Italian Sociologist to Lecture on Contemporary Discrimination against Christians

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321

WACO, Texas (Nov. 11, 2016) – Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist, will lecture on contemporary discrimination against Christians at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, in Cox Lecture Hall of Armstrong-Browning Library, 710 Speight Ave.

The lecture, entitled “Christians: A Persecuted Minority? Contemporary Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians,” will be hosted by the Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR).

“Massimo is a strong Christian and between his religious commitments and scholarly pursuits has become one of the most important spokespersons for the cause of religious freedom internationally,” said J. Gordon Melton, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of American Religious History in the ISR. “He is also aware that advocacy of freedom for Christians is intimately tied to advocacy for freedom for believers in all religions and in no religion.”

Introvigne is the founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), based in Turin, Italy, an international network of scholars who study new religious movements. Introvigne has served as a representative for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) with a focus on combating religious discrimination, and he was appointed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a chairperson of the Observatory of Religious Liberty. Introvigne is the author of numerous books and articles on the sociology of religion, and he is a member of the editorial board for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion.

Melton said Introvigne’s discussion about religious freedom is particularly important as governments around the world are attempting to favor one religion while discriminating against others.

“ISR has a commitment to religious freedom that goes back to its beginnings,” Melton said. “It currently co-sponsors a research and advocacy program in religious freedom with Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. From various directions, the research we have done has led us to share a belief in the importance of religious freedom for freedom in general.”

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information and to register for this event, click here.

by Kalli Damschen, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES OF RELIGION
Launched in August 2004, the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) exists to initiate, support and conduct research on religion, involving scholars and projects spanning the intellectual spectrum: history, psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, political science, epidemiology, theology and religious studies. The institute’s mandate extends to all religions, everywhere, and throughout history, and embraces the study of religious effects on prosocial behavior, family life, population health, economic development and social conflict. While always striving for appropriate scientific objectivity, ISR scholars treat religion with the respect that sacred matters require and deserve. For more information, visit www.baylorisr.org.