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Scientology: Theology & practice of a contemporary religion
, Theology & Practice Of A Contemporary Religion
287 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 30, 2026
It’s was completely and utter loony. And it got worse when I got to the appendix part. The ramblings of someone having psychosis.
This a very dangerous cult that the world decided to elevate its status
This a very dangerous cult that the world decided to elevate its status
January 25, 2026
A SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW OF THE ‘CHURCH’ ASPECT OF SCIENTOLOGY
The introductory page of this 1998 book explains, “The Church of Scientology was established in 1954. Today its more than 3,000 churches, missions, related organizations, groups and activities span the globe and minister the religion to more than 8 million people in 100 countries in over 30 languages. The rapid emergence of the Scientology religion within the world’s changing spiritual community has led many to ask what kind of religion it is, how it compares with other faiths and in what ways it is different. What is its understanding of a Supreme Being and the spiritual aspects of life which transcend the temporal world? What social and community work so Scientologists do and how do these activities relate to its greater religious purpose?
“This volume provides answers to these and other such questions about the religion and its members. In it, leading scholars provide diverse and insightful perspectives into Scientology, resulting in a unique and comprehensive overview of the religion. The goal of the Scientology religion is to achieve complete certainty of one’s spiritual existence, one’s relationship to the Supreme Being and his role in eternity. In this regard countless authorities have affirmed that Scientology sits squarely within the tradition of the world’s major religions.”
The Creed of the Church of Scientology (reproduced in this volume) contains statements such as: “We of the Church believe: … That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist or support their own organizations, churches and governments… That the souls of men have the rights of men; That the study of the mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in nonreligious fields; And that no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly; And we of the Church believe: That man is basically good; that he is seeking to survive; that his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe. And we of the Church believe that the laws of God forbid men: To destroy his own kind; To destroy the sanity of another; To destroy or enslave another’s soul… And we of the Church believe that that spirit can be saved and that the spirit alone may save or heal the body.” (Pg. vi-vii)
It explains in the Introduction, “The subject matter of Scientology is wholly religious. Yet, to the degree that science and religion are concerned with truth, with knowledge and with what IS, the Scientology religion has bridged the gap between the two. It addresses the most fundamental questions of life which no man can avoid, no matter how fascinated he may become with his presumed knowledge of the material world… Today, Scientology fulfills the goal of religion by addressing the spiritual nature of man and his role in eternity. Yet it approaches the traditional questions of religion from a standpoint of reason, an approach that science can hardly argue with.” (Pg. xii)
“The scope of Scientology is immense. The full body of knowledge that comprises the religious Scripture is contained in more than 40 million spoken and written words on the subject---all by L. Ron Hubbard, the source and founder of the Scientology religion… Scientology is a religion without dogma. There is nothing in Scientology that one is expected to take on faith or on the basis of arbitrary authority. The goal of Scientology is to KNOW---to achieve complete certainty of one’s spiritual existence and one’s relation to the Supreme Being… one of the factors which clearly makes Scientology unique is the religious practice by which this spiritual certainty is attained.” (Pg. xii-xiii)
“The religious practices of Scientology include exact, precise methods by which a person achieves greater spiritual awareness. These practices are referred to collectively as the TECHNOLOGY of the Scientology religion. ‘Technology’ describes the METHODS OF APPLICATION of the principles of something, as opposed to mere knowledge of the subject itself… The technology of Scientology was developed pragmatically, is based upon an understanding of the fundamental laws of life, and provide a predictable series of steps by which a person can progress to higher states of spiritual awareness.” (Pg. xiii)
They explain, “although Scientologists believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, which is placed at the apex of Scientology’s cosmology, Scientology religious practices do not include worship, supplication or veneration, which are primary religious practices of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Scientology religious practices ‘differ’ from practices of the traditional Western religions in that they seek to better one’s understanding of and relationship with the Supreme Being, as well as the entire cosmos, rather than simply reflecting worship and adoration. In this respect Scientology is more like many Eastern religions, which seek to better one’s understanding of and relations to some other supernatural being, principle or power.” (Pg. 10)
