW still agree, but critics note that Russell used emotionally manipulative language.
Christ’s Return (Parousia)	Taught Jesus returned invisibly in 1874.	Later changed to 1914 by Rutherford; 1874 teaching is now considered “old light.”
The Great Pyramid of Giza	Used pyramid measurements as confirmation of prophecy.	JW later denounced pyramidology as unscriptural “Babylonish influence.”
Chronology	Claimed 6,000 years of human history ended in 1873; Millennium began shortly after.	These dates were later revised or dropped entirely.
Organization Structure	Encouraged Bible study groups with no centralized authority.	Contrasts with modern JW’s highly centralized Governing Body system.
Use of “Thinking Christians”	Russell appeals to reasoning and critical thinking from Scripture.	Modern JW culture often discourages questioning or independent research outside JW.org.
View of Christendom	Harshly condemned mainstream churches as Babylon and tools of Satan.	JW still share this view, but critics question the unloving tone and divisiveness.
Anointing & Little Flock	Focused heavily on a literal 144,000 going to heaven; earthly class wasn’t emphasized yet.	JW now teach a two-class system (anointed and great crowd), which developed later.

Final Thoughts

Food for Thinking Christians was a special publication prepared by Brother Charles Taze Russell in 1881, intended to reach hearts sincerely searching for scriptural truth. At a time when many were confused by church dogma, this booklet sought to cut through man-made traditions and return to what the Bible truly teaches about God’s character, the permission of evil, Christ’s ransom, and the coming Kingdom blessings.

Brother Russell’s goal was to stir the minds and hearts of “thinking Christians” who longed to reason on the Scriptures and draw closer to Jehovah. Even today, we can appreciate the effort to point readers back to the Bible and its grand theme — Jehovah’s purpose for mankind.

While some of the teachings have since been clarified with “new light” over time, this publication remains a valuable look into the early efforts to restore pure worship. May it encourage deeper appreciation for the spiritual heritage we’ve been blessed to receive.