John Lofland (sociologist)

John Lofland
John Lofland
Born	John Franklin Lofland; March 4, 1936; Milford, Delaware, US
Academic background
Alma mater	Swarthmore College; Columbia University; University of California, Berkeley;
Thesis	The World-Savers (1964)
Academic work
Discipline	Sociology
Sub-discipline	Social movement theory; sociology of deviance; sociology of religion;
Institutions	University of Michigan; California State University; University of California, Davis;
Notable works	Doomsday Cult (1966)

John Franklin Lofland (born March 4, 1936) is an American sociologist best known for his studies of the peace movement and for his first book, Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith, which was based on field work among a group of Unification Church members in California in the 1960s. It is considered to be one of the most important and widely cited studies of the process of religious conversion, and one of the first modern sociological studies of a new religious movement.

John Lofland
Born	John Franklin Lofland (1936-03-04) March 4, 1936 Milford, Delaware, US

Academic background
Alma mater	Swarthmore College Columbia University University of California, Berkeley
Thesis	The World-Savers (1964)
Academic work
Discipline	Sociology
Sub-discipline	Social movement theory sociology of deviance sociology of religion
Institutions	University of Michigan California State University University of California, Davis
Notable works	Doomsday Cult (1966)