Food for Thinking Christians

Following the booklet Object and Manner of Our Lord’s Return, CTR’s first major work was the small book Food for Thinking Christians published in 1881. It was the template for the later Divine Plan of the Ages.

Food for Thinking Christians was issued in more than one edition. The original was a special issue of ZWT for September 1881. Below is the cover of one of those originals.

The current owner commented that this original was not in the best of condition “but it has been lovingly read many times over in the past.”

When the publication was reprinted in large numbers to be used in evangelising work, the cover was changed in one respect. Here are two copies of the revised cover.

The special issue for September 1881 ZWT has now become a Free Supplement to Zion’s Watch Tower, 1881.

Any readers who have access to Tower Archives can see this cover was originally a greenish-blue color.

The copy of the Food on the left in the picture has an extra paper strip and holes near the spine, because this was originally bound with a copy of Tabernacle Teachings as described in the article that follows this.

This particular copy had a brief inscription on the front end papers.

Homing in for an enhanced close-up we can see this is from Sunderlin to McCormack.

This would be J C Sunderlin who came to Britain in 1881 to circulate this publication. The G L McCormack is probably the “Brother McCormack” who transferred to Chicago in 1882 as described in ZWT for July 1882, page 1.

(With grateful thanks to Mike C and Brian K who supplied the images)