J. Gordon Melton is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion , and the author of several books on cults and new religious movements including the Encyclopedia of American Religions and Religious Leaders of America.

Melton is one of the more prominent critics of the anti-cult and countercult movements.

In 1995, Melton was part of an American delegation, funded by Aum Shinrikyo, that travelled to Japan to investigate Aum's activities and claims of persecution and erroneously declared Aum to be innocent.

Taking into account that almost every author in the field of cults and NRMs is controversial, Melton seems to receive more than the usual amount of criticism from the anti-cult movement and former members of cults and NRMS for, what they consider, his unrealistically uncritical writings about cults and NRMs. For example, countercult activist Anton Hein has criticized him because of what Hein considers excessive skepticism of the testimonies of ex-members of new religious movements. [1]. Dr. David C. Lane praises his encyclopedic works but considers him not critical enough about gurus.

Melton is also an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Bibliography

• Finding Enlightenment: Ramtha's School of Ancient Wisdom ISBN 1-885223-61-7 (1998) Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. Hillsboro Oregon

External links

• Institute for the Study of American Religion Homepage
• Critical study of Gordon Melton's book on Ramtha by Joe Szimhart