Aled Thomas

Dr. Aled Thomas is a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Leeds, School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science. He specializes in the study of religions, sociology of religion, and digital religion with a focus on minority and new religious movements. Previously taught at the Open University and the University of Wolverhampton, he joined Leeds in 2022 as a Teaching Fellow.

• Honorary Treasurer, British Association for the Study of Religions
• Chair, Inform Management Committee

Research interests include:

• Religion as everyday practice
• Free Zone Scientology
• Cult rhetoric in political/religious discourse
• Digital religion

Recent work examines:

• Hybridized religious/political discourses
• Ex-membership and apostasy in minority religions
• Religious experience in secular media (e.g., The Adventures of Tintin)

Professional memberships:

• British Association for the Study of Religions
• European Association for the Study of Religions
• British Sociological Association