Brian R. Wilson, born 1926, is the reader Emeritus in Sociology at the University of Oxford and was President of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion between 1971 and 1975.

Wilson has exercised a formative influence on the sociology of religion in Britain. He has made a decisive contribution to the sociology of religion in the areas of sectarian religion and secularization, and has set the research agenda for sociology of religion throughout the world. His papers and books provide a thought provoking study on the subject of apostates and apostasy.

He has conducted research into minority religious movements in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ghana, Kenya, Belgium and Japan. His work has involved reading the publications of these movements and, wherever possible, associating with their members in their meetings, services, and homes.

His most recent research has focused on the relationship between minority religious groups, the state, and the law.