Eileen Barker

Eileen Vartan Barker (born 21 April 1938 in Edinburgh, UK), is a professor of sociology, an emeritus member of the London School of Economics (LSE), and a consultant to that institution's Centre for the Study of Human Rights. She is the chairperson and founder of the Information Network Focus on Religious Movements (INFORM) and has written studies about groups she defines as cults and new religious movements (NRMs).

She has also researched and written about The Family International and is considered an "expert" by said cult. Some consider her an apologist for the cult, as she has testified on their behalf in various court proceedings against them.

Selected bibliography for Barker

• Barker, Eileen The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing?, Blackwell Publishers, November 1984, ISBN 0-631-13246-5
• Barker, Eileen (editor) Of Gods and Men: New Religious Movements in the West Mercer University Press Macon, Georgia, U.S.A. 1984 ISBN 0865540950
• Barker, Eileen Defection from the Unification Church: Some Statistics and Distinctions, article in the book edited by David G. Bromley Falling from the Faith: The Causes and Consequences of Religious Apostasy. Newbury Park: SAGE Publications, (1988) ISBN 0-8039-3188-3
• Barker, Eileen New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction (Paperback) Bernan Press (October, 1990) ISBN 0-11-340927-3
• Barker, Eileen "The Scientific Study of Religion? You Must Be Joking!" Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 34 (1995), pp. 287-310.
• Barker, Eileen "New Religious Movements in Britain," in New Religious Movements in Europe, Helle Meldgaard and Johannes Aagaard, eds., (Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 1997), pp. 99-123. ISBN 8772885483
• Barker, Eileen, "New Religions and New Religiosity," in New Religions and New Religiosity, Eileen Barker and Margit Warburg, eds., (Aarhus:Aarhus University Press, 1998), pp. 10-27. ISBN 8772885521
• Barker, Eileen "Standing at the Cross-Roads: Politics of Marginality in 'Subversive Organizations'" article in The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements edited by David G. Bromley Westport, CT, Praeger Publishers, (1998). ISBN 0-275-95508-7
• Barker, Eileen. New Religions, Haft Asman (Seven Heavens), A Journal for the Center for Religious Studies, Vol. 4, no. 19, translated into Persian by Baqer Talebi Darabi, Autumn 2002.
• Barker, Eileen "Watching for Violence: A Comparative Analysis of the Roles of Five Types of Cult-atching Groups," in Cults, Religion and Violence, David G. Bromley and J. Gordon Melton, eds. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), pp. 123-148. ISBN 0521660645
• Barker, Eileen. (Editor) Freedom and Religion in Eastern Europe. Special Edition of The Sociology of Religion 64 no. 3 2003.
• Barker, Eileen. "And the Wisdom to Know the Difference? Freedom, Control and the Sociology of Religion" (Association for the Sociology of Religion 2002 Presidential Address). Sociology of Religion 64, no. 3, 2003, pp. 285-307. http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0SOR/3_64/109568880/p1/article.jhtml
• Barker, Eileen. (Slovak language) "Zákonné opatrenie nových náboženských knutí Vel'kej Británii", in Erópa a nové náboženskýhnutia, Zostavil Miroslv Lojda (ed.), Bratislava: Ministerstva kultúry Slovenskej republiky, translated into Slovakian by M. Lodja. 2003, pp. 87-92.
• Barker, Eileen. "Democracy and Religious Pluralism in Post-Soviet Society." In The Rebirth of Religion and the Birth of Democracy in Russia. Edited by Hoekema, D.; Bodrov, A. Calvin College, 2003.
• Barker, Eileen (German language) "'Vereinigungskirche'" in Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart: vierte Auflage, edited by Hans Dieter Betz, Don S. Browning, Bernd Janowski, Eberhard Jüngel. Tübingen: RGG, 2004: 21068.
• Barker, Eileen. Why the Cults? New Religions and Freedom of Religion and Beliefs. In Facilitating Freedom of Religion or Belief: A Deskbook. Edited by Lindholm, T.; Durham, W.C.; Tahzib-Lie, B. Koninklijke Brill, 2004, pp. 571-593. ISBN 9004137831
• Barker, Eileen. "General Overview of the 'Cult Scene' in Great Britain." In New Religious Movements in the 21st Century: Legal, Political, and Social Challenges in Global Perspective. edited by Lucas, C.P.; Robbins, T. Routledge, 2004, pp. 27-34. (ISSN 1350-7303)
• Barker, Eileen. (German language) "Neue Religiöse Bewegungen: Religiöser Pluralismus in der westlichen Welt." In Religion und Gessellschaft. Edited by Reuter, K. G. H.-R.. Ferdinand Schöningh, 2004, pp. 333-352.
• Barker, Eileen. The Church Without and the God Within: Religiosity and/or Spirituality? In Religion and Patterns of Social Transformation. Edited by Borowik, I.; Jerolimov, D.; Zrinšcak, D. IDIZ (Institute for Social Research in Zagreb), 2004, pp. 23-47. ISBN 953621816X
• Barker, Eileen. "What Are We Studying? A Sociological Case for Keeping the 'Nova'", Nova Religio 8 no. 3 (2004) pp. 88-102. {ISSN 1092-6690)
• Barker, Eileen "Crossing the Boundary: New Challenges to Authority and Control as a Consequence of Access to the Internet." in Religion and Cyberspace, edited by M. T. Højsgaard and M. Warburg, London: Routledge, 2005. ISBN 0415357675
• Barker, Eileen "Yet More Varieties of Religious Experiences: Diversity and Pluralism in Contemporary Europe" in Hartmut Lehman (ed.) Religiöser Pluralismus im vereinten Europa: Freikirchen und Sekten, Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 2005: 156-172 ISBN 3892448825
• Barker, Eileen (with Bryan R. Wilson) "What are the New Religions Doing in a Secular Society?" in Anthony F. Heath, John Ermisch & Duncan Gallie (eds) Understanding Social Change. British Academy Centenary Monograph, Published for the British Academy by Oxford University Press, 2005: 291-317. ISBN 0197263143
• Barker, Eileen "New Religious Movements" Religions and Beliefs in Britain (GCSE/A'level resource book), Craig Donnellan (ed.), Cambridge: Independence, 2005: 19-22.
• Barker, Eileen "Unification Church" in The Encyclopedia of New York State Peter Eisenstadt, Editor in Chief, Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

External links

• Professor Eileen Barker page at the London School of Economics
• An Introduction to New Religious Movements by Eileen Barker
• Introducing New Religious Movements From: London School of Economics and Political Science interview (video + text)
• Eileen Baker critical entry by the countercult activist Anton Hein
• Eileen Barker critical entry by anti-cult activist Rick Ross
• A Presentation on the Situation in Russia by Professor Alexander Dvorkin, Greek Orthodox Publications, Video-tape "Synaxis or gathering of the Heads of all Orthodox Churches at Fanar, Constantinople, 1992
• Article Review: Thus Spake the Scientist: A Comparative Account of the New Priesthood and its Organisational Bases