Scientology Studies 2.0: Lessons learned and paths forward

The academic study of Scientology traces to at least 1958, when L. Ron Hubbard granted an interview to new religions scholar and librarian J. Stillson Judah in Washington, DC. Since then, relations between the Church of Scientology and academics have at times been strained yet, on the whole, remain more productive and congenial relative to other outsiders such as journalists and former members. Over the last decade, there have been a number of encouraging developments as more and more researchers have successfully taken up the subject. One of the more prominent recent examples was an international conference on Scientology held in Belgium in 2014. This article surveys the past and present of Scientology studies, both as a subfield within new religious movements (NRM) studies and as an emergent and increasingly sophisticated field in its own right, and suggests possible directions for future analysis and investigation.