They continue, “L. Ron Hubbard announced his findings in 1948 as ‘Dianetics,’ a word which means ‘through the soul’ or what the spirit is doing to the body… Dianetics provided a method .. [of] uncovering … previously unknown spiritual trauma and erasing its harmful effects on an individual. When this occurs, one has achieved a new state of spiritual awareness called ‘Clear.’ One’s basic and fundamental spirituality, personalty, his artistry, personal force and individual character, his inherent goodness and decency are all restored. While the Clear is analogous to the state in Buddhism called the Bodhi, or enlightened one, the Clear is a permanent level of spiritual awareness never attainable prior to Dianetics and Scientology.” (Pg. 16)
They go on, “The breakthrough from Dianetics to Scientology came in the autumn of 1951, after Mr. Hubbard observed many people practicing Dianetics found a commonality of experience and phenomena which were of a profoundly spiritual nature---contact with past-life experiences… Man had been misled by the idea that he HAD a soul. In fact, man is a spiritual being, who has a mind and a body… With this discovery, Mr. Hubbard founded the religion of Scientology, for he had moved firmly into the field traditionally belonging to religion---the realm of the human spirit.” (Pg. 17)
They explain, “The Scripture of the Scientology religion consists of the writings and recorded words of L. Ron Hubbard on the subjects of Dianetics and Scientology. This Scripture includes more than half a million written pages, over 3,000 tape-recorded lectures and some 100 films. This Scripture is the sole source of all doctrine regarding the religion of Scientology and it is an inherent principle of the religion that only by exactly following the path it outlines can mankind achieve spiritual salvation.” (Pg. 45)
They clarify, “Class V churches minister beginning and intermediate religious services and have the authority to train and ordain ministers… Class V churches generally are much larger than field groups and missions, and therefore act as the hub for their community of Scientologists… Scientologists attend their churches to participate in auditing and training as well as Sunday services, weddings, funerals and naming services, regular Friday evening gatherings and the celebration of Scientology holidays. Some of these churches, called Celebrity Centres, have congregations composed primarily of artists, professionals or community leaders, although… their doors are open to anyone.” (Pg. 63)
They reproduce Hubbard’s ‘Aims of Scientology,’ which includes statements like: “We respect man and believe he is worthy of help… Scientology does not owe its help. We have done nothing to cause us to propitiate. Had we done so, we would not now be bright enough to do what we are doing. Man suspects all offers of help. He has often been betrayed, his confidence shattered. Too frequently he has given his trust and been betrayed.” (Pg. 99)
The book states, “The highest ecclesiastical authority in the Church… is exercised by Church of Scientology International (CSI) and Religious Technology Center (RTC). CSI is the mother church… The all-important function of the RTC is to preserve, maintain and protect the purity of Scientology technology and to insure its proper and ethical delivery in accord with the tenets of the faith. RTC functions very much like the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Roman Caholicism… I need also to mention here the Sea organization. The Sea Org is composed of Church of Scientology members who take vows of service ‘for a billion years,’ signifying their commitment to serve the Church in this life and in countless lives to come. The Sea Org has become to Scientology what Jesuits are to Roman Catholicism.” (Pg. 156) Later, it adds, “Members of the Sea Organization do follow a very strict code of ethics which includes very ethical and monogamous sexual relationships, complete abstinence from any use of drugs and complete devotion of one’s life to achieving the goals of the religion.” (Pg. 220)
After a long and contentious battle, in 1986 the IRS recognized Scientology as a ‘religion,’ and thus eligible for tax-exempt status. This book is certainly intended to support that position.
The introductory page of this 1998 book explains, “The Church of Scientology was established in 1954. Today its more than 3,000 churches, missions, related organizations, groups and activities span the globe and minister the religion to more than 8 million people in 100 countries in over 30 languages. The rapid emergence of the Scientology religion within the world’s changing spiritual community has led many to ask what kind of religion it is, how it compares with other faiths and in what ways it is different. What is its understanding of a Supreme Being and the spiritual aspects of life which transcend the temporal world? What social and community work so Scientologists do and how do these activities relate to its greater religious purpose?
“This volume provides answers to these and other such questions about the religion and its members. In it, leading scholars provide diverse and insightful perspectives into Scientology, resulting in a unique and comprehensive overview of the religion. The goal of the Scientology religion is to achieve complete certainty of one’s spiritual existence, one’s relationship to the Supreme Being and his role in eternity. In this regard countless authorities have affirmed that Scientology sits squarely within the tradition of the world’s major religions.”
