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James R. Lewis

How Academics Get Scientology So Wrong

Scientology has commissioned academics in sociology and religious studies to offer explanations and rationalizations for Scientology’s practices and have used their writings as defense in court for Scientology’s abuses. In this introduction to my critiques of such papers, I describe some of the basic reasons so many academics have gotten it wrong on Scientology. Enjoy!

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Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 20

Hey everyone, this week we are continuing in our noble pursuit to deconstruct academic nonsense about Scientology. So far we’ve covered some pretty interesting ground and last week’s foray into the Xenu myth was a particularly good effort. In fact, it was the only well researched and fully neutral review of Scientology we’ve found so far in this book, which was edited by James R. Lewis and has mostly consisted of academic fluff and apologetics on the subject of new religious movements, destructive cults and Scientology. I wish I could say that this week’s chapter is as good as last week’s but unfortunately we are right back in the apologetics zone.

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Let’s Talk Xenu (Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 19)

Hey everyone. I’m back and this week, I really mean this when I say we have a fascinating chapter for you. In fact, never have I been so appropriately dressed for the occasion. As with every video in this series, we are taking on a new chapter of this book, Scientology, edited by James R. Lewis and featuring academics writing about Scientology. So far, whether they have been sociologists, psychologists or religious studies professors, Lewis managed to gather together a group of people who have favorable ideas about destructive cults like Scientology and whether he meant to or not, he put together a book of apologetics about it. However, this week we truly do have something so different and unique from what has come earlier, I honestly wonder if it somehow slipped into this book by accident.Read More »Let’s Talk Xenu (Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 19)

Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 17

Hello again and welcome to the next installment in my on-going series deconstructing this book, Scientology, edited by James R. Lewis and featuring essays and articles by religious scholars, academics and the like about, you guessed it, Scientology. So far, almost all of these have been purely Scientology apologetics as these scholars rush to defend Scientology from its critics, which is what attracted me to this in the first place.Read More »Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 17