SCIENTOLOGY

international movement that emerged in the 1950s in response to the thought of Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (b. March 13, 1911, Tilden, Nebraska, U.S.d. January 24, 1986, San Luis Obispo, California), a writer who introduced his ideas to the general public in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950). Hubbard's stated goal was to analyze humankind's mental aberrations and to offer a means for overcoming them. He eventually moved away from Dianetics' focus on the mind to a more religious approach to the human condition, which he called Scientology. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. Additional reading The history, teachings, and practice of the church are found in one volume, What Is Scientology? (1978, reissued. 1998), published by the Church of Scientology. The Scientological writings of its founder, which have been frequently reprinted, include L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950); Scientology 8-8008: The Discovery and Increase of Life Energy (1953); and Science of Survival (1951).There have been several scholarly treatments of the church. The two major works are Dorthe Refslund Christensen, Scientology: fra terapie til religion (1997); and J. Gordon Melton, La Chiesa di Scientology (1998). Older works of some note are Roy Wallis, The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological Analysis of Scientology (1976); and Harriet Whitehead, Renunciation and Reformulation: A Study of Conversion in an American Sect (1987).Through the years, many scholars have offered their opinions about the church. Many of these have been compiled and published by the church in Scientology: Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion (1998).The case against Scientology appears in a variety of books. Among the more important critical treatments of Scientology is Russell Miller, Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard (1987).