Reincarnation, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “rebirth in new bodies or forms of life; especially: a rebirth of a soul in a new human body.” This ancient belief, a core belief of more than 800 million Hindus, has been in the news, most recently because of allegations in Andrew Morton’s new book, “Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography.” In his book, Morton says some Scientologists hoped that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s gorgeous daughter, Suri, would be the reincarnation of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, a man who died more than 20 years ago. The Church of Scientology denies this in a statement: “The church does not and never has believed any newborn is the reincarnation of its Founder, Mr. Hubbard
About The Author
Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller is a contributing editor at New York magazine. She is the former religion columnist for the Washington Post, former senior editor of Newsweek magazine, and author of “Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife.” She is a multi-year winner of the New York Newswomen’s Club prize for feature writing and has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award.