George D. Chryssides

Chryssides holds a first-class honours B.D. in systematic theology from the University of Glasgow. He obtained a first-class honours MA degree in philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Since 1974, Chryssides holds a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from the University of Oxford,{{Cite web|title=Dr George D. Chryssides|date=2017-01-05|url=https://iafor.org/dvteam/dr-george-d-chryssides/ |website=The International Academic Forum |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529055534/https://iafor.org/dvteam/dr-george-d-chryssides/ |archive-date= May 29, 2022 }} with the thesis An examination of some problems concerning the philosophical analysis of religious language.

Chryssides has taught at various British universities. He started teaching religious studies at the University of Wolverhampton in 1992.{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=5}} He found it difficult to find enough scholarly work detailing new religious movements in order to teach about the subject and started collecting primary source materials to research and utilize instead. Chryssides became acquainted with a Jehovah's Witness and would invite him to speak when introducing the denomination to his students.{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=6}} Chryssides was the Head of Religious Studies at the institution from 2001 to 2008.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Since the 1980s, Chryssides's main interest has been new religious movements. Chryssides favours a simple definition of "new religious movement" as an organization founded "within the past 150 or so years" that cannot be easily classified within one of the world's main religious traditions.{{Cite journal|last1= Driedger|first1=Michael|last2=Wolfart|first2=Johannes C.|date=2018|title=Reframing the History of New Religious Movements|journal=Nova Religio|volume=21|issue=4|pages=5–12|doi=10.1525/nr.2018.21.4.5|url=https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/18407}} Chryssides has been described by fellow sociologist James T. Richardson as "one of the leading scholars" of Jehovah's Witnesses.{{Cite journal|last=Richardson|first=James T.|date=2017|title=Review: Jehovah's Witnesses: Continuity and Change by George D. Chryssides|journal=Nova Religio|volume=21|issue=2|pages=118–120|doi=10.1525/nr.2017.21.2.118}} According to Chryssides, hostile criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses from ex-members who seek to discredit the Watch Tower Society are lacking because Jehovah's Witnesses tend to avoid outside reading, so outsiders tend to be unaware of outside scholarship.{{Cite journal|last=Chryssides|first=George D.|title=Jehovah's Witnesses: A Survey of the Literature|journal=International Journal for the Study of New Religions|volume=10|number=2|date=2019-11-25|pages=197–198|issn=2041-952X|doi=10.1558/ijsnr.41545}} Chryssides has said that he learned useful information from critical ex-members of the Jehovah's Witnesses although accounts by critical former members may be biased.{{Cite web|url=https://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/2017/11/23/insider-knowledge-seeing-the-bigger-picture-with-new-religious-movements/|title=Insider Knowledge: Seeing the Bigger Picture with New Religious Movements|last=Thomas|first=Aled J.L.|date=23 November 2017|website=Religious Studies Project|access-date=25 January 2020|archive-date=25 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125171628/https://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/2017/11/23/insider-knowledge-seeing-the-bigger-picture-with-new-religious-movements/|url-status=dead}}

• {{Cite thesis |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |title=An examination of some problems concerning the philosophical analysis of religious language |type=D. Phil. University of Oxford |year=1974 |oclc=43196874 |language=en}}

• {{Cite book |first=George D. |author-link=George D. Chryssides |last=Chryssides |title=The Advent of Sun Myung Moon: The Origins, Beliefs and Practices of the Unification Church |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=UK |language=en |author-mask=2 |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-333-49698-5}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=The Elements of Unitarianism |publisher=Element Books |year=1998 |isbn=1-86204-247-0 |language=en |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781862042476}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Exploring New Religions |location=London |language=en |publisher=Cassell |year=1999 |isbn=0-304-33651-3}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location=Lanham, Md; London |language=en |year=2001 |isbn=0-8108-4095-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000chry}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Unitarian Perspectives on Contemporary Social Issues |publisher=Lindsey Press |location=London |language=en |year=2003}}
• {{Cite book |title=Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |place=Lanham, Md |language=en |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-8108-6074-2 |ref={{harvid|Chryssides|Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses}} |url={{Google books|id=Xx6nUwZzeCsC|plainurl=y|page=}}}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=The A to Z of Jehovah's Witnesses |place=Lanham, Md |language=en |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8108-6891-5}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Christianity Today |publisher=Continuum |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-8470-6542-1 |language=en}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Christians in the Twenty-First Century |publisher=Equinox |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84553-213-0 |language=en}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=The Study of Religion:An Introduction to Key Ideas and Methods 2nd |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-78093-840-0 |language=en}}
• {{Cite book |first=George D. |last=Chryssides |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Jehovah's Witnesses Continuity and Change |series=Ashgate new religions |place=Farnham, Surrey |language=en |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4094-5608-7 |url={{Google books|id=jDOoDQAAQBAJ|plainurl=y|page=}}}} (Reprint: London; New York: Routledge, 2016).
• {{Cite book |last=Chryssides |first=George |authorlink=George Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=Jehovah's Witnesses: A New Introduction |year=2022 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-3501-9089-4 |language=en}}

• {{Cite journal |title=Is God a Space Alien? The Cosmology of the Raëlian Church |journal=Culture and Cosmos |language=en |author-mask=2 |year=2000 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=36–53 |doi=10.46472/CC.0104.0207 |last1=Chryssides |first1=George D. |author-link=George D. Chryssides |doi-access=free}}
• {{Cite journal |title=The New Age: A Survey and Critique |journal=Global Dialogue |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |last=Chryssides |first=George D. |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |date=Winter 2000 |pages=109–119 |issn=1450-0590}}
• {{Cite journal |title=New Religious Movements - Some Problems of Definition |journal=Internet Journal of Religion |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903200525/http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/diskus/chryssides.html |archive-date=2010-09-03 |last=Chryssides |first=George D. |author-link=George D. Chryssides |author-mask=2 |year=1997 |url=http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/diskus/chryssides.html |url-status=dead}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Chryssides |first=George D. |authorlink=George Chryssides |author-mask=2 |title=How Prophecy Succeeds: The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Expectations |journal=International Journal for the Study of New Religions |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=39 |date=2010 |issn=2041-952X |doi=10.1558/ijsnr.v1i1.27}}

• Bibliography of works on Jehovah's Witnesses
• James Penton
• Zoe Knox

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.religion21.com Official website: Religion in the 21st Century]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chryssides, George}}

Category:1945 births

Category:Academics of the University of Birmingham

Category:Academics of the University of Wolverhampton

Category:Living people

Category:Researchers of new religious movements and cults