The Creed of the Church of Scientology (reproduced in this volume) contains statements such as: “We of the Church believe: … That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist or support their own organizations, churches and governments… That the souls of men have the rights of men; That the study of the mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in nonreligious fields; And that no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly; And we of the Church believe: That man is basically good; that he is seeking to survive; that his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe. And we of the Church believe that the laws of God forbid men: To destroy his own kind; To destroy the sanity of another; To destroy or enslave another’s soul… And we of the Church believe that that spirit can be saved and that the spirit alone may save or heal the body.” (Pg. vi-vii)
It explains in the Introduction, “The subject matter of Scientology is wholly religious. Yet, to the degree that science and religion are concerned with truth, with knowledge and with what IS, the Scientology religion has bridged the gap between the two. It addresses the most fundamental questions of life which no man can avoid, no matter how fascinated he may become with his presumed knowledge of the material world… Today, Scientology fulfills the goal of religion by addressing the spiritual nature of man and his role in eternity. Yet it approaches the traditional questions of religion from a standpoint of reason, an approach that science can hardly argue with.” (Pg. xii)
“The scope of Scientology is immense. The full body of knowledge that comprises the religious Scripture is contained in more than 40 million spoken and written words on the subject---all by L. Ron Hubbard, the source and founder of the Scientology religion… Scientology is a religion without dogma. There is nothing in Scientology that one is expected to take on faith or on the basis of arbitrary authority. The goal of Scientology is to KNOW---to achieve complete certainty of one’s spiritual existence and one’s relation to the Supreme Being… one of the factors which clearly makes Scientology unique is the religious practice by which this spiritual certainty is attained.” (Pg. xii-xiii)
“The religious practices of Scientology include exact, precise methods by which a person achieves greater spiritual awareness. These practices are referred to collectively as the TECHNOLOGY of the Scientology religion. ‘Technology’ describes the METHODS OF APPLICATION of the principles of something, as opposed to mere knowledge of the subject itself… The technology of Scientology was developed pragmatically, is based upon an understanding of the fundamental laws of life, and provide a predictable series of steps by which a person can progress to higher states of spiritual awareness.” (Pg. xiii)
They explain, “although Scientologists believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, which is placed at the apex of Scientology’s cosmology, Scientology religious practices do not include worship, supplication or veneration, which are primary religious practices of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Scientology religious practices ‘differ’ from practices of the traditional Western religions in that they seek to better one’s understanding of and relationship with the Supreme Being, as well as the entire cosmos, rather than simply reflecting worship and adoration. In this respect Scientology is more like many Eastern religions, which seek to better one’s understanding of and relations to some other supernatural being, principle or power.” (Pg. 10)
They continue, “L. Ron Hubbard announced his findings in 1948 as ‘Dianetics,’ a word which means ‘through the soul’ or what the spirit is doing to the body… Dianetics provided a method .. [of] uncovering … previously unknown spiritual trauma and erasing its harmful effects on an individual. When this occurs, one has achieved a new state of spiritual awareness called ‘Clear.’ One’s basic and fundamental spirituality, personalty, his artistry, personal force and individual character, his inherent goodness and decency are all restored. While the Clear is analogous to the state in Buddhism called the Bodhi, or enlightened one, the Clear is a permanent level of spiritual awareness never attainable prior to Dianetics and Scientology.” (Pg. 16)
They go on, “The breakthrough from Dianetics to Scientology came in the autumn of 1951, after Mr. Hubbard observed many people practicing Dianetics found a commonality of experience and phenomena which were of a profoundly spiritual nature---contact with past-life experiences… Man had been misled by the idea that he HAD a soul. In fact, man is a spiritual being, who has a mind and a body… With this discovery, Mr. Hubbard founded the religion of Scientology, for he had moved firmly into the field traditionally belonging to religion---the realm of the human spirit.” (Pg. 17)
They explain, “The Scripture of the Scientology religion consists of the writings and recorded words of L. Ron Hubbard on the subjects of Dianetics and Scientology. This Scripture includes more than half a million written pages, over 3,000 tape-recorded lectures and some 100 films. This Scripture is the sole source of all doctrine regarding the religion of Scientology and it is an inherent principle of the religion that only by exactly following the path it outlines can mankind achieve spiritual salvation.” (Pg. 45)
They clarify, “Class V churches minister beginning and intermediate religious services and have the authority to train and ordain ministers… Class V churches generally are much larger than field groups and missions, and therefore act as the hub for their community of Scientologists… Scientologists attend their churches to participate in auditing and training as well as Sunday services, weddings, funerals and naming services, regular Friday evening gatherings and the celebration of Scientology holidays. Some of these churches, called Celebrity Centres, have congregations composed primarily of artists, professionals or community leaders, although… their doors are open to anyone.” (Pg. 63)
They reproduce Hubbard’s ‘Aims of Scientology,’ which includes statements like: “We respect man and believe he is worthy of help… Scientology does not owe its help. We have done nothing to cause us to propitiate. Had we done so, we would not now be bright enough to do what we are doing. Man suspects all offers of help. He has often been betrayed, his confidence shattered. Too frequently he has given his trust and been betrayed.” (Pg. 99)
The book states, “The highest ecclesiastical authority in the Church… is exercised by Church of Scientology International (CSI) and Religious Technology Center (RTC). CSI is the mother church… The all-important function of the RTC is to preserve, maintain and protect the purity of Scientology technology and to insure its proper and ethical delivery in accord with the tenets of the faith. RTC functions very much like the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Roman Caholicism… I need also to mention here the Sea organization. The Sea Org is composed of Church of Scientology members who take vows of service ‘for a billion years,’ signifying their commitment to serve the Church in this life and in countless lives to come. The Sea Org has become to Scientology what Jesuits are to Roman Catholicism.” (Pg. 156) Later, it adds, “Members of the Sea Organization do follow a very strict code of ethics which includes very ethical and monogamous sexual relationships, complete abstinence from any use of drugs and complete devotion of one’s life to achieving the goals of the religion.” (Pg. 220)
After a long and contentious battle, in 1986 the IRS recognized Scientology as a ‘religion,’ and thus eligible for tax-exempt status. This book is certainly intended to support that position.
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