Editing CESNUR (section)

{{Short description|Religious studies organization}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = CESNUR
| full_name                = Center for Studies on New Religions
| native_name              = Centro Studi sulle Nuove Religioni
| native_name_lang         = it
| image                    = File:Logo_of_CESNUR.gif
| size                     = 300px
| alt                      = CESNUR logo
| founded                  = 1988
| founder                  = [[Massimo Introvigne]], [[Jean-François Mayer]], Ernesto Zucchini
| type                     = Public non-profit
| purpose                  = "Promote scholarly research in the field of new religious consciousness, and are dedicated to exposing the problems associated with some movements, while defending the principles of religious liberty"
| professional_title       = <!-- for professional associations -->
| headquarters             = [[Turin]], Italy
| services                 = [[Academic study of new religious movements]]
| membership               = Private persons
| leader_title             = Director
| leader_name              = Massimo Introvigne
| key_people               = [[Luigi Berzano]], [[J. Gordon Melton]], [[Eileen Barker]], [[Giuseppe Casale]], [[Massimo Introvigne]], Michael Homer, [[Reender Kranenborg]], [[Gianni Ambrosio]]
| website                  = {{URL|http://www.cesnur.org/|cesnur.org}}
}}

The '''Center for Studies on New Religions''' ({{lang|it|Centro Studi sulle Nuove Religioni}}), otherwise abbreviated as '''CESNUR''', is a [[nonprofit organization]] based in [[Turin]], Italy that focuses on the [[academic study of new religious movements]] and opposes the [[anti-cult movement]].<ref name="Chryssides2012">{{Cite book |editor-last=Chryssides |editor-first=George D. |editor-link=George Chryssides |year=2012 |title=Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements |chapter=CESNUR |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WA12nHRtmAwC&pg=PA76 |location=[[Lanham, Maryland]] |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |page=76 |isbn=978-0-8108-6194-7 |lccn=2011028298}}</ref> It was established in 1988 by [[Massimo Introvigne]], [[Jean-François Mayer]], and Ernesto Zucchini.

CESNUR has been described as "the highest profile lobbying and information group for controversial religions".<ref name="kent">{{Cite journal |last=Kent |first=Stephen A. |author-link=Stephen A. Kent |date=January 2001 |title=The French and German versus American debate over 'new religions', Scientology and human rights |journal=[[Marburg Journal of Religion]] |publisher=[[University of Marburg]] |volume=6 |issue=1 |page=15 |doi=10.17192/mjr.2001.6.3742 |issn=1612-2941}}</ref> The organization is described by the Christian cult research website Apologetics Index as an apologist for [[cult]]s.<ref name=Da20/> CESNUR's scholars have defended such diverse groups as the [[Unification Church]], the [[Church of Scientology]],<ref name="kent"/> and [[Shincheonji Church of Jesus]], accused of having aided the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea]].<ref name="BD">{{Cite news |date=2020-03-18 |title=Human Rights without frontiers release white paper on Coronavirus |url=https://m.risingbd.com/english/national/news/68988/Human-Rights-without-frontiers-release-white-paper-on-Coronavirus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319233319/https://m.risingbd.com/english/national/news/68988/Human-Rights-without-frontiers-release-white-paper-on-Coronavirus |archive-date=2020-03-19 |access-date=2020-03-19 |work=Risingbd.com |location=[[Dhaka]] |language=en}}</ref>

CESNUR describes itself as an independent scholarly organization, but the organization has met with criticism for alleged personal and financial ties to the groups it studies; anthropologist Richard Singelenberg questioned in 1997 whether CESNUR is "too friendly and does not make enough critical comments about new religious movements and sects".<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |date=1997-08-07 |title=Een sektencongres kan nooit rustig zijn |trans-title=A sect congress can never be quiet |url=https://www.trouw.nl/gs-b00c8ac6 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240325002819/https://www.trouw.nl/voorpagina/een-sektencongres-kan-nooit-rustig-zijn~b00c8ac6/ |archive-date=2024-03-25 |work=[[Trouw]] |language=nl}}</ref> According to sociologist [[Stephen A. Kent]], "many scholars, however, see both CESNUR and INFORM in a favourable light, and they share its criticism of the  'sect-monitors' in France, Germany, and Belgium."<ref name="kent"/>

CESNUR publishes ''The Journal of CESNUR'', focusing on the [[academic study of new religious movements]], and ''[[Bitter Winter]]'', a daily magazine on [[Religion in China|religious issues]] and [[human rights in China]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-04-14 |title="Bitter Winter", in Italia un nuovo quotidiano online su religione e diritti umani in Cina |trans-title="Bitter Winter," a new online newspaper in Italy on religion and human rights in China |url=https://www.lastampa.it/vatican-insider/it/2018/05/14/news/bitter-winter-in-italia-un-nuovo-quotidiano-online-su-religione-e-diritti-umani-in-cina-1.34016836 |work=[[La Stampa]] |language=it}}</ref>