James R. Lewis: Scientology

Abstract

At last there is an academic publication with the simple title “Scientology”. It aims at covering one of the most controversial developments among newer religious groups, while it is being debated whether this phenomenon can be labelled a “religion” at all. James R. Lewis, well known and prolific writer and editor of many books on new religious phenomena, undertook the difficult task of bringing together various authors of different professions to give a state-of-the-art overview, although not a complete one yet. But the result though is an impressive collection touching many important areas of interest concerning this group. Its controversial nature however cannot be overlooked. This is obvious when we consider that there are not many academic books which receive their own private Wikipedia-entry after its publication (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_(James_R._Lewis_book)).