Upcoming book - Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion

[ISNOINews]

Upcoming book - Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion.


Free Zone Scientology





By: Aled Thomas

Published: 03-06-2021

Format: Hardback
RRP: £85.00
£76.50
Save £8.50 (10%)

Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
RRP: £76.50

Format: PDF eBook (Watermarked)
RRP: £76.50.


*******************************

Regarding the author, Aled Thomas.

Religious Studies Project: Aled Thomas


Aled Thomas | The Religious Studies Project


* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *



Aled J. Ll. Thomas is a PhD candidate at the Open University, UK. His thesis focuses upon the auditing process of Scientology, the transition it has made from psychiatric therapy to religious praxis, and its nuanced nature in contemporary Scientologies. He holds an MA in the Study of Religions: Religious Experience at the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David, during which he researched non-Scientologist perceptions and media representations of L. Ron Hubbard’s auditing technology, in addition to presentations of Western and Eastern religious experiences in popular culture. Aled has delivered papers on his research at several conferences in the UK and Belgium, including ‘”The End of the World is at Hand!” Religious Experience and Mental Illness in The Adventures of Tintin’ and ‘Scientology Beyond the Church: The Practice of Auditing in the Free Zone’.

Current projects include a forthcoming chapter, ‘Scientology Inside Out: Religious Belonging in the Free Zone’ (with Stephen E. Gregg), for ‘The Insider/Outsider Debate: New Perspectives in the Study of Religion’ (edited by George D. Chryssides and Stephen E. Gregg).

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * *

 

[Veda]

Upcoming book - Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion.


Free Zone Scientology


View attachment 6338


By: Aled Thomas

Published: 03-06-2021

Format: Hardback
RRP: £85.00
£76.50
Save £8.50 (10%)

Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
RRP: £76.50

Format: PDF eBook (Watermarked)
RRP: £76.50.


*******************************

Regarding the author, Aled Thomas.

Religious Studies Project: Aled Thomas


Aled Thomas | The Religious Studies Project


* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

View attachment 6339

Aled J. Ll. Thomas is a PhD candidate at the Open University, UK. His thesis focuses upon the auditing process of Scientology, the transition it has made from psychiatric therapy to religious praxis, and its nuanced nature in contemporary Scientologies. He holds an MA in the Study of Religions: Religious Experience at the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David, during which he researched non-Scientologist perceptions and media representations of L. Ron Hubbard’s auditing technology, in addition to presentations of Western and Eastern religious experiences in popular culture. Aled has delivered papers on his research at several conferences in the UK and Belgium, including ‘”The End of the World is at Hand!” Religious Experience and Mental Illness in The Adventures of Tintin’ and ‘Scientology Beyond the Church: The Practice of Auditing in the Free Zone’.

Current projects include a forthcoming chapter, ‘Scientology Inside Out: Religious Belonging in the Free Zone’ (with Stephen E. Gregg), for ‘The Insider/Outsider Debate: New Perspectives in the Study of Religion’ (edited by George D. Chryssides and Stephen E. Gregg).

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * *

This is a PhD candidate and this is his thesis.

This is both silly and bad scholarship.

Scientology is psychological and political and not religious.

The term "Free Zone" was coined by Bill Robertson who, as far as I know, never claimed that his "Free Zone" was a religion.

Where that claim occurs in the so called "Free Zone," the assertion of religiosity is purely a matter of expediency. It's a practical matter having to do with (avoiding) laws and taxes.

Link to the Fraudulent Religious Cloaking thread

Link to the Scientology Sharia Law thread

 

[ISNOINews]

This is a PhD candidate and this is his thesis.

Where do you get that this book.is his thesis?

His bio quoted above states:

"Aled J. Ll. Thomas is a PhD candidate at the Open University, UK. His thesis focuses upon the auditing process of Scientology, the transition it has made from psychiatric therapy to religious praxis, and its nuanced nature in contemporary Scientologies."

Thus, it does not appear that his thesis is limited to the Free Zone or Independent Scientology, like his book, and indeed seems much broader than his book.

Plus, it would seem odd to announce publication of his thesis as a book before it was accepted for his degree and he was awarded his doctorate.

 

[Veda]

Where do you get that this book.is his thesis?

His bio quoted above states:

"Aled J. Ll. Thomas is a PhD candidate at the Open University, UK. His thesis focuses upon the auditing process of Scientology, the transition it has made from psychiatric therapy to religious praxis, and its nuanced nature in contemporary Scientologies."

