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Stephen A. Kent

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Stephen A. Kent
Kent in 2000
Known forFrom Slogans to Mantras
AwardsGraduate Student Supervisor Award (2009)
Bill Meloff Memorial Teaching Award (2010)
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Maryland, College Park, B.A. (1973)
American University, M.A. (1978)
McMaster University, Ph.D. (1984)
Academic work
DisciplineSociology of religion, New religious movements
InstitutionsProfessor of Sociology, University of Alberta
Websiteskent.ualberta.ca

Stephen A. Kent is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He researches new religious movements (NRMs), and has published research on several such groups including the Children of God (The Family), the Church of Scientology, and other NRMs operating in Canada.

Education

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Kent graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1973, with a B.A. degree in sociology and a minor in social and political theory.[1][2] In 1978, he was awarded a master's degree in the history of religions from American University.[1] Kent was also awarded an M.A. in 1980 from McMaster University with a focus in religion and modern Western society and a minor in Indian Buddhism; he was granted a Ph.D. in religious studies in 1984 from the same institution.[1][2]

From 1984 to 1986, Kent held an Izaac Walton Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship in the sociology department at the University of Alberta.[1] He is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.[3]

Research

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John H. Simpson writes in a chapter of Lori G. Beaman's 2006 book Religion and Canadian Society that Kent "finds himself on the cult side of the cult/new religious movement divide."[4] Simpson recommends Kent for further reading on the group the Children of God and notes: "He has done extensive research on new religious movements and argues that we need to be careful about minimizing the risks of involvement with such groups. His work is a good example of the issues taken up by scholars who focus on 'cults.'"[4] Kent has devoted significant study to the Children of God, and the group's founder David Berg.[5]

Stephen A. Kent speaks at conference of Leo J. Ryan Education Foundation, formerly CULTInfo
(March 18, 2000)

Sociologist Lorne Dawson has criticized Kent's work for his use of ex-member testimony.[6] In response to Dawson and other critics who have issues with ex-member testimony, Kent argues that former member accounts provide outsider insights not available to members who misattribute divine authority to leaders in high demand religious groups.[7] Irving Hexham commented about Kent in a 2001 article in Nova Religio, "The one exception to the generally neutral tone of Canadian academics and their rejection of anticult rhetoric is Stephen Kent, who has been outspoken in his criticism of many new religions, particularly Scientology, and who works closely with various anticult groups. Although Kent's views are widely known, few Canadian academics agree with his findings and most disagree quite strongly because of his tendency to use the testimony of ex-members."[8] In their book Denying History, authors Michael Shermer and Alex Grobman cite Kent and Krebs's work, commenting "In fact, the sociologists Stephen Kent and Theresa Krebs have identified numerous cases of 'when scholars know sin,' where allegedly nonpartisan, unbiased scholars find themselves the unwitting tools of religious groups striving for social acceptance and in need of the imprimatur of an academic."[9]

Scientology

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Kent's research of Scientology has focused on its organization, the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF).[10][11] His extensive study of Scientology's history and practices led him to conclude that as a result of relatively young people becoming involved with the organization in the 1960–70s, some second-generation Scientologist children have left the group in "waves."[12] Kent has commented to the media about Scientology's RPF,[10] and the Scientology ethics and justice system,[13] as well as its affiliated organization Narconon.[14][15] He has published articles concerning Scientology and Hollywood,[16] and commented that Scientology uses celebrities as "public relations officers for Scientology, and part of their mission is to represent Scientology to the outside world and to other governments."[17]

According to CBS News, "[h]e's considered one of the foremost experts on Scientology. But inside the church, he's considered an anti-religious extremist who has been paid to testify against the church in court."[18] Tony Ortega, former editor of The Village Voice, referred to Kent as an academic "who studies Scientology in depth,"[19] and the St. Petersburg Times referred to Kent as "an expert on the group."[20] Kent has testified as an expert witness for parties suing organizations affiliated with Scientology, and subsequently Scientologists picketed outside of his University of Alberta office.[21] Religious studies scholar J. Gordon Melton and Church of Scientology spokesperson Leisa Goodman have both questioned the accuracy of Kent's scholarship on Scientology.[22][23] Kent responded to both critics, accusing them of breaches of ethics and poor research practices.[24]

