“Build a Better Bridge!”
This chapter surveys themes from 1976 to 2018 and begins with an overview of Hubbard’s final years that set the stage for the shape of the contemporary church. It was during this time that the controversial Guardian’s Office (GO) was disbanded. The institutional outcome of the GO’s expulsion was the reorganization of all Scientology organizations. David Miscavige currently heads one of these corporations, the Religious Technology Center (RTC), and is also considered the “ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion.” His influence on the post-Hubbard church is examined, including the victory to secure tax-exempt status from the IRS in 1993; debates over the “brainwashing thesis”; Scientologists’ engagement with the media; and, finally, recent theological developments and the church’s ongoing interface with the broader culture through social betterment and humanitarian programs.