Thanks that’s a really interesting analysis. I look forward to reading it as part of the book. And especially interesting to see how the detailed work combines to support this presentation of early Watch Tower history.
I wonder if “Age to Come” believers is a title that early Watch Tower adherents would have applied to themselves, or others generally.
I notice that the founder of the Christadelphians, John Thomas, published a magazine called Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come. So I wonder if Christadelphians and early Watch Tower adherents both come from common “Age to Come” stock, or what is the relation between the three.
When you say:
Their roots are in traditional millenarianism. We connect Russell's history to the history of the times in which he lived. This is almost never done, and in the few occasions where it has been attempted, the result is, in my opinion, very poor.
I would be very interested to know explicitly what are the previous attempts you are referring to.