Thus, it does not appear that his thesis is limited to the Free Zone or Independent Scientology, like his book, and indeed seems much broader than his book.

Plus, it would seem odd to announce publication of his thesis as a book before it was accepted for his degree and he was awarded his doctorate.

It isn't?

Then I must have become disoriented when I was poked by the giant pointy religion angle he was swinging around.

 

[ISNOINews]

It isn't?

Then I must have become disoriented when I was poked by the giant pointy religion angle he was swinging around.

Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you were referring to his Ph.D. thesis; that the book was a publication of his Oh.D. thesis. Not the thesis of his book.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

.

I can't figure out why in the title of his book he calls the Freezone "a new religion".

How is it new?

In Indie Scientology, each of the tiny number of parishioners have the right to "squirrel" and randomly make up their own tech. I don't see how this qualifies as a NEW religion?

It would be like saying that university students who graduated with a LIBRARY SCIENCE DEGREE who subsequently jobs in libraries and made up new random book-filing methods that nobody else knew about or could follow were a "NEW LIBRARY SCIENCE". No library users can find any of the books due to this "NEW" technology.

It seems that just because Indies used an altered version of the tech that produces no results instead of using the original tech that produces no results, there is no actual difference. Both techs (or "religions") do not work and are observably based on lies and charlatanesque claims of being a "modern science".

Indie Scientology. It's not a religion. It's not a technology. It's not a science. It's not a philosophy. It's not a messianic movement to save mankind. It's a road out of the physical universe trap. It's an avaricious hoax that tricks marks into surrendering all their money and time.

If Scientology is a religion then so are Ponzi schemes, the Mafia and Terrorist groups.

.

 

[ISNOINews]

.

I can't figure out why in the title of his book he calls the Freezone "a new religion".

How is it new?.

He is not saying the Free Zone is a new religion.

The title of the book is: "Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion."

The "new relgion" is Scientology, or perhaps current corporate Miscavige Scientology. (One might think that Scientology is not a "new" religion, but it is certainly "new" as far as religions are judged. How many are newer? Certainly, people of most older, more established religions would think of Scientology as a "new" religion.)

He is saying that the Free Zone is "contesting the boundaries" of that "new religion" -- Scientology,
or perhaps current corporate Miscavige Scientology.

Which is a perfect description of squirreling or apostasy, depending on one's viewpoint.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

He is not saying the Free Zone is a new religion.

The title of the book is: "Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion."

The "new relgion" is Scientology, or perhaps current corporate Miscavige Scientology. (One might think that Scientology is not a "new" religion, but it is certainly "new" as far as religions are judged. How many are newer? Certainly, people of most older, more established religions would think of Scientology as a "new" religion.)

He is saying that the Free Zone is "contesting the boundaries" of that "new religion" -- Scientology,
or perhaps current corporate Miscavige Scientology.

Which is a perfect description of squirreling or apostasy, depending on one's viewpoint.

.
Ohhhhhhhhhh! So that's what it means!

I totally missed that, but now it makes sense, thanks for the clarification!

Something that comes to mind about "Squirreling" is that from day number one in 1950 all the way through to his death in 1986, Hubbard alter-ised and changed and squirreled the tech virtually every single day. He had to, because it never worked.

The diabolically demented genius Hubbard declared that each of his hundreds of thousands of squirrel crimes were actually "technical discoveries" and "miraculous breakthroughs".

If any other Scientologist or individual ever claimed to have a new "discovery" or "miraculous breakthrough" that altered Hubbard's tech, they would hav been charged with a high crime and declared an SP.

It's fascinating how anyone else who "discovers" new tech is viciously attacked and destroyed with terroristic fair game--while Hubbard gives himself a victory parade and medals.

.

 

[Cat's Squirrel]

I think it would be only fair to contact Aled (has anyone got his e-mail address?) and ask him why he thinks Scientology qualifies as a religion. You could probably find a definition of religion that was broad enough that Scientology fits it.

 

[ISNOINews]

The book "Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion" is now available.