In 2017, he co-edited an edited volume titled Scientology in Popular Culture alongside Susan Raine, published by Praeger. It received positive reviews from commentators in Nova Religio, Choice, and the International Journal of Cultic Studies.[25][26][27]

Satanic ritual abuse

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Kent has researched testimony of individuals that have alleged Satanic ritual abuse, in a period from the 1930s to 1980s (also known as the Satanic panic).[28] Kevin J. Christiano notes in the book Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments that Kent's research "shows that the Bible and biblical themes provide the primary references for the articulation of abuse," noting that "purported cult ceremonies particularly used biblical references and metaphors."[28] Sociologist Anson Shupe and Susan J. Darnell characterised Kent as "eccentric," stating that research and police enquiries into the allegations of satanic ritual human sacrifice had proved them to be unfounded.[29] He wrote a two part journal article on Satanic ritual abuse for the journal Religion in 1993.[28] Christopher Partridge said of this article that Kent "accepts uncritically the stories of alleged victims about satanic abuse [...] the problem is that there is absolutely no concrete evidence that such rituals are practiced and no evidence that Satanists are interested in carrying out such inversions of obscure biblical texts."[30]

Responding to this article, Jean La Fontaine criticized it, saying that though Kent made "an effort to seem objective," the article was not and that it strongly suggested the reliability of the testimonies; she argued that the main objective in writing the article had been to validate these stories. She said Kent's dataset was unusual and criticized the fact that the number of people interviewed was not made clear; she further criticized Kent's failure to analyze other possible origins for these stories as "at best an academic weakness of the article and at worst a strong indicator that the veracity of the informants had been accepted in advance."[31] In a rejoinder to Kent's article on satanic ritual abuse, David Frankfurter argued that Kent "accepts every detail of every story as if photographed, while denying the reader any sense of the interviewees' clinical history, symptoms, religious affiliation, and association with other people claiming or postulating Satanic abuse," and that Kent himself was guilty of dubious research ethics and a lack of scholarly objectivity, having only been granted the interviews in turn for assistance in interpreting their memories. Frankfurter argued that any analysis drawn on this data was subject to "gross methodological problems" which Kent ignored; he argued the Satanic panic was a continuation of previous witch-hunts, and said there was little forensic evidence for any of these claims and that many of the convictions of supposed participants had been often overturned.[32]

From Slogans to Mantras

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Kent's book From Slogans to Mantras: Social Protest and Religious Conversion in the Late Vietnam Era was published in 2001 by Syracuse University Press. In the book, Kent explored how political activists from the period of the Vietnam War later turned to alternative religious movements including Hare Krishnas, Transcendental Meditation, Scientology, and the Unification Church.[33] Publishers Weekly described From Slogans to Mantras as a "lucid and economical study," noting that Kent had examined the convergence between the interest of American youth in radical politics and protest and the pursuit of "unusual, cultish, spiritual traditions."[33] James A. Overbeck wrote in Library Journal that the work is recommended for academic and public libraries, mentioning that Kent utilized personal narratives and alternative press in the book.[34]

Doni Whitsett reviewed the book in Cultic Studies Review,[35] writing that it contained informative content, and is an easy read free of sociological jargon which made it more accessible to non-expert readers. However, Whitsett also stated that it would have been interesting to compare those who did not choose the route of the ex-members described in the book and to analyze the differences inherent in these two subsets of individuals.[35] Jill K. Gill reviewed the book in Humanities and Social Sciences Online and also commented on its readability, stating that it was succinctly written and engaging.[36] Peter W. Williams reviewed the book in The Journal of American History and provided a less positive review, saying that the book was a "mildly interesting and useful footnote to the sixties" but that he wished the book had gone further than that.[37] In 2003 it was cited by Choice as an outstanding academic title that should be owned by every library, with the reviewer calling it an "engaging and articulate book" with a "fairly compelling social psychological account" of the topic.[38]

