This article provides an overview of cult-related issues that may reveal themselves in therapeutic situations. These issues include: families in cults; parental (especially mothers') roles in cults; the impact that cult leaders have on families; the destruction of family intimacy; child abuse; issues encountered by noncustodial parents; the impact on cognitive, psychological, and moral development; and health issues. The authors borrow from numerous theoretical perspectives to illustrate their points, including self psychology, developmental theory, and the sociology of religion. They conclude with a discussion of the therapeutic challenges that therapists face when working with cult-involved clients and make preliminary recommendations for treatment.

Locating itself within a sociological perspective that analyses religiously ideological organisations as transnational corporations, this study examines the global activities of Scientology. It summarises the organisation's resolution of its international conflict with Interpol, its take-over of its internationally influential opponent, the Cult Awareness Network (CAN) and its heightened rhetoric against psychiatry. The article also highlights Scientology's international marketing strategies that attempt to further the teachings of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and gain political and social influence. Despite Scientology's efforts to adjust its approach to fit the cultural realities of the countries that it enters, its apparent successes in some formerly Iron Curtain nations is counterbalanced by growing opposition in Western Europe. 1999 Academic Press At least two contemporary sociological trends bespeak the timeliness of a focused study about Scientology's international resource acquisition and utilisation efforts. First, a growing number of publications are examining globalization trends among religions and other social institutions. 1 These studies identify the manner in which heretofore national issues are being recast in borderless frameworks. Only a few of them explore, however, the manner by which particular sects such as Scientology develop transnational presences by attempting to achieve global influence if not control over resources and opponents.Second and more directly, recent work has called for analyses of religiously ideological organisations as multinational or transnational corporations (see Bromley, p. 272; Kent, 1990, p. 401; Wallis, p. 248). This relatively new but obvious perspective highlights the ability of ostensibly religious groups to shift and diversify their operational bases and resource acquisition efforts throughout various parts of the globe in accordance with prevailing political, social, and economic climates. The current study locates itself within this perspective, and borrows from it broad categories and concepts to identify Scientology's efforts to extend its influence throughout the world. While the organisation's strenuous efforts at gaining international dominance will fall well short of its goal, undoubtedly Scientology will continue attempts to influence the social fabric of the countries in which it operates.

Edward Tiryakian recently argued that Max Weber wassodeeply affected by John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress that he personally identified with one of its characters, a man whowas trapped in an iron cage of despair. Therein, Tiryakian claimed, lies the origins of the famous "iron cage" metaphor that appears in the final pages of Talcott Parsons' translation of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Challenging hisview, thisarticle argues that Weberwaslittleaffected by hisreading of Puritan material, since he subsumed its example of inner worldly asceticism intoGerman ideational models provided by Nietzsche and Goethe. The "iron cage" metaphor is the result of a mistranslation by Parsons, and cannot beattributed to Weber. Moreover, by conceiving of the Pur itans as Ubermenschen, Weberwasunable to see the extentto whicha desire forrevenge against those in power helped to shape the economic activities of at least one Puritan group, the Quakers.

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Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, frequently made claims that Scientology was related to or shared significant similarities with Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism and Taoism. However, careful examination of Hubbard's claims indicates that he had only a superficial acquaintance with Eastern religions, and most of his attempts to associate Scientology with these faiths are unwarranted. Moreover, social and political pressures against his organisation's alleged healing practices probably provided the catalyst for Hubbard's attempt to portray his creation as a religion with Eastern overtones.