Children in Minority Religions

This book presents four years of research. Its purpose is to highlight children’s upbringing in certain minority religions with a high degree of “sectarian” criteria in a sociological sense including high tension with society/world; unique legitimacy; high level of commitment; exclusive membership; and conversion by personal choice. The study examines mainly, but not exclusively, seven minority religious communities: The Hare Krishna movement, The Family International (formerly Children of God), The Church of Scientology, The Family Federation (formerly The Unification Church), Knutby Filadelfia (a Pentecostal group), The Exclusive Brethren, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The fieldwork was conducted in Sweden, but the situation of the children and the findings are relevant to other countries. Most of the minority groups discussed have an international character with a presence in many countries, with only minor differences depending on local circumstances.

Minority religions that differ from the mainstream are often perceived as controversial and as a threat to the individual and to society. During the 1970s and 80s, there were intense discussions about whether conversion to these groups was voluntary or an effect of brainwashing or manipulation. In recent years however the situation of children in these groups has taken over the public debate regarding minority religions. Many believe that childhoods in cults involve physical and psychological abuse, and that severe punishment, starvation, sexual abuse, manipulation, forced obedience, lack of medical care and demonization of the outside world is part of everyday life. This book presents four years of research. Its purpose is to highlight children’s upbringing in certain minority religions with a high degree of “sectarian” criteria in a sociological sense including high tension with society/world; unique legitimacy; high level of commitment; exclusive membership; and conversion by personal choice. The study examines mainly, but not exclusively, seven minority religious communities: The Hare Krishna movement, The Family International (formerly Children of God), The Church of Scientology, The Family Federation (formerly The Unification Church), Knutby Filadelfia (a Pentecostal group), The Exclusive Brethren, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The fieldwork was conducted in Sweden, but the situation of the children and the findings are relevant to other countries. Most of the minority groups discussed have an international character with a presence in many countries, with only minor differences depending on local circumstances. The study is based on literature from the religions and observations of children and parents in religious rituals and daily life. However, the most important material for the book are twenty in-depth interviews with children between the ages of 8 and 17 living in these groups and sixty in-depth interviews with adults who grew up in minority religions and who are still involved, who grew up in minority religions, but are not now engaged, and who raised children in the minority religions.

Introduction Liselotte Frisk, Peter Akerback, Sanja Nilsson Section 1: General Overview and Perspectives 1. The Politicization of Children in Minority Religions: The Swedish and the European Contexts Peter Akerback 2. Children's Rights in Relation to Religion in Contemporary Sweden: Debates and Arguments Sanja Nilsson 3. Growing Up in Controversial Minority Religions: Constructions of Childhoods Liselotte Frisk Section 2: Different Groups and Different Perspectives 4. Recently Reborn: To Return as a Child of Scientologist Parents Peter Akerback 5. The Family International: A Narrative Approach Sanja Nilsson, Liselotte Frisk 6. Diana Baumrind's Parenting Styles: The Examples of the Osho Movement and Jehovah's Witnesses Liselotte Frisk 7. "I have lived all my life in a reality that doesn't exist": Perspectives from Ex-members Raised in Controversial Minoroty Religions Liselotte Frisk 8. Religion, Parenting and Child Corporal Punishment: An Example of the Twelve Tribes Liselotte Frisk 9. Medicine and Healthcare in Controversial Minority Religions: Perspectives from Medical Anthropology Liselotte Frisk 10. The Charismatic Leader in Knutby Filadelfia: The Children's Perspective Sanja Nilsson Section 3: Educational Perspectives 11. Learning the Principles: The Socialization of Children within the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Peter Akerback 12. In the Rear-view Mirror: Experiences of Attending an Ashram-based Religious Minority School in Sweden Sanja Nilsson 13. Raising and Schooling Children in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church: The Swedish Perspective Liselotte Frisk, Sanja Nilsson 14. The Waldorf Education System and Religion Liselotte Frisk 15. Applied Scholastics and Study Technology: The Educational Perspective Developed by L. Ron Hubbard Liselotte Frisk Section 4: Conclusion 16.Controversial Minority Religions and Childhoods Peter Akerback, Sanja Nilsson, Liselotte Frisk Appendices Appendix 1: Glossary of Minority Religions Discussed in the Book Liselotte Frisk, Peter Akerback, Sanja Nilsson Appendix 2: Interviews Liselotte Frisk, Peter Akerback, Sanja Nilsson

• By (author) Peter Akerback
• By (author) Liselotte Frisk
• By (author) Sanja Nilsson