Editing Anti-cult movement (section)

=== Polarized views among scholars ===

Social scientists, sociologists, religious studies scholars, psychologists and psychiatrists have studied the modern field of "cults" and new religious movements since the early 1970s. Debates about certain purported cults and about cults in general often become polarized with widely divergent opinions, not only among current followers and disaffected former members, but among scholars as well. Most academics agree that some groups have become problematic or very problematic but disagree over the extent to which new religious movements in general cause harm.<ref>David G. Bromley and Phillip E. Hammond, eds. ''The Future of New Religious Movements''. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1987.</ref> An article on the categorization of new religious movements in US media criticizes the print media for failing to recognize social-scientific efforts in the area of new religious movements and its tendency to use anti-cultist definitions rather than social-scientific insight."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=van Driel |first1=Barend |last2=Richardson |first2=James T |author2-link=James T. Richardson |date=1988 |title=Research Note Categorization of New Religious Movements in American Print Media |journal=[[Sociology of Religion (journal)|Sociological Analysis]] |language=en |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=171–183 |doi=10.2307/3711011 |jstor=3711011}}</ref>

Scholars in the field of new religious movements confront many controversial subjects:
* The validity of the testimonies of [[#Former members|former members]].<ref>[[Thomas Robbins (sociologist)|Thomas Robbins]]. "Combatting 'Cults' and 'Brainwashing' in the United States and Western Europe: A Comment on Richardson and Introvigne's Report." ''[[Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion]]'' 40, no. 2 (2001): 169–176.</ref><ref>David G. Bromley, ed. ''Falling from the Faith: Causes and Consequences of Religious Apostasy.'' Sage Focus Editions. London: Sage Publications, 1988.</ref><ref name=":3" />
* The validity of the testimonies of current members.<ref>[[James R. Lewis (scholar)|James R. Lewis]], ed. ''[[Scientology]].'' Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.</ref>
* The validity of and differences between [[exit counseling]] and coercive [[deprogramming]].<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Dick |last=Anthony |author-link=Dick Anthony |title=The Fact Pattern behind the Deprogramming Controversy: An Analysis and an Alternative|url=https://socialchangenyu.com/review/fact-pattern-behind-the-deprogramming-controversy-an-analysis-and-an-alternative-the/|access-date=2023-01-02|website=N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change|language=en-US |volume=9 |issue=1 |year=1981 |pages=73–89}}</ref><ref>James T. Richardson. ''Conversion Careers: In and Out of the New Religions.'' [[SAGE Publishing|Sage]] Contemporary Social Science Issues. 1977. Reprint, London and Beverley Hills, CA: Sage, 1978.</ref>
* The validity of evidence of harm caused by "cults".<ref>David G. Bromley and J. Gordon Melton, eds. ''Cults, Religion, and Violence.'' [[Cambridge]]: [[Cambridge University Press]], 2002.</ref><ref>[[Massimo Introvigne]]. "'There Is No Place for Us to Go but Up': New Religious Movements and Violence." ''[[Social Compass]]'' 49, no. 1 (2002): 213–224.</ref><ref>Paul R. Powers. ''[[Religion and violence|Religion and Violence]]: A [[Religious studies|Religious Studies]] Approach.'' London and New York: [[Routledge]], 2021.</ref>
* Ethical concerns regarding new religious movements, for example [[free will]] and [[freedom of speech]].<ref name=":6">Dick Anthony and Thomas Robbins. "Law, Social Science, and the 'Brainwashing' Exception to the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]." ''[[Behavioral Sciences & the Law|Behavioral Science and the Law]]'' 10, no. 1 (1992): 5–29.</ref>
* Opposition to "cults" vs. [[freedom of religion]] and [[religious intolerance]].<ref name=":6" /><ref>[[Roy Wallis]]. "Paradoxes of Freedom and Regulation: the Case of New Religious Movements in Britain and America." ''[[Sociological Analysis]]'' 48, no. 4 (1988): 355–371.</ref>
* The objectivity of all scholars studying new religious movements.<ref>Eileen Barker. "Religious Movements: Cult and Anticult Since [[Jonestown]]." ''[[Annual Review of Sociology]]'' 12, no. 1 (1983): 329–346.</ref><ref>Anson D. Shupe and David G. Bromley. ''The New Vigilantes: Deprogrammers, Anti-Cultists, and the New Religions.'' Sage Library of Social Research. London and [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverley Hills, CA]]: Sage, 1980.</ref><ref>Anson D. Shupe and Susan E. Darnell. ''Agents of Discord: Deprogramming, Pseudo-Science, and the American Anticult Movement.'' London and [[New Brunswick, NJ]]: [[Transaction Publishers]], 2006. {{ISBN|0765803232}} {{OL|22732556M}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field |title-link=Misunderstanding Cults |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8020-8188-9 |editor-last=Zablocki |editor-first=Benjamin |editor-link=Benjamin Zablocki |language=en |editor-last2=Robbins |editor-first2=Thomas |editor-link2=Thomas Robbins (sociologist)}}</ref>
* The acceptance or rejection of the [[APA Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Methods of Persuasion and Control]] report and the [[Brainwashing|brainwashing thesis]] generally.<ref>Alberto Amitrani and Raffaella Di Marzio. "'Mind Control' in New Religious Movements and the [[American Psychological Association]]." ''[[Cultic Studies Review]]'' 17 (2000): 101–121.</ref><ref name=":7">David G. Bromley and James T. Richardson, eds. ''The Brainwashing/Deprogramming Controversy: Sociological, Psychological, Legal and Historical Perspectives''. Studies in Religion and Society. [[Lewiston, New York]]: [[Edwin Mellen Press]], 1983.</ref><ref>Eileen Barker. ''The Making of a [[Moonie]]: Choice or Brainwashing?'' 1984. Reprint, Oxford and Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell, 1989.</ref><ref>David G. Bromley and Anson Shupe. "Anti-cultism in the United States: Origins, Ideology and Organizational Development." ''[[Social Compass]]'' 42, no. 2 (1995): 221–236.</ref>