Roy Wallis (1945–1990)[1] was a sociologist and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the Queen's University Belfast. He is mostly known for his creation of the seven signs that differentiate a religious congregation from a sectarian church, which he created while researching the Church of Scientology. He introduced the distinction between world-affirming and world-rejecting new religious movements.[2][3]

After publishing his book The Road to Total Freedom (1976), an in-depth analysis of the sociology of Scientology, he was harassed by the church both legally and personally.[4][5] Forged letters, apparently from Wallis, were sent to his colleagues implicating him in various scandalous activities.[6]

Publications

References

  1. ^ "Content Pages of the Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Science". hirr.hartsem.edu.
  2. ^ Bromley, David New Religious Movements in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Society edited by William H. Swatos, Jr. Editor [1]
  3. ^ "Roy Wallis". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  4. ^ Roy Wallis's The Road to Total Freedom, pp. 218–219
  5. ^ Roy Wallis (1977) "The Moral Career of the Research Project" in Colin Bell and Howard Newby (Eds) Doing Sociological Research London: Allen and Unwin. ISBN 0029023505
  6. ^ Stewart Lamont (1986) Religion Inc.: The Church of Scientology London: Harrap. ISBN 0245543341. p. 87

External links

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