32 ICSA
scholars from a vast array of countries.
People who attend will present their
empirical and/or theoretical research
on any topic that connects psychology
and religious behavior, such as religion
and mental health, religion and
psychological development, religion/
spirituality, religious development,
cultural perspective, and the
neurosciences.
More News
On March 18, 2015, Massimo
Introvigne presented a paper at the
OSCE Conference, in Vienna. The title
of the paper was Intolerance and
Discrimination Against Christians, Hate
Crimes, Exclusion, Marginalization,
Denial of Rights.
Raffaella Di Marzio will present
the paper “La Persona tra identità e
diversità, individualità e appartenenza.
Le molteplici sfide di una società
multiculturale e multireligiosa” (“The
Person Between Identity and Diversity,
Individuality and Belonging: The
Many Challenges of a Multicultural
and Multireligious Society”), at the
XVI Rosminiano Symposium Persona,
Psiche e Società (Person, Psyche, and
Society). The Symposium will be held
in Stresa (Milan) from August 24 to
27, 2015. It was organized by the
International Center of Rosminian
Studies (Centro Internazionale di Studi
Rosminiani) and by the CEI (Conferenza
Episcopale Italiana —The Bishops
Conference of Italy).
News From Articles and Books
The Psicologia della Religione e-journal
(Psychology of Religion eJournal) (PRej)
is published by the Italian Society
of Psychology of Religion (SIPR).
The principal aim of the journal is to
spread information about studies and
research on psychological themes,
phenomena, and processes related to
religion. Although particular attention
will be given to the Italian perspective,
the journal is also happy to welcome
contributions from international
scholars. Contributions should be
written in Italian or English or both. The
journal has been published biannually
since December 2014. It is open
to all methodological approaches,
both qualitative and quantitative, in
every domain of the psychology of
religion, and does not exclude any
religious denomination, ideology,
or epistemology. Only original
contributions will be considered, and
editorial policy respects the anonymity
of peer reviews. To read more about
the PRej, go to psyrel-journal.it/temp/
index.en.php
On May 1, 2015, the Italian translation
of the book Let’s Sell These People a
Piece of Blue Sky, by John Atack, was
published, translated by Simonetta
Po. The original title is Vendiamogli un
pezzo di cielo blux—Hubbard, Dianetica
e Scientology.
Report From Spain and
Latin America
Luis Santamaría
General Information
The international Catholic Web page
aleteia recently opened a special
section on Sects and New Religions
on its Spanish-language page. The
section is coordinated by RIES (Red
Iberoamericana de Estudio de Sectas)
and offers weekly updates at aleteia.
org/es/nueva-religiosidad-y-sectas
In Spain, RedUne (Red de Prevención
del Sectarismo y del Abuso de Debilidad,
Network for the Prevention of
Sectarism and Abuse) presented its
new array of services for those affected
by coercive and sectarian groups,
which pulls together professionals
and volunteers from all over Spain.
The coordinator, Juantxo Domínguez,
states that cult victims are “totally
abandoned.”
Educator Mara Martinoli, director of
Asesoría Para Grupodependientes (APG)
in La Plata, Argentina, just published
her book Grupodependencia, in which
she explains the main findings of her
research into the functioning of cults.
A course on the cult phenomenon was
held in Uruguay, led by two experts
from RIES, Álvaro Farías and Miguel
Pastorino. The course took place in
Montevideo from April to June 2015.
The Investigative Police in Chile,
which created the Antisect Analysis
and Interventions Task Force
(Grupo de Análisis e Intervención
Antisectasteam)—a special division
that targets sects—in 2013, inform us
that they receive at least one complaint
per week. Presently the task force is
investigating two groups in the south
that approach youth with seminars on
success, and also the Children of God
(La Familia) movement.
Groups With a Christian Orientation
Lisbet de García de Jesús, the widow
of the founder of the Creciendo en
Gracia (Growing in Grace) sect, José
Luis de Jesús Miranda, and who also is
the present leader, recently declared
that she is Michael the Archangel.
She has also appropriated the fortune
her husband had made through the
group, with the result that her children
are demanding their part of the
inheritance.
The list of richest people in Brazil,
published by Forbes Magazine in
March 2015, included the names of 54
multimillionaires, among them Edir
Macedo, leader of the Universal Church
of the Kingdom of God. The fortune
of Edir, the owner of an important
television channel, stands at 1,100
million dollars.
On June 3rd of this year, a 60-year-old
woman died in Argentina following
an accident. She refused to allow
surgeons to intervene because as a
Jehovah’s Witness she had previously
signed a document rejecting blood
transfusions.
ICSA TODAYTODAY
Correspondents
,
Reports
scholars from a vast array of countries.
