CESNUR

The Center for Studies on New Religions ( CESNUR ) is an international association for the study of religious pluralism and the new religious movements that began in 1988 by the jurist and sociologist Massimo Introvigne, the historians Jean -François Mayer and John Gordon Melton and sociologist Eileen Barker was founded. The seat of the center is in Turin, President Luigi Berzano, sociology professor at the University of Turin, Director Massimo Introvigne. Director of France 's Antoine Faivre.

Activities

CESNUR hosted and organized seminars at several international universities and has published a number of studies. The two editions of the Enciclopedia delle religioni apply in Italia in Italy in general as the standard reference work on religious subjects.

The CESNUR colloquia organized by turning their attention increasingly not to the new religious movements, but on religious pluralism in general, on the relationship between immigration, globalization and religion, and to the various forms of fundamentalism. 2006 CESNUR has started a project for the study of Chinese immigration in Italy, also there is a regularly updated Encyclopedia of Religions in Italy on the internet.

Criticism

The views of the CESNUR regarding the new religious movements have been criticized in Europe on the part of opponents of sects and psycho-groups, while CESNUR in turn regarded the fight against cults as dangerous for the freedom of religion.

CESNUR responded to the allegations that the personal commitment Massimo Introvigne has nothing to do in the National Alliance Cattolica with the alignment of CESNUR and that CESNUR is managed by a scientific committee, whose members have a wide variety of religious and political views.