Editing Scientology (section)

== Scientology in religious studies ==
Hugh B. Urban writes that "Scientology's efforts to get itself defined as a religion make it an ideal case study for thinking about how we understand and define religion."<ref>Urban, Hugh B.: The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion
Chapman, Mark. Review of Religious Research. 2013. vol. 55. Issue: 1, pp. 203–204</ref> Frank K. Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies at [[Washington University in St. Louis]] wrote, "it is abundantly clear that Scientology has both the typical forms of ceremonial and celebratory worship and its own unique form of spiritual life."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.neuereligion.de/ENG/Flinn/index.htm|first=Frank K.|last=Flinn|title=Scientology: The Marks of Religion|publisher=Church of Scientology|date=September 22, 1994 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914201545/http://www.neuereligion.de/ENG/Flinn/index.htm|archive-date=September 14, 2012}}</ref>

Flinn further states that religion requires "beliefs in something transcendental or ultimate, practices (rites and codes of behavior) that re-inforce those beliefs and, a community that is sustained by both the beliefs and practices", all of which are present within Scientology.<ref name="Flinn-WashingtonPost"/> Similarly, ''World Religions in America'' states that "Scientology contains the same elements of most other religions, including myths, scriptures, doctrines, worship, sacred practices and rituals, moral and ethical expectations, a community of believers, clergy, and ecclesiastic organizations."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=34vGv_HDGG8C|title=World Religions in America, Fourth Edition: An Introduction|last1=DeChant|first1=Dell|last2=Jorgensen |first2=Danny L.|date=October 7, 2009|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=978-1-61164-047-2|editor-last=Neusner|editor-first=Jacob|page=297}}</ref> According to Mikhael Rothstein, Scientology's rituals can be classified into 1) those with the purpose of changing the person, such as auditing; 2) collective, which are calendar events where Scientology, its community and L. Ron Hubbard are celebrated; 3) rites of passage 4) weekly services that are similar to Christian services.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lewis |first=James R. |title=Scientology: Religious Studies Approaches |journal=Numen |volume=63 |issue=1 |year=2016 |pages=6–11 |doi=10.1163/15685276-12341405}}</ref>

While acknowledging that a number of his colleagues accept Scientology as a religion, sociologist Stephen A. Kent writes: "Rather than struggling over whether or not to label Scientology as a religion, I find it far more helpful to view it as a multifaceted transnational corporation, only ''one'' element of which is religious" [emphasis in the original].{{sfn|Beit-Hallahmi|2003}}{{sfn|Kent|1999a|p=4}}
Donna Batten in the ''Gale Encyclopedia of American Law'' writes, "A belief does not need to be stated in traditional terms to fall within [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] protection. For example, Scientology&nbsp;– a system of beliefs that a human being is essentially a free and immortal spirit who merely inhabits a body&nbsp;– does not propound the existence of a supreme being, but it qualifies as a religion under the broad definition propounded by the Supreme Court."<ref>{{Cite book|editor1=Jeffrey Lehman |editor2=Shirelle Phelps |title=West's Encyclopedia of American Law |chapter=Religion |edition= 2nd |year=2005 |publisher=Thomson/Gale |volume=8 |location=Detroit |page=283 |isbn=978-0-7876-6375-9}}</ref>

A great number of research archives on Scientology have emerged in recent years for the academic study of Scientology. These include collections in San Diego State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Ohio State University and Claremont College Library. There is also a big collection of alternative beliefs and religions at the University of Alberta Library in Canada, where scholar Stephen A. Kent "makes material available on a restricted bases to undergraduate and graduate students."{{sfn|Westbrook|2022}}

The material contained in the OT levels has been characterized as bad science fiction by critics, while others claim it bears structural similarities to [[gnosticism|gnostic]] thought and ancient Hindu beliefs of creation and cosmic struggle.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Herrick|first=James A. |author-link=James A. Herrick|title=The Making of the New Spirituality|publisher=InterVarsity Press|year=2004|location=Downers Grove, IL|page=199|isbn=978-0-8308-3279-8}}</ref> Donald A. Westbrook suggests that there are three areas of research scholars should consider researching and writing about: the biographical life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology's social betterment programs, and [[Free Zone (Scientology)|derivative scientology]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Westbrook |first=Donald A. |title=Scientology Studies 2.0: Lessons Learned and Paths Forward |journal=Religion Compass |volume=14 |issue=2 |year=2020 |article-number=e12345 |doi=10.1111/rec3.12345}}</ref>

=== Influences ===
The general orientation of Hubbard's philosophy owes much to [[Will Durant]], author of the popular 1926 classic ''[[The Story of Philosophy]]''; ''Dianetics'' is dedicated to Durant.<ref name=Willms248-9 /> Hubbard's view of a mechanically functioning mind in particular finds close parallels in Durant's work on [[Spinoza]].<ref name="Willms248-9">{{harvnb|Willms|2009|pp=248–249}}</ref> According to Hubbard himself, Scientology is "the Western anglicized continuance of many early forms of wisdom".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ankerberg |first1=John |last2=Weldon|first2=John |title=Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs|publisher=Harvest House Publishers |date=1996 }}</ref> Ankerberg and Weldon mention the sources of Scientology to include "the [[Vedas]], Buddhism, Judaism, Gnosticism, Taoism, early Greek civilization and the teachings of Jesus, [[Nietzsche]] and Freud".<ref>{{Cite journal | title = The concept "salvation" in the Church of Scientology | journal = HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | year = 2006 | first = S.P. | last = Pretorius | volume = 62 | issue = 1 | pages = 313–327| doi=10.4102/hts.v62i1.353| doi-access = free | hdl = 2263/14050 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> Hubbard had an inaccurate and superficial understanding of the major Eastern religious traditions, despite his claims of similarities to Scientology. His self-proclaimed association with Buddhism's Maitreya was an attempt on his part to enhance his image and add respectability to his organisation's beliefs. Aside from superficial similarities between Scientology and Hinayana Buddhism that might have motivated him to draw spurious associations between the two belief systems, Hubbard may have written about Eastern faiths because his Western members were unlikely to have sufficient knowledge of them to assess the validity of his claims.{{sfn|Kent|1996|pp=29–30|loc="Hubbard had only a rudimentary, and largely inaccurate, understanding of major Eastern religious traditions - traditions about which he claimed similarities to the faith that he had constructed. His self-proclaimed association, for example, with Buddhism's Maitreya seems to have been an effort on his part to enhance his image with his followers, as well as add respectability to his organisation's beliefs by associating them with a major religious tradition. Aside from superficial similarities between scientology and Hinayana Buddhism that might have motivated him to draw spurious associations between the two belief systems, Hubbard may have written about Eastern faiths because his Western members were unlikely to have sufficient background in them to make informed assessments about his claims"}}