People who attend will present their
empirical and/or theoretical research
on any topic that connects psychology
and religious behavior, such as religion
and mental health, religion and
psychological development, religion/
spirituality, religious development,
cultural perspective, and the
neurosciences.
More News
On March 18, 2015, Massimo
Introvigne presented a paper at the
OSCE Conference, in Vienna. The title
of the paper was Intolerance and
Discrimination Against Christians, Hate
Crimes, Exclusion, Marginalization,
Denial of Rights.
Raffaella Di Marzio will present
the paper “La Persona tra identità e
diversità, individualità e appartenenza.
Le molteplici sfide di una società
multiculturale e multireligiosa” (“The
Person Between Identity and Diversity,
Individuality and Belonging: The
Many Challenges of a Multicultural
and Multireligious Society”), at the
XVI Rosminiano Symposium Persona,
Psiche e Società (Person, Psyche, and
Society). The Symposium will be held
in Stresa (Milan) from August 24 to
27, 2015. It was organized by the
International Center of Rosminian
Studies (Centro Internazionale di Studi
Rosminiani) and by the CEI (Conferenza
Episcopale Italiana —The Bishops
Conference of Italy).
News From Articles and Books
The Psicologia della Religione e-journal
(Psychology of Religion eJournal) (PRej)
is published by the Italian Society
of Psychology of Religion (SIPR).
The principal aim of the journal is to
spread information about studies and
research on psychological themes,
phenomena, and processes related to
religion. Although particular attention
will be given to the Italian perspective,
the journal is also happy to welcome
contributions from international
scholars. Contributions should be
written in Italian or English or both. The
journal has been published biannually
since December 2014. It is open
to all methodological approaches,
both qualitative and quantitative, in
every domain of the psychology of
religion, and does not exclude any
religious denomination, ideology,
or epistemology. Only original
contributions will be considered, and
editorial policy respects the anonymity
of peer reviews. To read more about
the PRej, go to psyrel-journal.it/temp/
index.en.php
On May 1, 2015, the Italian translation
of the book Let’s Sell These People a
Piece of Blue Sky, by John Atack, was
published, translated by Simonetta
Po. The original title is Vendiamogli un
pezzo di cielo blux—Hubbard, Dianetica
e Scientology.
Report From Spain and
Latin America
Luis Santamaría
General Information
The international Catholic Web page
aleteia recently opened a special
section on Sects and New Religions
on its Spanish-language page. The
section is coordinated by RIES (Red
Iberoamericana de Estudio de Sectas)
and offers weekly updates at aleteia.
org/es/nueva-religiosidad-y-sectas
In Spain, RedUne (Red de Prevención
del Sectarismo y del Abuso de Debilidad,
Network for the Prevention of
Sectarism and Abuse) presented its
new array of services for those affected
by coercive and sectarian groups,
which pulls together professionals
and volunteers from all over Spain.
The coordinator, Juantxo Domínguez,
states that cult victims are “totally
abandoned.”
Educator Mara Martinoli, director of
Asesoría Para Grupodependientes (APG)
in La Plata, Argentina, just published
her book Grupodependencia, in which
she explains the main findings of her
research into the functioning of cults.
A course on the cult phenomenon was
held in Uruguay, led by two experts
from RIES, Álvaro Farías and Miguel
Pastorino. The course took place in
Montevideo from April to June 2015.
The Investigative Police in Chile,
which created the Antisect Analysis
and Interventions Task Force
(Grupo de Análisis e Intervención
Antisectasteam)—a special division
that targets sects—in 2013, inform us
that they receive at least one complaint
per week. Presently the task force is
investigating two groups in the south
that approach youth with seminars on
success, and also the Children of God
(La Familia) movement.
Groups With a Christian Orientation
Lisbet de García de Jesús, the widow
of the founder of the Creciendo en
Gracia (Growing in Grace) sect, José
Luis de Jesús Miranda, and who also is
the present leader, recently declared
that she is Michael the Archangel.
She has also appropriated the fortune
her husband had made through the
group, with the result that her children
are demanding their part of the
inheritance.
The list of richest people in Brazil,
published by Forbes Magazine in
March 2015, included the names of 54
multimillionaires, among them Edir
Macedo, leader of the Universal Church
of the Kingdom of God. The fortune
of Edir, the owner of an important
television channel, stands at 1,100
million dollars.
On June 3rd of this year, a 60-year-old
woman died in Argentina following
an accident. She refused to allow
surgeons to intervene because as a
Jehovah’s Witness she had previously
signed a document rejecting blood
transfusions.
ICSA TODAYTODAY
Correspondents
,
Reports
