Stephen A. Kent

Stephen A. Kent
Kent in 2000
Residence	Canada
Fields	Sociology of religion, New religious movements
Institutions	Professor of Sociology, University of Alberta
Alma mater	University of Maryland, College Park, B.A. (1973) American University, M.A. (1978) McMaster University, Ph.D. (1984)
Known for	From Slogans to Mantras
Notable awards	Graduate Student Supervisor Award (2009) Bill Meloff Memorial Teaching Award (2010)

Stephen A. Kent, is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He researches new religious movements, and has published research on several such groups including the Children of God (also known as The Family), the Church of Scientology, and newer faiths operating in Canada.

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.

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.

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