The 2026 CESNUR Conference
Co-organized by:
Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR)
Weixin Shengjiao Merit Foundation
Weixin Shengjiao College
International Society for the Study of New Religions
RELIGIONS AND NEW SPIRITUALITY IN EAST ASIA AND BEYOND
GRAND MASTER HUNYUAN CHANSHI MEMORIAL CONFERENCE
Weixin Shengjiao College
No. 667, Lane 705, Wenhua Road
Nantou City, Nantou County, Taiwan
and
Weixin Shengjiao Taichung Branch Temple
106, Wenxin S Rd, Xiangxin Village, Nantun District, Taichung City, Taiwan
October 10–14, 2026 [with return on October 15]
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Saturday, October 10, 2026 - Weixin Shengjiao College
9 / Bus leaves from the Moxy Hotel, Taichung to Weixin Shengjiao College (please gather in the lobby at 8:45).
9.30–10 / Registration
10–10.15 / Opening Greetings
TING Yu-Chuan (Chairman, Weixin Shengjiao Merit Foundation)
HSU Shu-Hua (Magistrate, Nantou County)
CHANG Chia-Che (Mayor of Nantou City)
Fiona CHANG (Vice President of Weixin Shengjiao College)
Massimo INTROVIGNE (Managing Director of CESNUR)
10.15–10.25 / Commemorative Video: “Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi”
10.25–12 / Session 1 (Plenary)
Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi in Comparative Perspective
Chair: TRAN Canh
A Preliminary Study of the Thought System of Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi
Fiona CHANG (Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
Grand Master Hun Yuan Chanshi’s Way of Resolving Grievances
LEE Fong-Mao (Academician of the Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan)
The Importance of Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi for Members of Weixin Shengjiao
Bernadette RIGAL-CELLARD (University of Bordeaux Montaigne [em.], Bordeaux, France)
The True Scripture of Fengshui (Fengshui zhenjing) and Its Uses
Benjamin PENNY (The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia)
Beyond the Founding Generation. Sacred Memory, Authority, and Institutional
Continuity in New Religions: Daesoon Jinrihoe and Weixin Shengjiao
BAE Kyuhan (Daejin University, Pocheon City, South Korea)
12–12.15 / Coffee Break
12.15–13.30 / Session 2 (Plenary)
New Controversies Come Back
Chair: Susan PALMER
“The West Has Religion, East Asia Has Spirituality, and Cults Are Bad.” Really?
Eileen BARKER (London School of Economics [em.], London, UK)
The Return of “Brainwashing”: “Coercive Persuasion,” Trafficking” Charges, and “Spiritual Abuse”
Massimo INTROVIGNE (CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
The Kingdom of God Global Church: A New Religion Faces Criminal Charges
J. Gordon MELTON (Baylor University, Waco, Texas [ret.])
13.30–14 / Unveiling ceremony and guided tour of the newly constructed Weixin Auditorium
14–15 / Business Lunch
15–17.30 / Tour of the Hunyuan Cultural Hall, the Bagua Holy City, and Hsienfosi Temple
17.30 / Transfer by bus to Taichung
19 / Welcome Dinner (Good Time Wedding Hall, 99, Wenxin S. Road, Fengle Li, Nantun District, Taichung City)
Sunday, October 11, 2026 - Weixin Shengjiao Taichungo Branch Temple
9–11.45 / Session 3 (Plenary)
Welcome Remarks
Master YUAN-YI (President, I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan, and Abbot, Taichung Branch Temple, Taichung)
New Perspectives on Shincheonji
Presiding and introducing (with a short overview of fieldwork on Shincheonji in France)