Kindle $82.80
April 8, 2021
252 pages

Hardcover $115.00
April 8, 2021
200 pages


Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion (Bloomsbury Advances in Religious Studies) - Kindle edition by Thomas, Aled. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


* * BEGIN DESCRIPTION * *

Description

Product Description

In this novel academic study, Aled Thomas analyses modern issues surrounding boundaries and fluidity in contemporary Scientology. By using the Scientologist practice of 'auditing' as a case study, this book explores the ways in which new types of 'Scientologies' can emerge. The notion of Free Zone Scientology is characterised by its horizontal structure, in contrast to the vertical-hierarchy of the institutional Church of Scientology. With this in mind, Thomas explores the Free Zone as an example of a developing and fluid religion, directly addressing questions concerning authority, leadership and material objects.

This book, by maintaining a double-focus on the top-down hierarchy of the Church of Scientology and the horizontal-fluid nature of the Free Zone, breaks away from previous research on new religions, with have tended to focus either on new religions as indices of broad social processes, such as secularization or globalization, or as exemplars of exotic processes, such as charismatic authority and brainwashing. Instead, Thomas adopts auditing as a method of providing an in-depth case study of a new religion in transition and transformation in the 21st century. This opens the study of contemporary and new religions to a series of new questions around hybrid religions (sacred and secular), and acts as a framework for the study of similar movements formed in recent decades.

Review

“A major work on the lives of Scientologists beyond the Church of Scientology is long overdue. Aled Thomas has produced a timely and insightful book. The work moves scholarship forward from the study of Scientology to the study of Scientologies.” ―Stephen E. Gregg, University of Wolverhampton, UK

“Aled Thomas gives us an ethnographic look into a fascinating phenomenon on the alternative religious landscape: Scientology as interpreted and practiced among those who left the Church of Scientology or were never members in the first place. This book is highly recommended for scholars of new religions and is a welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship on Scientology and Scientologists.” ―Donald A. Westbrook, San Jose State University, USA

About the Author

Aled Thomas is a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, Visiting Fellow at the Open University, UK and co-founder of alt-ac.uk.

Bettina E. Schmidt is Professor in the Study of Religions and Director of Graduate Studies at the School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK.

Steven J. Sutcliffe is Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, UK. He is the co-editor (with Carole Cusack) of The Problem of Invented Religions (2016) and (with Ingvild Gilhus) of New Age Spirituality: Rethinking Religion (2014) and is the author of Children of the New Age: A History of Spiritual Practices (2003).

Will Sweetman is Professor of Asian Religions and Head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

* * END DESCRIPTION * *













.









/

 

[ISNOINews]

The book "Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion" is now available.

Kindle $82.80
April 8, 2021
252 pages

Hardcover $115.00
April 8, 2021
200 pages


Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion (Bloomsbury Advances in Religious Studies) - Kindle edition by Thomas, Aled. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


* * BEGIN DESCRIPTION * *

Description

Product Description

In this novel academic study, Aled Thomas analyses modern issues surrounding boundaries and fluidity in contemporary Scientology. By using the Scientologist practice of 'auditing' as a case study, this book explores the ways in which new types of 'Scientologies' can emerge. The notion of Free Zone Scientology is characterised by its horizontal structure, in contrast to the vertical-hierarchy of the institutional Church of Scientology. With this in mind, Thomas explores the Free Zone as an example of a developing and fluid religion, directly addressing questions concerning authority, leadership and material objects.

This book, by maintaining a double-focus on the top-down hierarchy of the Church of Scientology and the horizontal-fluid nature of the Free Zone, breaks away from previous research on new religions, with have tended to focus either on new religions as indices of broad social processes, such as secularization or globalization, or as exemplars of exotic processes, such as charismatic authority and brainwashing. Instead, Thomas adopts auditing as a method of providing an in-depth case study of a new religion in transition and transformation in the 21st century. This opens the study of contemporary and new religions to a series of new questions around hybrid religions (sacred and secular), and acts as a framework for the study of similar movements formed in recent decades.

Review

“A major work on the lives of Scientologists beyond the Church of Scientology is long overdue. Aled Thomas has produced a timely and insightful book. The work moves scholarship forward from the study of Scientology to the study of Scientologies.” ―Stephen E. Gregg, University of Wolverhampton, UK

“Aled Thomas gives us an ethnographic look into a fascinating phenomenon on the alternative religious landscape: Scientology as interpreted and practiced among those who left the Church of Scientology or were never members in the first place. This book is highly recommended for scholars of new religions and is a welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship on Scientology and Scientologists.” ―Donald A. Westbrook, San Jose State University, USA

About the Author

Aled Thomas is a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, Visiting Fellow at the Open University, UK and co-founder of alt-ac.uk.

