The Belgian scholar, who died in 2024, explored why the two movements should be considered full-blown religions.
Massimo Introvigne
Dalai Lama’s Succession: Unmasking the Chinese Communist Party’s Lies
Approval by the Chinese government was never the “most central step.” The “Golden Urn” Beijing mentions was used in a minority of cases and never replaced the traditional methods.
Who Is Afraid of Catholic Saints? A Strange Campaign Against Carlo Acutis
The Italian teenager is set to be canonized in September. Progressive Catholics and secular journalists are opposing the canonization. Why?
Lawren Harris, Theosophical Painter. 1. Discovering Theosophy
While also exploring Christian Science, the greatest modern Canadian painter became an enthusiastic Theosophist.
Pakistan, Hindu Families Asked to Pay US$35,000 to Get Back Abducted Children Converted to Islam
A controversial court decision in Sindh shows that the problem of forced conversions has not been solved.
Russia, Church of the Last Testament: Vissarion Sentenced to Twelve Years
New religious movements continue to be repressed through accusations of brainwashing and extremism.
USCIRF Releases New Report on Violations of Religious Liberty in Russia
The comprehensive document highlights the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientologists, Falun Gong practitioners, and others.
Pakistan: Weaponizing Blasphemy Laws for Stealing Land and Property
Sometimes, false accusations arise because neighbors covet the accused’s belongings.
The Unification Church Case: Religiocide in Japan
Why, when, by whom, and how the assassination of a religion was prepared and perpetrated.
Dialogue, Qigong, and the Tai Ji Men Case Discussed in North Macedonia
The Third World Conference on Religious Dialogue and Cooperation opened with a session discussing universal energy, conscience, freedom of belief, and the Tai Ji Men case.
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.