Scientology

Introduction
Hubbard’s early life and beliefs
Organization of the church
Controversy and present status

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Church of Scientology summary

Related Questions

How are engrams believed to affect behavior in Scientology?
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External Websites

CNN - Scientology: What exactly is it?
ABC listen - Conversations - Investigating Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane
Live Science - What is Scientology?
Hartford Institute for Religion Research - Encyclopedia of Religion and Society - Scientology
World Religions and Spirituality Project - Scientology and the Visual Arts
BBC News - How Scientology changed the internet

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Scientology - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Scientology

international movement

Also known as: Church of Scientology

Written by

J. Gordon Melton

Distinguished Professor of American Religious History, Institute for Studies in Religion, Baylor University; Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion, Woodway, Texas. Author of La Chiesa...

J. Gordon Melton

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 30, 2026 •History

Scientology, international movement that emerged in the 1950s in response to the thought of L. Ron Hubbard, a writer who introduced his ideas to the general public in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950). Hubbard’s stated goal was to analyze humankind’s mental aberrations and to offer a means for overcoming them. He eventually moved away from Dianetics’ focus on the mind to a more religious approach to the human condition, which he called...

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