Born with two, then three degrees, Freemasonry developed many more based on legends connecting its origins with the European aristocracy and the Knights Templar.
Massimo Introvigne
Freemasonry, What Is It Exactly? 4. Anderson’s Constitutions of 1723
Modern Freemasonry was born in 1717, and its Constitutions were published in 1723. Since the beginning, their reference to God created problems and schisms.
A Psychobiography of Tamara de Lempicka and a New Look at Her Religious Paintings
In a new book, Italian psychologist Chiara Luzi reveals new details on “Mother Superior,” “Saint Antoine,” and the painter’s mental problems.
Freemasonry, What Is It Exactly? 3. The Temple of Solomon and the “Masonic Word”
Legends about Solomon’s Temple and a word identifying the genuine members of the guild were passed from the “operative” to the “speculative” Freemasons.
The Second Trump Administration and China: An Interview with Massimo Introvigne
Italian magazine “Il Sussidiario” interviewed “Bitter Winter” editor-in-chief on how U.S.-China relations may change with Trump. Here is an English translation.
Freemasonry, What Is It Exactly? 2. Operative Freemasonry
Before “accepted” and “speculative” members who were neither stonemasons nor architect were allowed to join the craft, it operated for centuries as a professional guild.
Freemasonry, What Is It Exactly? 1. Rosicrucian Antecedents
Controversies about Freemasonry often ignore the context and circumstances of its origins. At a time of deep social transformation, the legend of the Rosy Cross was born.
Kraujo perpylimas ir Jehovos liudytojai. Kodėl Europos Žmogaus Teisių Teismas priėmė Ispanijai nepalankų sprendimą
Didžioji kolegija vienbalsiai nusprendė, kad veiksnus suaugęs pacientas turi teisę atsisakyti gydymo, taigi ir kraujo perpylimo.
Two Gifts from Ivan Aguéli: Sufi, Anarchist, Theosophist, Painter
A museum in Sala and a book on his magazine “Il Convito” help understanding the different aspects of the extraordinary career of the Swedish artist.
Er der noget råddent i Danmarks rige? En mærkelig sag mod Jehovas Vidner
En kampagne i en tabloidavis har fået Kirkeministeriet til at indlede en “tilsynssag” på grundlag af beskyldninger som domstole allerede har dømt ubegrundede næsten overalt i verden.
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.