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A new religious movement apologist (NRM apologist or cult apologist) is a person who offers arguments in defense of controversial new religious movements (pejoratively called cults). Sociologists Ben Zablocki and Thomas Robbins say the term is used by critics of new religious movements to devalue scholars whose writings they consider too sympathetic or tolerant of such groups.〔Zablocki, Benjamin; Robbins, Thomas. ''Misunderstanding Cults'', Introduction, p. 26, University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978-0-8020-8188-9〕 == Responses == Scholars accused of being cult apologists reply to the criticism in various ways, including expressing their concern for religious freedom and tolerance. Douglas E. Cowan wrote that he had been referred to as a cult apologist, along with Eileen Barker, Massimo Introvigne, Jeff Hadden, Irving Hexham, Anson Shupe, David G. Bromley, and J. Gordon Melton.〔(''From Parchment to Pixels: The Christian Countercult on the Internet'' ), Douglas E. Cowan, Center for Studies on New Religions, 2001, Conference, London.〕 Cowan stated that he felt this characterization was "inaccurate and insulting", and that these individuals actually stand for the values of religious tolerance.〔 Cowan and Bromley have stated that the use of the cult apologist label was part of a response by the anti-cult movement, notably the American Family Foundation (now the International Cultic Studies Association) and the old Cult Awareness Network, to the lack of academic support for the brainwashing hypothesis, and employed as a strategy to undermine social scientists' credibility. Cowan also refers to the term as a "pejorative" with potentially unhelpful consequences.〔Cowan, Douglas E. ("Cult Apology: A Modest (Typological) Proposal" ), Paper presented to the 2002 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Conference “Boundaries and Commitments in NRM Research” November 1–3, 2002, Salt Lake City, Utah, p. 3.〕 Michael Kropveld agrees with Cowan that the term "cult-apologist" is pejorative but also adds "Anti-Cult Movement", "Pro-Cult Movement", and "anti-cultist" to a list of divisive labels that are not constructive towards productive dialogue between academics, and should be avoided.〔 The use of terminology such as “Anti-Cult Movement” (ACM) and “Pro-Cult Movement” (PCM), “anti-cultist” and “pro-cultist” or “cult apologist” are examples of divisive labels that are hardly conducive to encouraging dialogue or discernment.〕 Gordon Melton also dismisses these criticisms by stating that the usage of the term "cults" by what he calls "anti-cultists" reflects the negative evaluation that new religious movements have endured.〔Melton, Godon J., ''Modern Alternative Religions in the West''. pp.610, Penguin (1997), ISBN 0-14-013599-5〕 He also objects to being personally labeled an "apologist" by the "anti-cult movement".〔(Combatants in Cult War Attempt Reconciliation: Peacemaking conference is held near Seattle ), ''San Francisco Chronicle'', Don Lattin, May 1, 2000.〕 Anson Shupe has defined cult apologist as a "derogatory term employed by anticultists to refer to scholars and civil libertarians whose research conclusions and views disagree with the anticult movement's own suspicions or conclusions, to wit, that many religious movements are necessarily subversive to society and dangerous to individuals who join them." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「NRM apologist」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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