Awards and recognition

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In 2003, Kent's book From Slogans to Mantras was listed as one of the Choice Outstanding Academic Titles that should be owned by every library.[38] Kent was recognized by his students at the University of Alberta in 2009.[39] He received a "Graduate Student Supervisor Award" from the Graduate Students' Association on March 12, 2009.[39] In April 2010, Kent received the "Bill Meloff Memorial Teaching Award" given by the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta. He stated he would utilize the 1,000 USD award to "update the department's DVD collections in the sociology of deviance and the sociology of religion."[40]

Works

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  • —— (2001). From Slogans to Mantras: Social Protest and Religious Conversion in the Late Vietnam Era. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0-8156-2948-6.
  • Caparesi, Cristina; Di Fiorino, Mario; ——, eds. (2001). Costretti ad Amare: Saggi sui Bambini di Dio/The Family (in Italian). Forte dei Marmi: Centro Studi Psichiatria e Territorio.
  • ——; Raine, Susan, eds. (2017). Scientology in Popular Culture: Influences and Struggles for Legitimacy. Praeger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4408-3249-9.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Zablocki, Benjamin; Robbins, Thomas (2001). "Contributors". Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field. University of Toronto Press. p. 523. ISBN 978-0-8020-8188-9.
  2. ^ a b "Kent, Stephen". University of Alberta. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  3. ^ Goodyear, Dana (January 14, 2008). "Château Scientology". The New Yorker. Letter from California. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Simpson, John H. (2006). "The Politics of the Body in Canada and the United States". In Bearman, Lori G. (ed.). Religion and Canadian Society: Traditions, Transitions, and Innovations. Canadian Scholars' Press. p. 272. ISBN 978-1-55130-306-2.
  5. ^ White, Gayle (July 25, 1998). "'Heaven's Harlot' looks back on Jesus freak days". The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. p. D01.
  6. ^ Dawson, Lorne L. (2001). "Raising Lazarus: A Methodological Critique of Stephen Kent's Revival of the Brainwashing Model". In Zablocki, Benjamin; Robbins, Thomas (eds.). Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field. University of Toronto Press. pp. 380–381. ISBN 978-0-8020-8188-9.
  7. ^ Kent, Stephen A. (1994). "Misattribution and Social Control in the Children of God". Journal of Religion & Health. 33 (1): 29–43. doi:10.1007/BF02354497. PMID 24263783. S2CID 24012781.
  8. ^ Hexham, Irving (April 2001). "New Religions and the Anticult Movement in Canada". Nova Religio. 4 (2): 286. doi:10.1525/nr.2001.4.2.281. ISSN 1092-6690.
  9. ^ Shermer, Michael; Grobman, Alex (2009). "Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened? An Inside Look at the Personalities and Organizations". Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It?. University of California Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-520-26098-6.
  10. ^ a b Semuels, Alana (July 24, 2005). "From the outside, looking in". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ISSN 1068-624X. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  11. ^ Frantz, Douglas (December 1, 1997). "Distrust in Clearwater -- A special report.; Death of a Scientologist Heightens Suspicions in a Florida Town". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  12. ^ Reitman, Janet (February 23, 2006). "Inside Scientology: Unlocking the complex code of America's most mysterious religion". Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  13. ^ Sommer, Mark (February 2, 2005). "Outside critics are unacceptable". The Buffalo News. ISSN 0745-2691.