Bettina E. Schmidt is Professor in the Study of Religions and Director of Graduate Studies at the School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK.

Steven J. Sutcliffe is Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, UK. He is the co-editor (with Carole Cusack) of The Problem of Invented Religions (2016) and (with Ingvild Gilhus) of New Age Spirituality: Rethinking Religion (2014) and is the author of Children of the New Age: A History of Spiritual Practices (2003).

Will Sweetman is Professor of Asian Religions and Head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

* * END DESCRIPTION * *



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The last two pages of the Preface.






/

 

[Veda]

Last two pages of the Preface.


View attachment 10658
/

Footnote: Scientology Inc. has had a program - called the Scholar Program - since the 1970s. It's purpose is to corrupt academia to Scientology Inc.'s advantage.

The term "NRM" was coined by paid Scientology Inc. apologist J. Gordon Melton, to be used as a substitute for "cult," with those who use the word "cult" to be denounced as "anti-religious bigots."

This (probably well-intentioned) person is attempting to accumulate some accreditation (status) in the niche created - fraudulently - by J. Gordon Melton and other corrupt "scholars."

Melton has been used an expert witness in Scientology Inc.'s favor, and it was exposed on this message board a while back (LINK) by his friend (long story) who inadvertently stated that Melton has lied under oath while testifying as an expert witness. This, apparently, is behavior that is regarded by professional "religious scholars" as routine.

The point is that the academic niche in which this person has placed himself stinks of corruption.

No matter what he does, if he remains (blindly) in the niche, he's going to be strengthening Scientology Inc.'s most important enabling fraudulent assertion, which is that it's not a discredited system of psychology and a political (power-seeking, private intelligence/blackmail collecting) operation, but, rather, an authentic religious institution, and a non-profit authentic religious institution at that!

Hard to take this seriously, even though the person (Thomas) probably means well.

 

[ISNOINews]

The book at Barnes & Noble.

Nook Book $97.49
Hardcover $115.00


Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion|Hardcover.




/

 

[ISNOINews]

Books.Google.com has a preview of 42 pages.


Free Zone Scientology





/

 

[Zertel]

Footnote: Scientology Inc. has had a program - called the Scholar Program - since the 1970s. It's purpose is to corrupt academia to Scientology Inc.'s advantage.

The term "NRM" was coined by paid Scientology Inc. apologist J. Gordon Melton, to be used as a substitute for "cult," with those who use the word "cult" to be denounced as "anti-religious bigots."

This (probably well-intentioned) person is attempting to accumulate some accreditation (status) in the niche created - fraudulently - by J. Gordon Melton and other corrupt "scholars."

Melton has been used an expert witness in Scientology Inc.'s favor, and it was exposed on this message board a while back (LINK) by his friend (long story) who inadvertently stated that Melton has lied under oath while testifying as an expert witness. This, apparently, is behavior that is regarded by professional "religious scholars" as routine.

The point is that the academic niche in which this person has placed himself stinks of corruption.

No matter what he does, if he remains (blindly) in the niche, he's going to be strengthening Scientology Inc.'s most important enabling fraudulent assertion, which is that it's not a discredited system of psychology and a political (power-seeking, private intelligence/blackmail collecting) operation, but, rather, an authentic religious institution, and a non-profit authentic religious institution at that!

Hard to take this seriously, even though the person (Thomas) probably means well.

It comes across to me as busy-work in academia. These scholars are always looking for a new angle or twist to make themselves seem insightful and relevant. Scientology still gets media coverage and these people are well aware that the C of S is a paper tiger and no longer sues anyone so it's an easy target. Thomas now has another "published work" to add to his credentials.

ISNOINews notes the publication of new books and academic papers about scn on Rinder's blog and after a post about some academic paper I made a couple of replies which fit here.
.............................................................................................................................

