Susan J. Palmer Explained

Alma Mater:	Concordia University
Discipline:	Sociologist
Occupation:	Writer, professor
Nationality:	Canadian
Known For:	Study of new religious movements
Education:	Doctor of Philosophy
Main Interests:	New religious movements

Susan Jean Palmer (born 1946) is a Canadian sociologist of religion and author whose primary research interest is new religious movements. Formerly a professor of religious studies at Dawson College in Westmount, Quebec, she is currently an Affiliate Professor at Concordia University. She has authored and edited several books on NRMs.

arly life and education

Palmer was raised in the Mormon faith.^[1] Palmer received a B.A. in Honours English at McGill University before she received her Masters and Ph.D in Religion from Concordia.

Career

Palmer was a professor of religious studies at Dawson College in Westmount, Quebec, before becoming she is currently an Affiliate Professor at Concordia University, and is also the Principal Investigator on the four-year SSHRC-funded research project, "Children in Sectarian Religions" at McGill University in Montreal, where she teaches courses on new religious movements.^{[2] [3]}

Work

She has engaged in field research with at least 30 different groups and is considered to be a leading authority on the Twelve Tribes communities, the Nuwaubian Nation and Raëlism.

Her topics range from apocalyptic activity, prophecy, charisma, communalism, childrearing, racialist religions, to research ethics and methods in studying new religions. Her article "Caught Up in the Cult Wars: Confessions of a Canadian Researcher" has reappeared in several anthologies.^[4] er book Aliens Adored documents the formation and beliefs of the Raelian movement, with an eye to how scientific discoveries contribute to the formation of their human cloning theology.^{[5] [6]} Her most recent work has focused on religious freedom issues. The New Heretics of France explores the state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities,^{[7] [8]} and The Nuwaubian Nation argues that Black Nationalist prophets in the US are targeted by networks of interest groups and rarely receive a fair trial.^{[9] [10]}

Bibliography

• Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . The Rajneesh Papers: Studies in a New Religious Movement . Sharma . Arvind . Arvind Sharma . . 1993 . 81-208-1080-5 . en . 2.
• Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers: Women's Roles in New Religions . . 1994 . 0-8156-0382-7 . en . 2.
• Book: Millennium, Messiahs, and Mayhem: Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements . . 1997 . 0-415-91649-6 . Robbins . Thomas . Thomas Robbins (sociologist) . en . Palmer . Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . 2.
• Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . AIDS as an Apocalyptic Metaphor in North America . . 1997 . 0-802-00662-0 . en . 2.
• Book: Children in New Religions . . 1999 . 0-8135-2620-5 . Palmer . Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . 2 . en . 2 . Hardman . Charlotte E..
• Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . Aliens Adored: Rael's UFO Religion . Aliens Adored . . 2004 . 0-8135-3475-5 . en . 2.
• Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . The Nuwaubian Nation: Black Spirituality and State Control . . 2010 . 978-0-7546-6255-6 . en . 2.
• Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . The New Heretics of France, Minority Religions, la Republique, and the Government-Sponsored "War on Sects" . . 2011 . 978-0-19-973521-1 . en . 2.
• Book: Wright, Stuart A. . Palmer . Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . Stuart A. Wright . Storming Zion: Exploring State Raids on Religious Communities . . 2016 . 978-0-19-539889-2 . en . 2.
• Book: The Mystical Geography of Quebec: Catholic Schisms and New Religious Movements . The Mystical Geography of Quebec . . 2020 . 978-3-0303-3061-3 . Palmer . Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . 2 . en . 2 . Geoffroy . Martin . Gareau . Paul L..
• Book: Uyghur Women Activists in the Diaspora: Restorying a Genocide . . 2024 . 978-1-3504-1834-9 . Palmer . Susan J. . Susan J. Palmer . 2 . en . 2 . Mahmut . Dilmurat . Udun . Abdulmuqtedir. Bloomsbury Studies in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality.

Notes and References

1. News: Alaton . Salem . 2004-01-01 . It's the Rael thing . subscription . live . https://archive.today/20240606023855/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/its-the-rael-thing/article1329873/ . 2024-06-06 . 2024-06-06 . . en-CA.
2. Web site: Dr. Susan Jean Palmer . 2024-08-14 . . en-CA.
3. Riess . Jana . Jana Riess . 2004-11-15 . Aliens Adored: Raël's UFO Religion (Book) . 2024-08-14 . . 17 . en-US . 251 . 46 . 00000019.
4. Book: Palmer, Susan J. . Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field . Misunderstanding Cults . . 2001 . 978-0-8020-8188-9 . Zablocki . Benjamin . Benjamin Zablocki . 99–122 . en . Caught Up in the Cult Wars: Confessions of a Canadian Researcher . Robbins . Thomas . Thomas Robbins (sociologist).
5. von Heyking . John . 2005 . Groovy Cloned-Baby: Yah! . . 67 . 3 . 565–567 . 0034-6705 . 25046453.
6. Stebbins . Robert A. . 2006 . Review of Aliens Adored: Raël's UFO Religion . . en-CA . 31 . 3 . 391–392 . 10.2307/20058722 . 0318-6431.
7. de Borde . Melchior Pelleterat . 2012 . Review of The New Heretics of France: Minority Religions, la République, and the Government-Sponsored "War on Sects" . . en . 73 . 3 . 346–348 . 1069-4404 . 41679711.
8. Adams . George . 2014 . The New Heretics of France: Minority Religions, la Republique, and the Government-Sponsored "War on Sects." . . en . 17 . 3 . 119–120 . 10.1525/nr.2014.17.3.119 . 1092-6690.
9. Possamai . Adam . Adam Possamai . 2011 . Political Culture, the Nation of Islam, the Nuwaubian Nation and the Muslim Brotherhood: A Review Article . Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review . en . 2 . 2 . 355–367 . 10.5840/asrr2011227 . 1946-0538.
10. Pace . Enzo . 2011 . Review of The Nuwaubian Nation. Black Spirituality and State Control . . fr . 56 . 156 . 243–245 . 0335-5985 . 41336177.