International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 9, 2018 77
applied, and modified regarding celebrity
recruitment and deployment” (p. 81), including
Scientologists being encouraged to select a
celebrity from a list to recruit, a practice that, as
Kent writes, “sound[s] uncomfortably like
stalking” (p. 84), and the creation of the
“Celebrity Centre International,” (p. 88) and
leads this into a discussion of the public-
relations work that celebrities do on
Scientology’s behalf (p. 92). The discussion
flows seamlessly into the next chapter, which
focuses on the “impressive commitment on the
part of talented members to further the successes
of the organization to which they belong, often
suggesting sacrifices of considerable time,
wealth, and talent” (p. 104). Kent then moves on
to celebrity exits from Scientology, providing an
in-depth discussion of four notable celebrity ex-
Scientologists: William Burroughs, Jason
Beghe, Paul Haggis, and Leah Remini, who are
selected because “extensive evidence exists
concerning their very public departures from
Scientology” (p. 150). Kent explores these
partings and discusses various reasons for
“deconversion” such as “moral doubts,” namely
hypocrisy, and “weakened social bonds” (p.
150), often from policies within the Church
calling for members to cease communicating
with outsiders, among other reasons. With
significant detail and depth of evidence, these
three chapters trace celebrity Scientologists from
initial recruitment policies and actions, to their
role within the Church, to instances of celebrity
departures and provides a coherent, thorough
analysis of the important influence of celebrities
within this organization.
The Media and The Church of
Scientology
Following the discussion of celebrities, the book
turns to the media’s complex relationship with
the Church. Tami M. Bereska offers an
insightful look at “media representations …
explicitly or implicitly directed toward the
Church of Scientology” (p. 191) and addresses
“particular frames govern[ing] the Scientology
narrative, a narrative that is, at its core, a story of
fraudulent leaders, meaningless doctrine, and
well-orchestrated money-making scams” (p.
191). Bereska claims that fictionalized
portrayals of Scientology in the media causes
“what is fact and what is fiction [to become]
somewhat ambiguous” and affects the “larger
cultural stock of knowledge” (p. 206) about the
Church, allowing “real characteristics and
events” to “overlap” (p. 207) with media.
In the following chapter, Bereska goes on to
discuss Scientology interview strategies,
described as the “deviance dance” (p. 230) she
considers that “a new television strategy appears
to have emerged for Scientology, one that serves
to manage the public’s impression of the
celebrity and of the organization” (p. 231).
As an expansion on this idea, Terra Manca
follows with a chapter that, rather than
specifically relying on interviews, explores the
larger news coverage of Scientology through a
set of particular stories that appeared between
1974 and 2009. Manca discusses several themes
that “recurred” (p. throughout these pieces,
including “costs, commitments, and training” (p.
249), the Sea Organization, FBI raids, and
“ongoing controversies involving Scientology,”
among others. Manca considers the role of news
media on new religious movements and on
Scientology in particular.
The focus on the media culminates with Max
Halupka’s chapter in which he offers an analysis
of Scientology and the Internet with regard to
the Church’s “contemporary approach to
perception management” (p. 280) in contrast
with strategies used by the Church previously.
Halupka’s discussion includes an interesting
overview of the Church’s struggle with online
entities, including Wikipedia, the “decentralized
virtual community Anonymous,” Google, and
WikiLeaks. Through these situations, Halupka
highlights the idea that Scientology’s “fevered
quest for content censorship served to
undermine its operations as it brought about the
Streisand Effect” (p. 295). Together, these four
chapters on Scientology’s relationship with the
media serve to, as Halupka writes, “[present] a
unique opportunity to witness firsthand how new
religions adapt to significant societal change …
[and] how new faiths strive for public legitimacy
and the normalization of belief and practice” (p.
295).
applied, and modified regarding celebrity
recruitment and deployment” (p. 81), including
Scientologists being encouraged to select a
celebrity from a list to recruit, a practice that, as
Kent writes, “sound[s] uncomfortably like
stalking” (p. 84), and the creation of the
“Celebrity Centre International,” (p. 88) and
leads this into a discussion of the public-
relations work that celebrities do on
Scientology’s behalf (p. 92). The discussion
flows seamlessly into the next chapter, which
focuses on the “impressive commitment on the
part of talented members to further the successes
of the organization to which they belong, often
suggesting sacrifices of considerable time,
wealth, and talent” (p. 104). Kent then moves on
to celebrity exits from Scientology, providing an
in-depth discussion of four notable celebrity ex-
Scientologists: William Burroughs, Jason
Beghe, Paul Haggis, and Leah Remini, who are
selected because “extensive evidence exists
concerning their very public departures from
Scientology” (p. 150). Kent explores these
partings and discusses various reasons for
“deconversion” such as “moral doubts,” namely
hypocrisy, and “weakened social bonds” (p.
150), often from policies within the Church
calling for members to cease communicating
with outsiders, among other reasons. With
significant detail and depth of evidence, these
three chapters trace celebrity Scientologists from
initial recruitment policies and actions, to their
role within the Church, to instances of celebrity
departures and provides a coherent, thorough
analysis of the important influence of celebrities
within this organization.
The Media and The Church of
Scientology
Following the discussion of celebrities, the book
turns to the media’s complex relationship with
the Church. Tami M. Bereska offers an
insightful look at “media representations …
explicitly or implicitly directed toward the
Church of Scientology” (p. 191) and addresses
“particular frames govern[ing] the Scientology
narrative, a narrative that is, at its core, a story of
fraudulent leaders, meaningless doctrine, and
well-orchestrated money-making scams” (p.
191). Bereska claims that fictionalized
portrayals of Scientology in the media causes
“what is fact and what is fiction [to become]
somewhat ambiguous” and affects the “larger
cultural stock of knowledge” (p. 206) about the
Church, allowing “real characteristics and
events” to “overlap” (p. 207) with media.
In the following chapter, Bereska goes on to
discuss Scientology interview strategies,
described as the “deviance dance” (p. 230) she
considers that “a new television strategy appears
to have emerged for Scientology, one that serves
to manage the public’s impression of the
celebrity and of the organization” (p. 231).
As an expansion on this idea, Terra Manca
follows with a chapter that, rather than
specifically relying on interviews, explores the
larger news coverage of Scientology through a
set of particular stories that appeared between
1974 and 2009. Manca discusses several themes
that “recurred” (p. throughout these pieces,
including “costs, commitments, and training” (p.
249), the Sea Organization, FBI raids, and
“ongoing controversies involving Scientology,”
among others. Manca considers the role of news
media on new religious movements and on
Scientology in particular.
The focus on the media culminates with Max
Halupka’s chapter in which he offers an analysis
of Scientology and the Internet with regard to
the Church’s “contemporary approach to
perception management” (p. 280) in contrast
with strategies used by the Church previously.
Halupka’s discussion includes an interesting
overview of the Church’s struggle with online
entities, including Wikipedia, the “decentralized
virtual community Anonymous,” Google, and
WikiLeaks. Through these situations, Halupka
highlights the idea that Scientology’s “fevered
quest for content censorship served to
undermine its operations as it brought about the
Streisand Effect” (p. 295). Together, these four
chapters on Scientology’s relationship with the
media serve to, as Halupka writes, “[present] a
unique opportunity to witness firsthand how new
religions adapt to significant societal change …
[and] how new faiths strive for public legitimacy
and the normalization of belief and practice” (p.
295).
