Thesis (doctoral)--Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, 2002/2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, 2002/2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Nürnberg, Univ., Diss.--Erlangen, 2001. / Literaturverz. S. [XX] - LII.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to analyze how two former members of the Church of Scientology describe their lives and the process from member to non-member. This will be achieved by answering how they describe their lives within the church and how they describe their process leaving the church. Also, by analyzing what crucial factors influenced their decision to leave the church. The study uses a qualitative text analysis to analyze two biographies written by two former members, Miscavige Hill and Tunedal. The study concludes that the two former members lives in the church differ. Of that reason that one of them grew up in the movement and the other joined as an adult. Also, one of them were an ordinary member of the movement and the other were a member of the very exclusive “sea organization” within the Church of Scientology. Furthermore, the result of the study shows that the process from member to non-member is a lengthy process, and that there are a number of factors that contributed to the members decision to leave the Church of Scientology, such as the church demands for donation and the church control over its members. The study demonstrates the need for source criticism, and to be critical of stories from both members and former members. Not everyone has the same experience of new religious movement and each member has an individual experience. Whereby there will always be different versions of “the truth”.

Scientology holds considerable interest for scholars of new religious movements. As such, this study aims to contribute new data and insight to ongoing theoretical work within this area of religious studies scholarship. Engaged in this inquiry are the similarities between Scientology, the new religious movement founded in 1951 by L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), and the Chinese religion, Confucianism, which originates with the teachings of Confucius (551-479 BCE). Though Hubbard admits being influenced by eastern thinking such as Buddhism and Daoism in shaping his worldview, he specifically discounts Confucius as relevant in this regard. However, through comparisons between Scientology and Confucianism, this study demonstrates that there are significant and numerous instances of similarities between the two religions ranging from their worldviews to concomitant soteriologies. In the cosmogonies of Scientology and Neo-Confucianism, for example, the world comes about from the interplay of two cosmic phenomena: 1) an ordering, non-physical life force, termed in this study as the quasi-transcendent and 2) the physical. All life, including human beings, occurs as the quasi-transcendent realm combines with the physical, creating three homogeneous, coextensive, and teleologically interdependent parts: 1) the quasi-transcendent domain, 2) the physical universe, and 3) the human sphere. Comparing both traditions further, human beings are innately good, endowed as such by the benevolent influence of their quasi-transcendent component. Error, or evil, is rendered no ontological status and is rationalized as confusion caused by the obfuscating effect of the mind's physical constituent upon its benevolent counterpart. Self-transformation occurs as the physical component of the human mind is purified restoring profound ontological awareness and cosmic creativity. A notion absent in Confucianism, which could be assessed as a significant theological difference between these traditions, is Scientology's reincarnation theme. This aspect, however, is peripheral to the larger conceptual model that both these religions share.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Starting in November of 2016, a documentary series aired on the original network A&E where it continues to capture the attention of thousands of viewers in America. Scientology: The Aftermath, starring the well-known King of Queens and Dancing with the Stars actress Leah Remini and former senior executive of the church of Scientology International and Sea Organization Mike Rinder, aim to reveal the "truth" that hides behind the church of Scientology. The show interviews ex-practitioners who claim their lives have been deeply impacted by the church and who want to assist in revealing the shocking stories of abuse and harassment the church tries to keep secret. The goal of the show, in short, is to not only share the "real" face of Scientology to the public, but to also reach out and assist people who have been affected personally by the church; some have lost their family and friends while others have been followed or monitored by church members. A simple Google search on Scientology brings up multiple news headlines on the church being labeled as a "cult" and "criminal" while magazines in the lines of grocery stores display the downfall on the marriage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes due to the intensity of the Church of Scientology. Yet Scientology isn’t alone in receiving negative attention from the media. Christian Science has been accused of depriving the ill of needed medical attention which has led to some members becoming severely ill and dying in some cases. Most of these cases are children that were deprived of needed medical assistance due to their parents' religious views. Religious Studies scholar, Mary Bednarowski, adds that due to these circumstances, Christian Science has long experienced harsh criticism. With families and anti-cult movements protesting in the streets, ads, books, and magazines displaying their opposition, and the media labeling these movements as "dangerous", why would people join and remain in these New Religious Movements? What is it that makes these religious movements alluring and what are their adherents benefiting from them?

The Church of Scientology was officially registered in Los Angeles in 1954. It is present in more than 150 countries of the world, and is professed by over 8 million people. The founder of the movement is the American author of science fiction and fiction, Laffayete Ron Hubbard, who conducted research in the sphere of the human spirit, summarised in his books "Dianetics". Later on, he focused his research on spiritual beings and their abilities. This gave rise to an applicable religious philosophy - Scientology. It has not been possible to register the Church of Scientology officially in the Czech Republic so far, and therefore it acts as the civil association of "Dianetické centrum" (the Dianetic Centre). The number of its members and sympathisers in this country is not very high, reaching approximately 800 persons. Still, it is important for us to know the differences of this minority, to be able to provide its members with nursing care corresponding to their specific needs. This subject is dealt with by the multi-cultural nursing care studying cultures and religions from the point of view of nursing practice. In connection with globalisation, this subject becomes even more topical. The national, cultural and ethnic structure of the population undergoes gradual changes and the number of foreigners legally residing in the territory of the Czech Republic keeps growing. For this reason, it is important even for nurses to be prepared and have at least the minimum knowledge of multi-cultural / trans-cultural nursing care that will enable them to provide adequate nursing care respecting the specifics in question. The objective of my thesis is to get to know the specific features of nursing care provided to members of the Church of Scientology and to establish the specific features of their life style. To meet the objectives, I set five research questions. Research question 1: Do members of the Church of Scientology have specific needs when they are being provided nursing care? Research question 2: What is the attitude of members of the Church of Scientology to the health care provided in the Czech Republic? Research question 3: Do members of the Church of Scientology have specific spiritual needs? Research question 4: What attitude do members of the Church of Scientology have towards their health? Research question 5: Do members of the Church of Scientology have a specific life style? To collect data for fulfilling my research objectives and obtaining answers to the research questions, I applied the method of qualitative research. To conduct the qualitative research I used the technique of a semi-structured interview with the members of the Church of Scientology attending the Dianetic Centre in Prague. The interview contained altogether 46 questions divided into four areas, and the participants were four men and four women of different ages and different lengths of being members of the Church. The qualitative examination established the main and most distinct specific feature in providing nursing care to members of the Church of Scientology, which is maintaining silence at the time when human mind is weakened. Further, the research showed that scientologists respect physicians and do not exclude them in cases of accidents or danger of life. They normally undergo preventive examinations and do not object to being vaccinated provided that they are supplied with sufficient information. The only exception is psychiatry. Being provided with assists constitutes the only spiritual need, and the Church of Scientology has no specifics in terms of diet. This thesis may be used as a study material for general nurses and students of nursing studies, to expand knowledge in the field of multi-cultural / trans-cultural nursing care, which will facilitate providing culture-specific nursing care to members of this religious minority.