More than 1,000 unreleased recordings of lectures by L. Ron Hubbard and reams of booklets and teaching materials have been unveiled in the culmination of a 25-year project to locate, restore and transcribe lost pieces of the Scientology founder's work. Though sure to be derided by the church's many critics, the church calls it a "renaissance" that will deepen understanding of the faith, the AP reports.
"It would be like discovering that Buddha, unbeknownst to anybody, had sat down and wrote down the entirety of his discoveries," said a Scientology spokesman. "We've been able to restore lectures we literally never thought would be heard again." All the materials—contained on 970 CDs and in 57 binders of teachings—are open to the public, and will be sold for $7,500. The church hastens to add that no one will be denied access because they can't pay.
(More Scientology stories.)