C.T. Russell's Photodrama Tour

Motion pictures were in their infancy when Russell set out to convince the world through movie and slide presentations that the end of the world was near, with the end of the Gentile Times to be completed in 1914. The tour went through Hawaii, Japan, China, Asia and Africa, then into Europe and back to New York. Over 10 million people saw the Photo-Drama during the WWI era and the presentation was responsible for a large increase in Russell's followers. Listen to Russell talk about the Photodrama himself, or watch him speak right out of the Photo Drama of Creation! Listen to him talk about the period of darkness between the death of the apostles and his day! Listen to him speak about religious organizations and their inquisitions!

C.T. Russell, while an effective speaker and debater, and loved by his followers as well (over a dozen offshoots, often known as "Russellites," still exist to this day), nevertheless borrowed most of his ideas from both Protestant and occultic sources. While no records can be found of his official membership in the Masonic Lodge, he was overly sympathetic to them and indeed, borrowed much of their imagery and gnostic ideas. It is interesting that the modern-day Watch Tower Society claims that in 1918-1919 Christ investigated the religions of the world to see which one most closely matched the truth of the Bible, and Christ supposedly picked the Watchtower due to its separateness from the world and its pagan and occultic influences! Practically everything considered pagan by the present-day organization was practiced in Russell's day by even Russell himself, including birthdays, holidays, numerology, belief in fallen angels being redeemed, "creature worship," use of the cross and halos as well as all manner of occultic symbolism. Russell even worshipped Christ and allowed his followers to visit other churches. He thought Masonry was one of the greatest influences on mankind, and said it prefigured the truth as he saw it. Go here to read his treatise on Masonry and whether or not he considered himself a Mason.


Russell's tour around the world starts (1913 Convention Report)	Pastor Russell uses modern technology (the automobile)	cover of the book Photo Drama of Creation (1914)	1913 Convention Report inside cover with cross