The French governmental anti-cult mission was sentenced for its lack of transparency and refusal to disclose documents about its funding of private anti-cult associations.
Massimo Introvigne
Reginald W. Machell, Theosophical Artist. 1. Surviving the 2025 Los Angeles Fire
Some of the works and documents of the most significant early Theosophical painter perished this year when the flames destroyed Altadena’s Theosophical Society. Others survived.
71-Year-Old Ahmadi Man Persecuted to Death in Pakistan
One of those arrested for praying on Friday in Karachi died in jail after torture and denial of medical treatment.
The Jesus Christians. 10. The Return of Deprogramming
The experience of two young members of the group demonstrates that deprogrammers are still very much active.
The Jesus Christians. 9. The Human Trafficking Case in Argentina
A moral panic about “cults” practicing “human trafficking” also hit the Argentine branch of the group. But they won the court case.
Pope Leo XIV, Father Dowling, and China
Like the literary character of a priest-detective from Chicago created by Ralph McInerny, the American Pope may hold a few surprises.
The Jesus Christians. 8. “Kidneys for Jesus”
The group is primarily famous for its altruistic donations of kidneys to patients whom donors do not know.
Czech Republic: “Sensational Revelations” About Guru Jára
A TV “investigation” leads to an explosion of hostile media reports and calls for renewed judicial action against his movement.
Media and Conscience: From Father Ong to Dr. Hong
Father Walter J. Ong reflected on the role of conscience in guiding us through the great transformations in communication. His thoughts resonate with Dr. Hong’s teachings.
The Jesus Christians. 7. The Whipping Trials
In an idiosyncratic application of the Christian theology of “vicarious atonement,” group members agreed to be whipped in three cases for the sins of others.
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.