Melton, Gordon

Gordon Melton (1942-) is an American religious studies scholar and founder of the Institute for the Study of American Religion. A prolific researcher of new religious movements, Melton has authored over 25 encyclopedias and reference works documenting religious diversity, including The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena. His systematic cataloging of religious groups, particularly minority and alternative traditions, has significantly expanded scholarly understanding of contemporary religious pluralism. While not primarily a theologian or philosopher of religion, Melton's empirical documentation of religious experiences, supernatural claims, and spiritual phenomena provides crucial data for philosophical and theological reflection on the nature of religious belief and experience. His work challenges traditional boundaries between mainstream and marginal religiosity, offering important resources for understanding how diverse communities conceptualize the divine and interpret religious phenomena in the modern world.