Stephen A Kent

Education

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 In 1978, he was awarded a Master's Degree in the History of Religions, from American University. 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. From 1984 to 1986, Kent worked in the sociology department at the University of Alberta, in the Izaac Walton Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Research

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." Simpson recommends Kent for further reading on the group Children of God, also referred to as "The Family", 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.'" Kent has devoted significant study to the Children of God, and the group's founder David Berg. He has researched testimony of individuals that have alleged Satanic ritual abuse, in a period from the 1930s to 1980s. 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." 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." 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. Criminologist Michael Salter, however, views Kent's work on ritual abuse more favorably.

With fellow sociologist Theresa Krebs, Kent has written about instances of "when scholars know sin". In their book Denying History, authors Michael Shermer and Alex Grobman note "Sociologists are aware of the problem of a researcher's 'co-option' by a group–a cult or New Age religion, perhaps– whereby the scholar, in entering a group and spending considerable time with its members, publishes a paper or book that is not as objective as he or she may believe." Shermer and Grobman cite Kent and Krebs' 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."

Kent's research of Scientology has focused on its organization, the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF). 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 2nd-generation Scientologist children have left the group in "waves". Kent has commented to the media about Scientology's RPF, and Scientology's "Ethics" system, as well as its affiliated organization Narconon. He has published articles concerning Scientology and Hollywood, 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." According to CBS News "He’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." The Editor-in-Chief of The Village Voice referred to Kent as an academic "who studies Scientology in depth", and the St. Petersburg Times referred to Kent as "an expert on the group". 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. Religious studies scholar J. Gordon Melton and Church of Scientology spokesperson Leisa Goodman have both questioned the accuracy of Kent's scholarship. Kent responded to both critics, noting their breaches of ethics and poor research practices.

Sociologist Lorne Dawson has criticized Kent's work for his use of ex-member testimony. In response to Dawsons 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 Additionally, the methodological considerations raised by Dawson do not end at ex-member testimony, given that much of his critique was "prepared at the request of the Church of Scientology" as part of his employment as an expert witness. Relying on member testimony raises the important issue of how researchers’ sympathies influence their work. As part of their response to a general call for a critical sociology of religion, Thomas J. Josephsohn and Rhys H. Williams argue that sociology of religion's focus on the beneficial aspects of religion has tended to ignore "some significant and darker aspects of religion such as violence, terrorism, prejudice, and social closure".

From Slogans to Mantras

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. In 2003 it was cited by Choice as an outstanding academic title that should be owned by every library.

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." 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. Doni Whitsett reviewed the book in Cultic Studies Review, 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. 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.

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. Massimo Introvigne also gave the work a critical review, which was published on the website of his organization, CESNUR. Introvigne referred to what he described as "the author’s well-known harsh criticism of NRMs" (new religious movements). However, Introvigne did state that the book was interesting reading, and that the discussion started by Kent on the post-political fate of 1960s activists is important and should be expanded upon.

Awards and recognition

In 2003, Kent's book From Slogans to Mantras was cited by Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries as an "Outstanding Academic Title" that should be owned by every library. Kent was recognized by his students at the University of Alberta in 2009. He received a "Graduate Student Supervisor Award" from the Graduate Students' Association on March 12, 2009. 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 US$ 1,000 award to "update the department’s DVD collections in the sociology of deviance and the sociology of religion".

Works