Anson David Shupe, Jr. (21 January 1948 – 4 May 2015) was an American sociologist and author noted for his studies of religious groups and their countermovements, family violence and clergy misconduct.

Early life

Anson David Shupe Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York to Anson D. Shupe Sr. and Elizabeth Frances Shupe (Joslin).

Work

Shupe was a professor of sociology at the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne campus at Fort Wayne, Indiana. He completed his doctorate in political sociology at Indiana University in 1975 and held office in various professional associations, including the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and the Association for the Scientific Study of Religion. Shupe often collaborated with other scholars, notably David G. Bromley and Jeffrey K. Hadden. An advocate for religious freedom, Shupe conducted fieldwork on the Unification Church and other new religious movements, as well as their opponents. Together with David G. Bromley, Shupe was considered one of the foremost social science authorities on the anti-cult movement, based on a series of books and articles on the topic he coauthored with Bromley. Other areas Shupe researched included the New Christian Right, religious broadcasting, and the political impact of fundamentalism; he also wrote about family violence and clergy misconduct, i.e. violent or exploitative behaviour on the part of pastors, ministers or gurus. He frequently acted as a consultant to attorneys in lawsuits involving issues of religious freedom or clergy abuse.

Death

Shupe died on May 4, 2015, at the age of 67.

Books

Chapters

Assessment