John Gordon Melton (born September 19, 1942) is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently the Distinguished Professor of American Religious History with the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he resides.[1] He is also an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.
Melton is the author of more than forty-five books, including several encyclopedias, handbooks, and scholarly textbooks on American religious history, Methodism, world religions, and new religious movements (NRMs). His areas of research include major religious traditions, American Methodism, new and alternative religions, Western Esotericism (popularly called occultism) and parapsychology, New Age, and Dracula and vampire studies.
Melton was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of Burnum Edgar Melton and Inez Parker. During his senior year in high school he came across The Small Sects in America by Elmer T. Clark and became interested in reading as much as possible on alternative religions.[2]
In 1964 he graduated from Birmingham Southern College with the B.A. degree and then proceeded to theological studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, from which he received an M.Div. with a concentration in church history in 1968. He married Dorothea Dudley in 1966, with one daughter, Melanie. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979. His second wife is named Suzie.[1]
Main areas of research
Christian countercult and secular anti-cult
In his Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America Melton drew a distinction between the Christian countercult and the secular anti-cult movements, he articulated the distinction on the grounds that the two movements operate with very different epistemologies, motives and methods.[3] This distinction has been subsequently acknowledged by sociologists such as Douglas E. Cowan and Eileen Barker.[4][5]
Vampirism research
From his college days, Melton developed an interest in the subject of vampires, which he has since pursued in his leisure time.[6]
In 1997, Melton, Massimo Introvigne and Elizabeth Miller organized an event at the Westin Hotel in Los Angeles where 1,500 attendees (some dressed as vampires) came for a "creative writing contest, Gothic rock music and theatrical performances."[7]
In May 1995, during the investigation into the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, the group responsible for the attack, Aum Shinrikyo, contacted an American group known as AWARE (Association of World Academics for Religious Education), founded by American scholar James R. Lewis, claiming that the human rights of its members were being violated.[8] Lewis recruited Melton, human rights lawyer Barry Fisher, and chemical expert Thomas Banigan. They flew to Japan, with their travel expenses paid by Aum, and announced that they will investigate and report through press conferences at the end of their trip.[9]
In the press conferences, Fisher and Lewis announced that Aum could not have produced the sarin with which the attacks had been committed. They had determined this, Lewis said, with their technical expert, based on photos and documents provided by the group.[10]
British scholar of Japanese religions Ian Reader, in a detailed account of the incident, reported that Melton "had few doubts by the end of his visit to Japan of Aum’s complicity" and eventually "concluded that Aum had in fact been involved in the attack and other crimes"[8] In fact, the Washington Post account of the final press conference mentioned Lewis and Fisher but not Melton.[10]
Lewis, on the other hand, maintained his opinion that Aum had been framed, and wrote that having the trip funded by Aum had been arranged "so that financial considerations would not be attached to our final report."[11]
Reader concluded that, "The visit was well-intentioned, and the participants were genuinely concerned about possible violations of civil rights in the wake of the extensive police investigations and detentions of followers." However, it was ill-fated and detrimental to the reputation of those involved. While distinguishing between Lewis' and Melton's attitudes, Reader observed that Melton was criticized as well by both Japanese media and some fellow scholars.[8] Using stronger words, Canadian scholar Stephen A. Kent chastised both Lewis and Melton for having put the reputation of the whole category of scholars of new religious movements at risk.[12]
Criticism
Melton's scholarly works concentrate on the phenomenology and not the theology of NRMs. Some Christian countercultists criticize Melton for not critiquing the groups he reports on from an evangelical perspective, arguing that his failure to do so is incompatible with his statements of professed evangelicalism. Some secular anti-cultists who feel that new religious movements are dangerous and that scholars should actively work against them have likewise criticized him.[13]Stephen A. Kent and Theresa Krebs, for example, characterized Gordon Melton, James R. Lewis, and Anson Shupe as biased towards the groups they study.[14][15]
Wikiquote has quotations related to J. Gordon Melton.
Bibliography
Books
Log Cabins to Steeples: The United Methodist Way in Illinois (Nashville: Parthenon Press, 1974).
A Directory of Religious Bodies in the United States (New York: Garland, 1977).
An Old Catholic Sourcebook (co-authored with Karl Pruter), (New York/London: Garland, 1982).
An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church, Witness Lee and The God-Men Controversy (Santa Barbara: The Institute for the Study of American Religion, 1985)
Magic, witchcraft, and paganism in America: A bibliography, compiled from the files of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, (New York: Garland Publishing,1982), ISBN0-8240-9377-1. Revised edition co-authored with Isotta Poggi, Garland, 1992.
The Cult Experience: Responding to the New Religious Pluralism (co-authored with Robert L. Moore), (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1982).
