Evan Stark

Evan Stark Evan David Stark (March 10, 1942 – March 18, 2024) was an American sociologist. He developed the concept of "coercive control", a type of abuse likened to kidnapping or slavery when compared to more commonly occurring abuse. Quotes about Stark The appearance of the language of “coercive control” around Redeemer Baptist School—including in the NSW inquiry’s terms of reference—is indicative of a more subtle but troubling shift which we are increasingly witnessing internationally: the surreptitious return of discredited ideas around “brainwashing” via an idiosyncratic and expanded application of Evan Stark’s theory of “coercive control.”Under the guise of what they call “group-based coercive control,” Australian and international anti-cult activists have sought to co-opt Stark’s theory from its original analytic context for examining intimate partner violence and expand it to any situation where they perceive controlling behavior is present, particularly in church settings with which they ideologically disagree.The logical consequence of this expansion has perhaps best been spelled out in Be Scofield’s new book “The Savior Complex: How Jesus Became the World’s Ultimate Influencer” (2026)—reviewed recently in “Bitter Winter”—suddenly all religion is “coercive control,” and all religions are “cults.” Bernard Doherty, "The New South Wales Inquiry into Redeemer Baptist School. 2. Enter Steven Hassan", Bitter Winter (July 23, 2026) External links Category:1942 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Sociologists from the United States