  14. ^ Peters, Paul (May 8, 2008). "Scientology and the Blackfeet". Missoula Independent. ISSN 2642-4665. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  15. ^ Boudjikanian, Raffy (March 5, 2008). "MP denies knowledge of endorsed organization's ties to Scientology". West Island Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  16. ^ Verini, James (June 28, 2005). "Missionary Man: Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology". Salon.com. Spiegel Online. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  17. ^ Strupp, Joe (June 30, 2005). "The press vs. Scientology". Salon.com. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  18. ^ Sancho, Miguel (October 28, 2006). "Scientology – A Question of Faith". 48 Hours. CBS News. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  19. ^ Ortega, Tony (June 30, 2008). "Scientology's Crushing Defeat". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  20. ^ Garcia, Wayne (August 28, 1993). "Scientology's words to hit the airwaves". St. Petersburg Times. pp. 1A, 3A. ISSN 2327-9052. Retrieved August 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Evans, Jim (August 23, 2001). "Scientology Inc". Sacramento News & Review. ISSN 1065-3287. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  22. ^ Melton, J. Gordon (2003). "A Contemporary Ordered Religious Community: The Sea Organization". In Davis, Derek H.; Hankins, Barry (eds.). New Religious Movements and Religious Liberty in America. Baylor University Press. pp. 192–193. ISBN 978-0-918954-92-3.
  23. ^ Goodman, Leisa (2001). "A Letter from the Church of Scientology". Marburg Journal of Religion. 6 (2). doi:10.17192/MJR.2001.6.3752.
  24. ^ Kent, Stephen (September 2003). "Scientology and the European Human Rights Debate: A Reply to Leisa Goodman, J. Gordon Melton, and the European Rehabilitation Project Force Study". Marburg Journal of Religion. 8 (1). doi:10.17192/mjr.2003.8.3725.
  25. ^ Lonelodge, Sarah (January 2018). "Scientology in Popular Culture: Influences and Struggles for Legitimacy". International Journal of Cultic Studies. 9: 76–78. ISSN 2154-7270.
  26. ^ Shriver, G. H. (February 2018). "Scientology in popular culture: influences and struggles for legitimacy". Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. 55 (6): 732. ISSN 0009-4978.
  27. ^ Westbrook, Donald A. (2019). "Review of Scientology in Popular Culture: Influences and Struggles for Legitimacy". Nova Religio. 22 (3): 150–153. doi:10.1525/nr.2019.22.3.150. ISSN 1092-6690. JSTOR 26770430.
  28. ^ a b c Christiano, Kevin J.; Swatos, William H.; Kivisto, Peter (2002). Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments. Rowman Altamira. pp. 318–319. ISBN 0-7591-0035-7.
  29. ^ Shupe, Anson; Darnell, Susan E. (2006). Agents of Discord: Deprogramming, Pseudo-Science, and the American Anticult Movement. Transaction Publishers. pp. 135–136. ISBN 0-7591-0035-7.
  30. ^ Partridge, Christopher (2004). The Re-Enchantment of the West, Vol 2: Alternative Spiritualities, Sacralization, Popular Culture and Occulture. A & C Black. p. 371. ISBN 978-0-567-04133-3.
  31. ^ La Fontaine, J. S. (April 1, 1994). "Allegations of sexual abuse in Satanic rituals". Religion. 24 (2): 181–184. doi:10.1006/reli.1994.1015. ISSN 0048-721X.
  32. ^ Frankfurter, David (October 1, 1994). "Religious studies and claims of satanic ritual abuse: A rejoinder to Stephen Kent". Religion. 24 (4): 353–360. doi:10.1006/reli.1994.1028. ISSN 0048-721X.
  33. ^ a b "From Slogans to Mantras". Publishers Weekly. 248 (42). October 15, 2001. ISSN 0000-0019.
  34. ^ Overbeck, James A. (December 1, 2001). "From Slogans to Mantras". Library Journal. 126 (20). ISSN 0363-0277.
  35. ^ a b Whitsett, Doni (2002). "Reviews: From Slogans to Mantras: Social Protest and Religious Conversion in the Late Vietnam War Era". Cultic Studies Review. 1 (3). Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  36. ^ Gill, Jill K. (July 2002). "Review of Stephen A. Kent, From Slogans to Mantras: Social Protest and Religious Conversion in the Late Vietnam War Era". H-Net.
  37. ^ Williams, Peter W. (March 2003). "Book Review, From Slogans to Mantras". The Journal of American History. 89 (4): 1616. doi:10.2307/3092694. JSTOR 3092694.
  38. ^ a b Kivisto, P. (2003). Bartlett, Rebecca Ann (ed.). Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles, 1998–2002. Association of College & Research Libraries. p. 571. ISBN 0-8389-8232-8.
  39. ^ a b "2009 GSA Award Recipients". Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts. University of Alberta. March 16, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  40. ^ Whalen, C. (April 14, 2010). "Stephen Kent receives the 2010 Bill Meloff Memorial Teaching Award". News: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts. University of Alberta. Retrieved June 2, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
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