Why Cults Succeed Where The Church Fails (co-authored with Ronald M. Enroth), (Elgin: Brethren Press, 1985).
Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America (New York/London: Garland, 1986; revised edition, Garland, 1992).
Biographical Dictionary of American Cult and Sect Leaders (New York/London: Garland, 1986).
American Religious Creeds (Detroit: Gale, 1988; republished in three volumes, New York: Triumph Books, 1991).
New Age Almanac, (co-edited with Jerome Clark and Aidan Kelly) (Detroit: Visible Ink, 1991).
Perspectives on the New Age (co-edited with James R. Lewis), (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992).
Islam in North America: A Sourcebook (co-edited with Michael A. Koszegi), (New York/London: Garland, 1992).
Sex, Slander, and Salvation: Investigating The Family/Children of God (co-edited with James R. Lewis), (Stanford: Center for Academic Publication, 1994).
Cults, Religion, and Violence, David Bromley and Gordon Melton, Eds., Cambridge University Press (May 13, 2002), 272pp, ISBN0-521-66898-0
Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-Clio (September, 2002), 1200pp, ISBN1-57607-223-1
J. Gordon Melton, 'The counter-cult monitoring movement in historical perspective' in Challenging Religion: Essays in Honour of Eileen Barker, James A. Beckford and James T. Richardson, eds. (London: Routledge, 2003), 102–113.
^ abBaylor University, "J. Gordon Melton, Distinguished Professor of American Religious History 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine". Retrieved 12 April 2016
^Melton, J. Gordon (1998). Finding Enlightenment: Ramtha's School of Ancient Wisdom. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. p. 163.
^Melton, J. Gordon (1992). Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. New York: Garland. pp. 335–358. He makes a similar distinction in Richardson, James A.; Richardson, James T. (2003). "The Counter-cult Monitoring Movement in Historical Perspective". Challenging Religion: Essays in Honour of Eileen Barker: 102–113.
^Cowan, Douglas (2003). Bearing False Witness: An Introduction to the Christian Countercult. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
^Barker, Eileen (2002). "Cult-Watching Practices and Consequences in Europe and North America". In Davis, Derek H.; Besier, Gerhard (eds.). International Perspectives on Freedom and Equality of Religion Belief. Waco, TX: J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies. pp. 1–24.
^Mardas, John (Summer 2000). "Interview with J. Gordon Melton". Speak Magazine. 2.
^Bidwell, Carol (July 23, 1997). "Coffin Break to Vampires Everywhere, Fangs for the Memories". The Los Angeles Daily News.
^ abcReader, Ian (April 2000). "Scholarship, Aum Shinrikyô, and Academic Integrity". Nova Religio. 3 (2): 368–382. doi:10.1525/nr.2000.3.2.368.
^Watanabe, Teresa (May 6, 1995). "Alleged Persecution of Cult Investigated: Japan: U.S. activists visit Tokyo. They're concerned about treatment of sect suspected in subway attack". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
^ abReid, T.R. (May 6, 1995). "Tokyo Cult Find an Unlikely Supporter". Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
^Lewis, James R. (1995). "Japan's Waco: Aum Shinrikyo and the Eclipse of Freedom in the Land of the Rising Sun". Prevailing Winds. 2: 52–58.
^Kent, Stephen A.; Krebs, Theresa (1999). "CLarifying Contentious Issues: A Rejoinder to Melton, Shupe, and Lewis" (PDF). Skeptic. 7: 52–58.
