Among Robbins' early work are notable studies comparing contemporary and historical controversies, such as the mass suicides among the
Russian Old Believers and those that occurred in
Jonestown in 1979, or present-day agitation against "
cults" and similar controversies surrounding
Catholicism,
Mormonism and
Freemasonry in the early nineteenth century.[1] From the mid-1980s, Robbins became increasingly focused on legal and church-state issues related to
new religious movements.[1] He has written extensively on the legal and social-science issues related to the alleged use of
mind control by therapeutic and religious groups.[1] Together with his colleague, the psychologist
Dick Anthony, Robbins has been one of the most prominent critics of the
anti-cult movement's views on
brainwashing.[2]
Publications
Articles and book chapters
D. Anthony and T. Robbins, "Law, Social Science and the 'Brainwashing' Exception to the First Amendment," Behavioral Sciences and the Law 10(1992):5-30
D. Anthony and T. Robbins, "Religious Totalism, Violence, and Exemplary Dualism," in Terrorism and Political Violence 7(1995):10-50
T. Robbins, "Religious Mass Suicide Before Jonestown," Sociological Analysis 41(1986):1-20
T. Robbins and
D. Anthony, "Cults, Brainwashing and Counter-Subversion," Annals 446(1979):78-90
T. Robbins and
D. Anthony, "Sects and Violence," in Armageddon at Waco, ed. S. A. Wright (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995): 236-259
T. Robbins and
D. Bromley, "Social Experimentation and the Significance of American New Religions," Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Vol. 4 (Greenwich, Conn.: JAI, 1992): 1-29
T. Robbins and R. Robertson, "Studying Religion Today," Religion 21(1991):319-339.
Books
D. Anthony and T. Robbins (eds.), In Gods We Trust: New Patterns of Religious Pluralism in America, Transaction Publishers, 1981, 1990, 1996,
ISBN978-0-88738-800-2
R. Anthony, J. Needleman, T. Robbins, The New Religious Movements: Conversion, Coercion and Commitment, Crossroad Publishing Company, 1983,
ISBN978-0-8245-0484-7
T. Robbins, W. C. Shepherd, J. McBride (eds.), Cults, Culture, and the Law: Perspectives on New Religious Movements, American Academy of Religion, Studies in Religion, No 36, Scholars Press, 1985,
ISBN978-0-89130-832-4
T. Robbins and R. Robertson, Church-state Relations: Tensions and Transitions, Transaction Publishers, 1987,
ISBN978-0-88738-651-0
T. Robbins, Cults, Converts, and Charisma: the Sociology of New Religious Movements, Sage Publications, 1988,
ISBN978-0-8039-8158-4
T. Robbins and
S. J. Palmer (eds.), Millennium, Messiahs, and Mayhem: Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements, Routledge, 1997,
ISBN978-0-415-91649-3
P. C. Lucas and T. Robbins (eds.), New Religious Movements in the 21st Century: Legal, Political, and Social Challenges in Global Perspective, New York, Routledge, 2004,
ISBN0-415-96577-2
Notes
^
abcdeWilliam H. Swatos, Peter Kivisto: Encyclopedia of Religion and Society, Rowman Altamira, 1998,
ISBN0-7619-8956-0,
pp. 427–428
^William H. Swatos, Peter Kivisto: Encyclopedia of Religion and Society, Rowman Altamira, 1998,
ISBN0-7619-8956-0,
p. 62