The bill now being considered by the Parliament would be the most draconian in the democratic world and mark the quiet death of religious liberty in the country.
Massimo Introvigne
The Mystical Resistance of the Surrealists in Communist China
A fascinating book shows how Surrealism, “from Mao to now,” served as a survival strategy for dissident artists—and sometimes a gateway to spirituality.
Of Gorillas, Corruption, and Tai Ji Men
Social justice cannot be separated from ecology and from freedom of religion or belief. It was the lesson of Dian Fossey. It is the lesson of Tai Ji Men.
The Prophet in the Cave: Rediscovering David Lazzaretti’s Forgotten Followers in the Sabina
The most significant Italian new religious movement of the 19th century did not exist only in Tuscany. A book reconstructs his history in the Sabina region.
France : Les discours de haine contre la Scientology désormais financés par les contribuables
Un « documentaire » de France 5 a offert un cas d’école de ce qu’il ne faut pas faire lorsqu’on présente les religions minoritaires au public.
The Vissarion Template: An Interview with Katya Palkina
After the harsh Russian sentence against the Church of the Last Testament’s leader, a member speaks out.
The Luminous Nestorians: When Christianity Was Already Chinese
Political Sinicization is not the only possible or desirable form of Sinicization. A new book on Jingjiao offers an alternative.
France: Hate Speech Against Scientology Now Funded by Taxpayers
A France 5 “documentary” offered a textbook example of how “not” to present minority religions to the public.
China: The Persecution of The Church of Almighty God from Bad to Worse
The persecuted movement has released a new yearly report about the imprisonment, torture, and killing of its members on an unprecedented scale.
A New Book on Gerald Gardner: The Wizard of Odd Who Invented Wicca (Sort Of)
John Callow does not ignore Gardner’s shortcomings but restores his complexity, generosity, and crucial role in the creation of a new global religion.
Massimo Introvigne
Massimo Introvigne (born June 14, 1955 in Rome) is an Italian sociologist of religions. He is the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), an international network of scholars who study new religious movements. Introvigne is the author of some 70 books and more than 100 articles in the field of sociology of religion. He was the main author of the Enciclopedia delle religioni in Italia (Encyclopedia of Religions in Italy). He is a member of the editorial board for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion and of the executive board of University of California Press' Nova Religio. From January 5 to December 31, 2011, he has served as the "Representative on combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination, with a special focus on discrimination against Christians and members of other religions" of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). From 2012 to 2015 he served as chairperson of the Observatory of Religious Liberty, instituted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to monitor problems of religious liberty on a worldwide scale.