The Children Act

In The Children Act, Adam Henry is a member of the Jehovah’s Witness community. His faith plays a major role in how both the narrator and Fiona Maye initially regard his character. It is also integral to his decision to refuse a blood transfusion despite a life-threatening diagnosis and relates to his internal conflict after he recovers.

Jehovah’s Witnesses is the name of a Christian denomination originally founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1881. The denomination is run by the Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society, which came under the control of Joseph Franklin Rutherford after Russell’s death. Unlike other Christian denominations, Jehovah’s Witnesses regard the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (an alternate Biblical translation) as their holy text. 

According to the translation, human society is controlled by Satan (a fallen angel) and is thus morally corrupt. Because non-Witnesses are under Satan’s control, Witnesses limit socializing with those outside the faith. At the same time, Jehovah’s Witnesses prioritize evangelism—the spreading of their faith—particularly via the distribution of their literature, namely Awake! and The Watchtower. Jehovah’s Witnesses are also known for not celebrating birthdays or traditional Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. Furthermore, the denomination refuses military service and blood transfusions.