''Religion Inc. The Church of Scientology'' is a

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

book about

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data i ...

and

L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored ''Dianetics ...

, written by Stewart Lamont. The book was published in hardcover edition by Harrap, in 1986.

Cited by other works

''Religion Inc.'' is cited by other books and research reports on the subject matter, including: ''Journal of the American Academy of Religion'', ''The State of the Discipline'', ''Canadian Journal of Sociology'', ''Marburg Journal of Religion'', ''Shaking the World for Jesus'',''Shaking the World for Jesus'', Heather Hendershot, 2004, P.219.,

University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including '' The Chicago Manual of Style'' ...

,
Scientology is another belief system that clearly illustrates the

profit motive In economics, the profit motive is the motivation of firms that operate so as to maximize their profits. Mainstream microeconomic theory posits that the ultimate goal of a business is "to make money" - not in the sense of increasing the firm's ...

at play in American religion. See Stewart Lamont. Religion Inc.: The Church of Scientology. ''The Social Dimensions of Sectarianism'',''The Social Dimensions of Sectarianism: sects and new religious movements in contemporary society'', Bryan Ronald Wilson, 1990, P.233.,

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

,
An account of Hubbard's retreat to sea, his recluse-like existence in California, and his death is given in S. Lamont, Religion Inc.: The Church of Scientology. ''Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction'', ''La Secte'', and ''The Alms Trade''.

Synopsis

The work includes twenty-seven photographs, taken by the author in the course of research for the book. Lamont describes the difficulty authors often encounter in writing and publishing critical books on the

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious ...

: "Books about Scientology have a greater permanency than newspaper articles and therefore it should not come as a surprise that vigorous smear-campaigns have been conducted against the authors of such investigations." Lamont later goes on to chronicle some of the harassment suffered by author

Paulette Cooper Paulette Cooper (born July 26, 1942) is an American author and journalist whose writing against the Church of Scientology resulted in harassment from Scientologists. An early critic of the church, she published ''The Scandal of Scientology'' in ...

after the publication of ''

The Scandal of Scientology ''The Scandal of Scientology'' is a critical exposé book about the Church of Scientology, written by Paulette Cooper and published by Tower Publications, in 1971. In 2007, Cooper wrote about the events resulting from the publication of her sto ...

'', including recounting parts of

Operation Freakout Operation Freakout, also known as Operation PC Freakout, was a Church of Scientology covert plan intended to have the U.S. author and journalist Paulette Cooper imprisoned or committed to a psychiatric hospital. The plan, undertaken in 1976 foll ...

.''Religion Inc.'', Lamont, P. 142-143. Lamont also goes into the inherent motivation for profit within the organization. The book also details L. Ron Hubbard's actions later in life: his retreat to sea, isolated lifestyle in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, and death.

References

External links

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hosted by Dr. David Touretzky {{Scientology Books critical of Scientology Books about Scientology 1986 non-fiction books 1986 in religion