Scientology

Scientology is an edited volume about the Church of Scientology and the beliefs and movement called Scientology. It was edited by James R. Lewis, and published in March 2009 by Oxford University Press. In addition to Lewis, other contributors to the book include J. Gordon Melton, William Sims Bainbridge, Douglas E. Cowan, David G. Bromley, Anson Shupe, James T. Richardson, and Susan J. Palmer. Scientology gives an overview and introduction to the organization, and presents an analysis of the movement from the perspective of sociology. The book compares the organization to religious movements, and goes over its history of controversy. It delves into the practices of the organization and the activities undertaken at its facilities. Scientology was given an unfavorable review in the International Journal of Cultic Studies, which considered the book unduly biased in Scientology's favour. This view is echoed in the review in Private Eye, which observed "far from being a neutral scholar, James Lewis is a veteran apologist for cults...Lewis seems never to have met a cult he didn't like. That's his prerogative. What is utterly mystifying is why one of the oldest and most respected publishing houses in the world chooses to give its imprimatur to this tendentious drivel." It received a positive review in Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review, describing it as "the most sophisticated academic item published on Scientology" to date, a book to be read by journalists and academics alike, and "the most important collection of scholarly articles on Scientology published so far – in any language". Editor At the time of the book's publication, James R. Lewis was employed as a lecturer in the subject of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Contents Contributors to the book include: J. Gordon Melton, James R. Lewis, William Sims Bainbridge, Douglas E. Cowan, David G. Bromley, Anson Shupe, James T. Richardson, and Susan J. Palmer. Billed by Oxford University Press as "the only comprehensive resource for scholars, students, and others interested in this controversial and little-understood religious movement", Scientology is organized into seven main parts (discounting the introduction and appendix), each containing several essays. Part I, "Introductory Essays", presents an overview and introduction to Scientology and the life of its founder.