Misunderstanding Cults

Misunderstanding Cults

Book cover
Editors	Benjamin Zablocki Thomas Robbins
Language	English
Subject	Cults
Publisher	University of Toronto Press
Publication date	December 1, 2001
Publication place	Canada
Pages	496
ISBN	978-0-8020-8188-9
OCLC	50387243
Dewey Decimal	306.6 21
LC Class	BP603 .M575 2001

Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field is an edited volume discussing various topics related to cults, including the scholarly field itself, the concept of brainwashing, and the public perception of the groups. The book was edited by Benjamin Zablocki and Thomas Robbins, and was published by University of Toronto Press on December 1, 2001. It includes contributions from 12 religious, sociological, and psychological scholars, in 14 essays.

The book includes contributions from scholars who have been labeled as "anti-cult", as well as those who have been labelled as "cult apologists". Other topics discussed include cult violence, the conflict that exists between new religious movements and their critics, and the ramifications of raising children in controversial religious movements.

The book received a generally positive reception, with praise for the quality of ideas expressed and its summarization of the controversial debate over cult research. Some reviewers criticized the book's organizational structure, as well as noting the book's chapters were reflective of the hostile debate around scholarly research into new religious movements and the quality of the research on sociology of religion more broadly.