Thanks to a new adept, Baron von Knigge, the Bavarian Illuminati grew into a substantial Masonic organization, recruiting princes and leading intellectuals.
Massimo Introvigne
The Illuminati, Myth and Reality. 1. The Origins of the Bavarian Illuminati
The only way of dispelling the myth of the Illuminati is to tell their real story, It starts with an Enlightenment secret society in Bavaria.
Argentina: New Citizens Can Refuse Swearing Oath of Allegiance for Religious Reasons
An Evangelical objected that swearing in general is forbidden by the Bible. A court authorized her to simply “promise” loyalty to the country.
Chile: Supreme Court OKs Case Against Performer Who Offended Catholics
Anastasia María Benavente offended Pope Francis, the Rosary, and Catholicism. Justices said case should proceed. Meanwhile, the offending video remains online.
Book Deconstructs “Sinicization” of Religion
Yang Fenggang, Gordon Melton, and others explain what the word Xi Jinping uses so often hides.
The Saga of Providence. 5. President Jung’s Trial and Detention
The movement’s founder was sentenced to a 10-year prison term. His followers maintained he was innocent, and kept the group alive and growing.
The Saga of Providence. 4. The Holy Son, Jesus, and President Jung
During their founder’s detention, members were sustained by their firm belief in his messianic role.
Greater China Buddhism: Lessons from a Defunct Religious Movement
The story of an extinct group, also called the “Three Periods of Pudu,” is taught to those in charge of fighting “cults” in China. But why is it still relevant?
The Saga of Providence. 3. The Thirty Lessons
The movement managed to continue and grow notwithstanding the detention of its founder. One of the reasons was his unconventional theology.
The Saga of Providence. 2. A Controversial Movement Grows
While vilified by the media, President Jung’s group expanded in Korea and internationally.
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.