ABSTRACT
When the first churches of Scientology were established in 1953 and 1954, L. Ron Hubbard had set forward dozens of writings and lectures that form the core of the canon of scripture for the new religion. It is notable that the Scientologists eschew language such as "belief" or "faith" in describing the role of Scientology's teachings and practices in their lives. Scientology is indeed a form of the gnosticism but expressed within a synthesizing and technological worldview that is both ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, subjective and "scientific," in orientation. The linguistic emphasis on knowledge over faith is put forth by the Church of Scientology International: "Nothing in Scientology, however, need be taken on faith. Its truths are self-evident, its principles easily demonstrable and its technology can be seen at work in any Church of Scientology". "The factors" by Hubbard's provides early and introductory insight into Scientology's place in the broader gnostic tradition.
