Scientology, Religion and Cults

Recent judgments which grant the church of Scientology the status of a ‘religion’ have reignited the debate over who defines such matters and what, in a largely secular society, it means to grant special legal rights to one. What makes a religion? Is there a meaningful difference between a religion and a cult? Where do the limits of religious tolerance lie?

Peter Jukes (author, broadcaster and journalist) and Christina Patterson (writer, columnist and broadcaster) will be in discussion with Professor Sarah Churchwell on what constitutes a religion in the modern age.