Paper short abstract:

Comparative analysis between the results of the 2011 and 2022 surveys conducted within the Hungarian Church of Scientology, highlighting demographical developments over the last decade and their effects on religious activity, social attitudes, and internal values.

Paper long abstract:

In 2011 András Máté-Tóth and Gábor Dániel Nagy published the very first academic study collection about Hungarian Scientology, titled "Alternative religion - Scientology in Hungary." This study collection is still one of the most reliable and objective sources of the new religious movement and its presence in Hungary.

My contribution aims to revisit some of the original questions and findings of this study and introduce a new dataset. Using the results of a survey conducted within the Hungarian Church of Scientology in 2022, I will attempt to outline some of the internal changes and developments within the movement, with a particular focus on religious activity, social attitudes, and internal values. During the presentation, I will discuss these findings within the context of the demographical developments over the last decade and their impact on the movement, while also bringing close attention to the effects of the changes within the Hungarian social, political, and legal atmosphere over this period.

I will conclude my lecture by indicating some prospects and perspectives for the movement's presence and activity in Hungary, while also pointing out several questions and challenges which may complicate any further research.