Hubbard asserted that Freudian thought was a "major precursor" to Scientology. W. Vaughn Mccall, Professor and Chairman of the Georgia Regents University writes, "Both Freudian theory and Hubbard assume that there are unconscious mental processes that may be shaped by early life experiences, and that these influence later behavior and thought." Both schools of thought propose a "tripartite structure of the mind".<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Psychiatry and Psychology in the Writings of L. Ron Hubbard |journal=Journal of Religion and Health |year=2007 |last=Mccall |first=W. Vaughn|volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=437–47 |doi=10.1007/s10943-006-9079-9|s2cid=10629230 }}</ref> [[Sigmund Freud]]'s psychology, popularized in the 1930s and 1940s, was a key contributor to the Dianetics therapy model, and was acknowledged unreservedly as such by Hubbard in his early works.<ref name=Willms2005-54-60 /> Hubbard never forgot, when he was 12 years old, meeting Cmdr. [[Joseph Cheesman Thompson]], a U.S. Navy officer who had studied with Freud<ref>{{Cite book |last=Christensen |first=Dorthe Refslund |title=Controversial New Religions |title-link=Controversial New Religions |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-515682-9 |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=James R. |editor-link=James R. Lewis (scholar) |edition=1st |location=New York |language=en |chapter=Inventing L. Ron Hubbard: On the Construction and Maintenance of the Hagiographic Mythology of Scientology’s Founder |editor-last2=Petersen |editor-first2=Jesper Aagaard |page=238}}</ref> and when writing to the [[American Psychological Association]] in 1949, he stated that he was conducting research based on the "early work of Freud".<ref name="GA171">{{harvnb|Cowan|Bromley|2006|p=171}}</ref>

In ''Dianetics'', Hubbard cites [[Hegel]] as a negative influence&nbsp;– an object lesson in "confusing" writing.<ref>Hubbard, L Ron. 'Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health'. Los Angeles, California: Bridge Publications, 2007: 3. {{ISBN|978-1-4031-4484-3}}</ref> According to Mary A. Mann, Scientology is considered nondenominational, accepting all people regardless of their religions background, ethnicity, or educational attainment.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mann |first1=Mary A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m-pit1X2O6UC&q=scientology |title=Science and Spirituality |year=2004 |publisher=Mary A. Mann |access-date=December 14, 2015 |isbn=978-1-4184-9294-6 }}</ref> Another influence was [[Alfred Korzybski]]'s [[General Semantics]].<ref name=Willms2005-54-60 /> Hubbard was friends with fellow science fiction writers [[A. E. van Vogt]] and [[Robert Heinlein]], who both wrote science-fiction inspired by Korzybski's writings, such as Vogt's ''[[The World of Null-A]]''. Hubbard's view of the ''reactive mind'' has acknowledged parallels with Korzybski's thought; in fact, Korzybski's "anthropometer" may have been what inspired Hubbard's invention of the E-meter.<ref name=Willms2005-54-60 />

Beyond that, Hubbard himself named a great many other influences in his own writing&nbsp;– in ''Scientology 8-8008'', for example, these include philosophers from [[Anaxagoras]] and [[Aristotle]] to [[Herbert Spencer]] and [[Voltaire]], physicists and mathematicians like [[Euclid]] and [[Isaac Newton]], as well as founders of religions such as Buddha, Confucius, Jesus and Mohammed—but there is little evidence in Hubbard's writings that he studied these figures to any great depth.<ref name="Willms2005-54-60">{{harvnb|Willms|2005|pp=54–60}}</ref>

As noted, elements of the Eastern religions are evident in Scientology,<ref name="GA171" /> in particular the concept of [[karma]] found [[Karma in Hinduism|in Hinduism]] and [[Karma in Jainism|Jainism]].<ref>{{Cite book |first=Bryan |last=Wilson |year=1995 |title=Religious Toleration & Religious Diversity |url=http://www.neuereligion.de/ENG/collection/diversity/point33.htm |publisher=The Institute for the Study of American Religion |archive-date=October 31, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131031204601/http://www.neuereligion.de/ENG/collection/diversity/point33.htm}}</ref><ref>James R. Lewis ''The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements'', p. 429, Oxford University Press US, 2004 {{ISBN|978-0-19-514986-9}}</ref> According to the ''Encyclopedia of Community'', Scientology "shows affinities with Buddhism and a remarkable similarity to first-century Gnosticism".<ref>Karen Christensen, David Levinson (2003): ''Encyclopedia of Community'', SAGE, p. 1210: "Scientology shows affinities with Buddhism and a remarkable similarity to first-century [[Gnosticism]]."</ref><ref>[[John A. Saliba]] (1996): ''Signs of the Times'', Médiaspaul, p. 51</ref>