Terminology is essential. “Cult” should be translated into other languages as “secta,” “Sekte,” “secte”—and vice versa.
Massimo Introvigne
Norway: An Unfair Decision Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses
On January 27, the County Governor denied to the Witnesses state subsidies they have received for thirty years, creating a danger for all religions.
Josef Freinademetz’s Wishes for the Chinese New Year
In 1905 Josef Freinademetz, one of the greatest Catholic missionaries to China, wrote down his thoughts for the Chinese New Year. His story is still of interest today.
Pakistan: Anglican Pastor Shot Dead, Another Injured
Father William Siraj was killed and Rev. Patrick Naeem was injured in what the police calls a terrorist attack motivated by religious extremism.
“As We Were Saying Yesterday”: Education, Persecution, and the Tai Ji Men Case
Persecuting independent education is the mark of injustice. In the end, however, education often prevails.
Spanish Supreme Court: Catholic Lay Group Can Exclude Women
The Esclavitud, a Canary Islands organization, can continue to admit male Catholics only as members. The decision will also protect other religious groups.
Michigan: Christian Agencies May Refuse LGBT Adoptions, Settlement Says
A case brought by St. Vincent Catholic Charities was settled by allowing the agency to continue its policy that refuses to place children with same-sex couples.
The Päivi Räsänen Case in Finland: Another View
The trial of the former Minister of the Interior for homophobia is presented as a clash between Christians and secularists. But it is also an inter-Christian conflict.
Blasphemy: Even a Muslim Woman Sentenced to Death in Pakistan
A man accused her of sharing blasphemous messages and caricatures on WhatsApp. She says it’s the man’s vendetta after she rejected his advances.
The Roman Catholic Church and Pedophilia: The Story Never Ends
An editorial by our editor-in-chief for the Italian daily newspaper Il Mattino (January 21), after the German report accusing then-Archbishop Ratzinger.
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.