^Lattin, Don (1 May 2000). "Combatants in Cult War Attempt Reconciliation / Peacemaking conference is held near Seattle". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
^Kent, Stephen; Krebs, Theresa (1998). "When Scholars Know Sin: Alternative religions and their academic supporters" (PDF). Skeptic. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
May 15, 2023
gordon, melton, john, gordon, melton, born, september, 1942, american, religious, scholar, founding, director, institute, study, american, religion, currently, distinguished, professor, american, religious, history, with, institute, studies, religion, baylor, . John Gordon Melton born September 19 1942 is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently the Distinguished Professor of American Religious History with the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in Waco Texas where he resides 1 He is also an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church The ReverendJ Gordon MeltonBornJohn Gordon Melton 1942 09 19 September 19 1942 age 80 Birmingham Alabama U S Academic backgroundAlma materBirmingham Southern College Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary Northwestern UniversityAcademic workDisciplineMethodist Religion New religious movements American religious historyInstitutionsBaylor UniversityNotable worksThe Encyclopedia of American ReligionsMelton is the author of more than forty five books including several encyclopedias handbooks and scholarly textbooks on American religious history Methodism world religions and new religious movements NRMs His areas of research include major religious traditions American Methodism new and alternative religions Western Esotericism popularly called occultism and parapsychology New Age and Dracula and vampire studies Contents 1 Early life 2 Main areas of research 2 1 Christian countercult and secular anti cult 2 2 Vampirism research 3 Aum Shinrikyo investigation 4 Criticism 5 Bibliography 5 1 Books 6 See also 7 ReferencesEarly life EditMelton was born in Birmingham Alabama the son of Burnum Edgar Melton and Inez Parker During his senior year in high school he came across The Small Sects in America by Elmer T Clark and became interested in reading as much as possible on alternative religions 2 In 1964 he graduated from Birmingham Southern College with the B A degree and then proceeded to theological studies at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary from which he received an M Div with a concentration in church history in 1968 He married Dorothea Dudley in 1966 with one daughter Melanie The marriage ended in divorce in 1979 His second wife is named Suzie 1 Main areas of research EditChristian countercult and secular anti cult Edit In his Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America Melton drew a distinction between the Christian countercult and the secular anti cult movements he articulated the distinction on the grounds that the two movements operate with very different epistemologies motives and methods 3 This distinction has been subsequently acknowledged by sociologists such as Douglas E Cowan and Eileen Barker 4 5 Vampirism research Edit From his college days Melton developed an interest in the subject of vampires which he has since pursued in his leisure time 6 In 1997 Melton Massimo Introvigne and Elizabeth Miller organized an event at the Westin Hotel in Los Angeles where 1 500 attendees some dressed as vampires came for a creative writing contest Gothic rock music and theatrical performances 7 Aum Shinrikyo investigation EditFurther information Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway In May 1995 during the investigation into the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway the group responsible for the attack Aum Shinrikyo contacted an American group known as AWARE Association of World Academics for Religious Education founded by American scholar James R Lewis claiming that the human rights of its members were being violated 8 Lewis recruited Melton human rights lawyer Barry Fisher and chemical expert Thomas Banigan They flew to Japan with their travel expenses paid by Aum and announced that they will investigate and report through press conferences at the end of their trip 9 In the press conferences Fisher and Lewis announced that Aum could not have produced the sarin with which the attacks had been committed They had determined this Lewis said with their technical expert based on photos and documents provided by the group 10 British scholar of Japanese religions Ian Reader in a detailed account of the incident reported that Melton had few doubts by the end of his visit to Japan of Aum s complicity and eventually concluded that Aum had in fact been involved in the attack and other crimes 8 In fact the Washington Post account of the final press conference mentioned Lewis and Fisher but not Melton 10 Lewis on the other hand maintained his opinion that Aum had been framed and wrote that having the trip funded by Aum had been arranged so that financial considerations would not be attached to our final report 11 Reader concluded that The visit was well intentioned and the participants were genuinely concerned about possible violations of civil rights in the wake of the extensive police investigations and detentions of followers However it was ill fated and detrimental to the reputation of those involved While distinguishing between Lewis and Melton s attitudes Reader observed that Melton was criticized as well by both Japanese media and some fellow scholars 8 Using stronger words Canadian scholar Stephen A Kent chastised both Lewis and Melton for having put the reputation of the whole category of scholars of new religious movements at risk 12 Criticism EditMelton s scholarly works concentrate on the phenomenology and not the theology of NRMs Some Christian countercultists criticize Melton for not critiquing the groups he reports on from an evangelical perspective arguing that his failure to do so is incompatible with his statements of professed evangelicalism