• Regarding academic papers I guess academics publish papers to maintain their academic status and maybe for profit. I followed up on a site with a listing of academic papers on religion and someone was offering their paper on scn for a “mere” $194! The site also mentioned “Institutional Purchases” so maybe they buy each others papers and charge it to their institutions. The students would eventually pay for them with increased tuition.
  I’m not suggesting any conspiracy theory – just an observation – haha
  [I followed up with this]
• April 18, 2021 at 10:47 am
  “The students would eventually pay for them with increased tuition or the institutions could beg for additional government funding.”
  There is obviously a need for academics in various fields to avail themselves of other research to continue and advance their own research. For example a climate alarmist could purchase numerous reports to support his theory that the world will end in ten years because of humans burning fossil fuels. Humans contribute 1/10,000 to total CO2 concentration and global temperature has risen 1 degree Fahrenheit in the last 100 years. I live in the northeast U.S. and it’s still too cold in the winter. I want more global warming.
• ................................................................................................................................

ETA: I just took a quick glance at the preview posted above and Thomas did some on the ground footwork on scn so he gets credit for that.

 

[Riddick]

Upcoming book - Free Zone Scientology: Contesting the Boundaries of a New Religion.


Free Zone Scientology


View attachment 6338


By: Aled Thomas

Published: 03-06-2021

Format: Hardback
RRP: £85.00
£76.50
Save £8.50 (10%)

Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
RRP: £76.50

Format: PDF eBook (Watermarked)
RRP: £76.50.


*******************************

Regarding the author, Aled Thomas.

Religious Studies Project: Aled Thomas


Aled Thomas | The Religious Studies Project


* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

View attachment 6339

Aled J. Ll. Thomas is a PhD candidate at the Open University, UK. His thesis focuses upon the auditing process of Scientology, the transition it has made from psychiatric therapy to religious praxis, and its nuanced nature in contemporary Scientologies. He holds an MA in the Study of Religions: Religious Experience at the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David, during which he researched non-Scientologist perceptions and media representations of L. Ron Hubbard’s auditing technology, in addition to presentations of Western and Eastern religious experiences in popular culture. Aled has delivered papers on his research at several conferences in the UK and Belgium, including ‘”The End of the World is at Hand!” Religious Experience and Mental Illness in The Adventures of Tintin’ and ‘Scientology Beyond the Church: The Practice of Auditing in the Free Zone’.

Current projects include a forthcoming chapter, ‘Scientology Inside Out: Religious Belonging in the Free Zone’ (with Stephen E. Gregg), for ‘The Insider/Outsider Debate: New Perspectives in the Study of Religion’ (edited by George D. Chryssides and Stephen E. Gregg).

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * *

This guy is a idiot. He doesn't know shit about dianetics and scientology. The whole purpose of dianetics was to produce a clear by which any two people of reasonable intelligence could go clear. And the purpose of scientology was to go OT. This is a bunch of rhetoric hogwash by this so called expect.

I don't care if he has a PhD, Hubbard claimed he was a expert in many things, lol.

 

[ISNOINews]

Dr. Ailed Thomas tweets about his new book. Obviously, you can contact him by replying to his tweet. If you do, I suggest that you be respectful.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1382694198034501639

 

[ISNOINews]

PODCAST: Chris Deacy interviews Aled Thomas.


97: Aled Thomas Nostalgia Interviews With Chris Deacy podcast


* * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * *

For my latest Nostalgia Interview it was a huge pleasure to meet up via Zoom with Aled Thomas.

Aled currently works at the University of Wolverhampton and did his first degree in Religious Studies at Trinity College Carmarthen from 2007-10. We learn how his goal had been to become an RE teacher but that academia called him back.

Aled’s research area is the Church of Scientology and we learn how his interest was kickstarted. He is especially interested in Free Zone Scientology and what is authentic vs. that which is heretical Scientology. Aled discloses why he feels the need in his work to say that he is not a Scientologist and he talks about how academia can enrich public life and how important it is for a researcher to be in control of their own work.

Aled grew up as a video game kid and the first band he was interested in was Queen – it’s in his musical DNA. We learn that he is into retro music, including punk, and that one of his biggest obsessions involves Sparks which, for Aled, are everything that pop music should be. They have a drive to keep making new music, have flown from one genre to another, and Aled has even had one of their album logos tattooed on his arm.

At university Aled would buy a couple of albums every two to three months and we learn how Sparks have inspired him to look at the world in a different way. We talk also about the thrill of buying vinyl in the record shop rather than online.

Aled reveals that he is a frustrated musician and why he would love to produce bands and be a studio engineer and make a band sound great.

Then, at the end of the interview, we talk about how not everyone may have an opinion on molecular biology but that everyone has an opinion on religion. We also find out why Aled considers himself to be a forward looking person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Aled Thomas and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.

* * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *

/