20/05/2024 08:30 - 10:45

HALL: LA PIRA - ROOM 3

Proponent: Introvigne M.

Chair: Soryte R.

Speaker: Introvigne M., Miklovicz A., Rigal-Cellard B., Roux E., Soryte R.

The Church of Scientology continues to be mentioned in the media mostly for the activities of some well-publicized opponents and for the opposition it encounters from various quarters. Less frequently discussed is Scientology's social activism, which extends to a plurality of fields: disaster relief and charitable work though its Volunteer Ministers, human right works (which in turn may create controversies when the church denounces the abuses of psychiatry), and an important if understudied influence not only on performing but also on visual arts. The panel will explore how these activities of Scientology develops in a context still marked by opposition.