I. INTRODUCTION

   A. Sociological Perspectives on Apostasy: An Overview
          David G. Bromley, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth University

II. A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONAL EXIT

   A. The Social Construction of Contested Exit Roles: Defectors, Whistleblowers, and Apostates
          David G. Bromley, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth University
 

III. THE APOSTATE ROLE AND CAREER

   A. In Defense of Self: Apostasy as Spoiled Identity
          Armand L. Mauss, Department of Sociology, Washington State University

   B. The Politics of Marginal Heresy
          Eileen Barker, Department of Sociology, London School of Economics

   C. Exploring the Varieties of Apostate Roles
          Stuart A. Wright, Department of Sociology, Lamar University

   D. Apostates Who Never Were: The Social Construction of Absque Facto Apostate Narratives
          Daniel Carson Johnson, Department of Sociology, University of Virginia
 

III.  THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT OF APOSTASY

   A. Apostasy, Apocalypse, and Religious Violence: An Exploratory Comparison of Peoples Temple, the Branch
        Davidians, and the Solar Temple
          John R. Hall, Department of Sociology, University of California at Davis and Phillip Schuyler, Department
          of Music, University of Maryland at Baltimore County

   B. Apostates, Defectors, Law and Social Control
          James T. Richardson, Department of Sociology, University of Nevada at Reno

   C. Apostates and Their Role in the Construction of Grievance Claims  Against the Northeast Kingdom /
       Messianic Communities
          Susan J. Palmer, Department of Religion, Dawson College

   D. The Changing Apostate Role in the Evolution of the North American Anti-cult Movement
          Anson Shupe, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort
          Wayne
 

IV. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE STUDY OF APOSTASY

   A. Carriers of Tales: On Assessing Credibility of Apostate and Other Outsider Accounts of Religious Practices
          Lewis F. Carter, Department of Sociology, Washington State University