Some had predicted the demise of religion in the Global West after the end of the Cold War. It did not happen—which caused harsh reactions.
Massimo Introvigne
Democratic Republic of Congo: Cardinal Ambongo Threatened by the Government
The country’s Attorney General wants the Catholic leader silenced and prosecuted. Why?
USCIRF: China’s Religious Liberty and “Malignant Influence” Getting Worse
The 2024 USCIRF report notes a deteriorating situation in several countries. “Bitter Winter” remains a trusted source.
How Putin Humors Xi Jinping: Crackdown on Moscow’s Falun Gong
A woman has been arrested on May 3 and three other practitioners held as witnesses.
A Visit to the Eight Dedebaba of the Bektashis
Baba Mondi has a message about the beauty, persecution, and resilience of what is emerging as a global world religion.
Gambia and Religious Liberty: A Return to the Bad Old Days?
Proposals that a “license” will be needed to preach are reminiscent of the dark era of dictator Jammeh.
Ren Bishi: CCP Honors Maoist Leader Who Purged and Killed Dissidents
A great celebration for the 120th anniversary of the birth of a military commander and ideologist who played a key role in the bloody Yan’an Rectification Campaign.
Controversy About Cleric Highlights Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistani Madrassas
The case of Maulana Abubakar Muavia confirms that new laws and Supreme Court directions did not solve what remains a tragic problem in Pakistan.
Russia, Anti-Cultist Scares Children with a New Bogeyman, Massimo Introvigne
Archpriest Alexander Novopashin uses an old picture, whose meaning he does not understand, to present the editor of “Bitter Winter” as a demon-in-chief.
Will Estonia Really Declare the Moscow Patriarchate a “Terrorist Organization”?
Earlier statements by Interior Minister Läänemets were somewhat mitigated after his meeting with President Karis. Exaggerations never help, but Patriarch Kirill poses real problems.
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.