Some secular anti cultists who feel that new religious movements are dangerous and that scholars should actively work against them have likewise criticized him 13 Stephen A Kent and Theresa Krebs for example characterized Gordon Melton James R Lewis and Anson Shupe as biased towards the groups they study 14 15 Wikiquote has quotations related to J Gordon Melton Bibliography EditBooks Edit Log Cabins to Steeples The United Methodist Way in Illinois Nashville Parthenon Press 1974 A Directory of Religious Bodies in the United States New York Garland 1977 An Old Catholic Sourcebook co authored with Karl Pruter New York London Garland 1982 An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church Witness Lee and The God Men Controversy Santa Barbara The Institute for the Study of American Religion 1985 Magic witchcraft and paganism in America A bibliography compiled from the files of the Institute for the Study of American Religion New York Garland Publishing 1982 ISBN 0 8240 9377 1 Revised edition co authored with Isotta Poggi Garland 1992 The Cult Experience Responding to the New Religious Pluralism co authored with Robert L Moore New York Pilgrim Press 1982 Why Cults Succeed Where The Church Fails co authored with Ronald M Enroth Elgin Brethren Press 1985 Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America New York London Garland 1986 revised edition Garland 1992 Biographical Dictionary of American Cult and Sect Leaders New York London Garland 1986 American Religious Creeds Detroit Gale 1988 republished in three volumes New York Triumph Books 1991 New Age Almanac co edited with Jerome Clark and Aidan Kelly Detroit Visible Ink 1991 Perspectives on the New Age co edited with James R Lewis Albany State University of New York Press 1992 Islam in North America A Sourcebook co edited with Michael A Koszegi New York London Garland 1992 Sex Slander and Salvation Investigating The Family Children of God co edited with James R Lewis Stanford Center for Academic Publication 1994 Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology editor 4th ed Gale 1996 ISBN 978 0 8103 5487 6 5th ed Gale 2001 ISBN 978 0 8103 9489 6 Finding Enlightenment Ramtha s School of Ancient Wisdom Beyond Words Publishing Inc Hillsboro Oregon ISBN 1 885223 61 7 1998 American Religions An Illustrated History Santa Barbara ABC CLIO 2000 The Church of Scientology Studies in Contemporary Religions 1 Signature Books August 1 2000 ISBN 1 56085 139 2 80pp The Vampire Book The Encyclopedia of the Undead ISBN 978 1 57859 281 4 Prime Time Religion An Encyclopedia of Religious Broadcasting co authored with Phillip Charles Lucas amp Jon R Stone Oryx 1997 Melton s Encyclopedia of American Religions Thomson Gale 8th edition February 13 2009 1416pp ISBN 0 7876 9696 X Cults Religion and Violence David Bromley and Gordon Melton Eds Cambridge University Press May 13 2002 272pp ISBN 0 521 66898 0 Religions of the World A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices ABC Clio September 2002 1200pp ISBN 1 57607 223 1 J Gordon Melton The counter cult monitoring movement in historical perspective in Challenging Religion Essays in Honour of Eileen Barker James A Beckford and James T Richardson eds London Routledge 2003 102 113 Encyclopedia Of Protestantism Facts on File Publishing May 30 2005 628pp ISBN 0 8160 5456 8 A Will to Choose The Origins of African American Methodism New York Rowman amp Littlefield Publishers 2007 The Vampire Almanac The Complete History Visible Ink Press October 5 2021 736pp ISBN 978 1 57859 719 2See also EditList of new religious movement and cult researchersReferences Edit a b Baylor University J Gordon Melton Distinguished Professor of American Religious History Archived 2017 12 22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 12 April 2016 Melton J Gordon 1998 Finding Enlightenment Ramtha s School of Ancient Wisdom Hillsboro OR Beyond Words Publishing Inc p 163 Melton J Gordon 1992 Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America New York Garland pp 335 358 He makes a similar distinction in Richardson James A Richardson James T 2003 The Counter cult Monitoring Movement in Historical Perspective Challenging Religion Essays in Honour of Eileen Barker 102 113 Cowan Douglas 2003 Bearing False Witness An Introduction to the Christian Countercult Westport CT Praeger Publishers Barker Eileen 2002 Cult Watching Practices and Consequences in Europe and North America In Davis Derek H Besier Gerhard eds International Perspectives on Freedom and Equality of Religion Belief Waco TX J M Dawson Institute of Church State Studies pp 1 24 Mardas John Summer 2000 Interview with J Gordon Melton Speak Magazine 2 Bidwell Carol July 23 1997 Coffin Break to Vampires Everywhere Fangs for the Memories The Los Angeles Daily News a b c Reader Ian April 2000 Scholarship Aum Shinrikyo and Academic Integrity Nova Religio 3 2 368 382 doi 10 1525 nr 2000 3 2 368 Watanabe Teresa May 6 1995 Alleged Persecution of Cult Investigated Japan U S activists visit Tokyo They re concerned about treatment of sect suspected in subway attack Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 12 2020 a b Reid T R May 6 1995 Tokyo Cult Find an Unlikely Supporter Washington Post Retrieved February 7 2020 Lewis James R 1995 Japan s Waco Aum Shinrikyo and the Eclipse of Freedom in the Land of the Rising Sun Prevailing Winds 2 52 58 Kent Stephen A Krebs Theresa 1999 CLarifying Contentious Issues A Rejoinder to Melton Shupe and Lewis PDF Skeptic 7 52 58 Lattin Don 1 May 2000 Combatants in Cult War Attempt Reconciliation Peacemaking conference is held near Seattle San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved 4 October 2013 Kent Stephen A Krebs Theresa 1998 When Scholars Know Sin Skeptic Magazine 6 3 Kent Stephen Krebs Theresa 1998 When Scholars Know Sin Alternative religions and their academic supporters PDF Skeptic Retrieved 17 October 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title J Gordon Melton amp oldid 1153899764, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