Massimo INTROVIGNE (CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
Shincheonji as a New Christian Religion: Mapping the Landscape of NRMs in Korea
J. Gordon MELTON (Baylor University, Waco, Texas [ret.])
Charisma and Institution-building: Pastor Lee Man-hee and Shincheonji
Susan PALMER (Concordia University, Montreal, Canada)
Conversion and Organization in Shincheonji
Edward IRONS (The Hong Kong Institute for Culture, Commerce and Religion, Hong Kong)
Cults on Campus: The Controversy over Shincheonji on Australian University Campuses
Bernard DOHERTY (Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia) and Geraldine SMITH (University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia)
Shincheonji in Latin America: Bible Courses, Gradients of Commitment, and Anti-Cult Rhetoric
María VARDÉ (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Insights Into the Lived Religious Experiences and Conversion Narratives of Shincheonji’s Phillip Tribe
Márk NEMES (Hungarian Academy of Arts, Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology, Budapest, Hungary, and CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
Respondent: Karina BROWN (Shincheonji Church of Jesus, London, UK)
11.45–12 / Coffee break
12–13.15 / Session 4 (Plenary)
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and the 2026 Raid in Crewe, UK
Chair: Eileen BARKER
The 2026 UK Raid on the Ahmadi Religion: Oppositional Dynamics, Subversive Exposition, and Official Misfeasance
Stuart WRIGHT (Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas)
The 2026 Police Raid on Webb House and Its Impacts on Individuals and Families in the AROPL Community
Susan PALMER (Concordia University, Montreal, Canada)
From Sweden to the UK: The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and the Recurring Failure of State Protection for New Religious Minorities in Europe
Hans NOOT (Human Rights Without Frontiers, Brussels, Belgium)
13.15–14 / Lunch
14–15.30 / Session 5
Reconfiguring Religion and Spirituality in Contemporary East Asia: Daesoon Jinrihoe at the Crossroads of Digital Spirituality
Chair: KIM Jinyoung
Beyond the Privatization of Spirituality: Haewon-Sangsaeng (Resolution of Grievances for Mutual Beneficence) and Relational Responsibility in the Digital Age
EOM Hyejin (Daesoon Academy of Sciences, Pocheon City, South Korea)
Religion, Spirituality, or Cultivation? Rethinking the Religion–Spirituality Divide Through Daesoon Jinrihoe
HWANG Heeyeon (Daejin University, Pocheon City, South Korea)
From the “Mud-Plastered Wall” to Artificial Intelligence: Machine Spirituality and Religion-Analogous Phenomena through Daesoon Jinrihoe’s Conception of the Presence of Divine Beings in All Things
CHA Seon-keun (Daesoon Academy of Sciences, Pocheon City, South Korea)
Curating the Sacred Materializing Spirituality: The Lineage of Religious Orthodoxy and Sacred Memory in the Daesoon Jinrihoe Museum
PARK Sangkyu and KIM Jinyoung (Daesoon Academy of Sciences, Pocheon City, South Korea)
Visualizing the Uniqueness of Daesoon Jinrihoe: Religious Art as a Vehicle for Contrasting Beliefs
Jason Paul GREENBERGER (Daejin University, Pocheon City, South Korea)
14–15.30 / Session 6
Sanctuary, Ashram, Monastery: Introspection and Art in the Path of YahRa (POYRA)
Chair: Karolina Maria KOTKOWSKA
POYRA’s Artistic Production in Comparative Perspective
Massimo INTROVIGNE (CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
Portraits of the Soul: Healing Through Art, Astro Mandalas, Original Tarot and Sacred Eroticism in the Path of YahRa
Eva MISKELOVA (Central European Forum for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Brussels, Belgium)
The Spiritual Sanctuary “Love and Nirvana” in the Philippines: An Emic Perspective (with Movie Clips)
Filip MANEK and Barbora PARK (InterBelief Relief, Prague, Czech Republic)
14–15.30 / Session 7
Esoteric Innovation, New Age, and Miraculous Events
Chair: Edward IRONS
Accommodating Spiritual Science and Jewish Identity: The Reception and Adaptation of Anthroposophy in Israel
Boaz HUSS (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel)
The Butterfly People of Joplin, Missouri: New Cryptids Discussed in the Wake of the Traumatic 2011 EF-5 Tornado
Zoe ALDERTON (The University of Sydney, Australia)
The Design and Outcomes of Retreats for Self-transformation and Healing: A Conceptual Framework
Nurit ZAIDMAN (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel)
The Reception and Adaptation of Spiritual Healing in Contemporary Britain: A Case Study of Spiritualist Churches
Eriko KAWANISHI (Professional Institute of International Fashion, Osaka, Japan)
New Spirituality for the Age of Knowledge: The Perspective of Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière
Rita SANTILLAN (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada)
14–15.30 / Session 8
Spiritual Cultivation Through I Ching, Feng Shui, and Religious Practice
Chair: Fiona CHANG
The Practice of Applied I Ching in Weixin Shengjiao: Case Studies in Predicting Destiny and Eliminating Misfortunes
WU Tsai Chi (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
From Geomancy to Spiritual Cultivation: Weixin Shengjiao’s Modern Interpretation of Feng Shui
James LEE (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
Chanting as Inner Cultivation: Personal Transformation Through the Wang Chan Lao Zu Profound Scripture in Weixin Shengjiao
LIN Rui-Xiang (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
Life Reconstruction of an Amputee: A Self-Narrative Study of Weixin Shengjiao’s Three Treasures and Spiritual Healing
Spencer PAN (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
14–15.30 / Session 9 (in Chinese)
Case Study of Weixin Shengjiao Dao Verification
Chair: TIAN Li-Wei
以混元禪師的法之應用證道案例(以自己證道的案例闡述)
SHEN Cai-Jin (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
唯心聖教「易經、風水、宗教」之社會諮詢與當代消災化劫實證研究:紀念混元禪師之和平悲願
ZENG Xue-Ja (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
宗教觀尊重生命之用易護生
HUANG Chao-Qin (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
以混元禪師的法之應用證道案例
TSAI Yung-Chang (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
15.30–16 / Coffee break
16–17 / Session 10 (Plenary)
“Ashram Shambhala”: A Panel on the Case of Konstantin Rudnev
Presiding and introducing: Massimo INTROVIGNE
Panelists: Alla GROMOVA (independent researcher, Berlin, Germany); Maria VARDÉ (Ph.D. candidate, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina); Karolina Maria KOTKOWSKA (Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland).
17–18,30 / Session 11
International Perspectives on a New Global Religion: The Case of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Chair: Márk NEMES
Finding Emancipation in Their Own Way: African American Jehovah’s Witnesses
J. Gordon MELTON (Baylor University, Waco, Texas [ret.])
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Post-Soviet Nations: Standoff with the State
Anatolii TOKMANTCEV (Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary)
Hearing the Complaints of Former Members of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Danny CARDOZA (Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)
17–18.30 / Session 12
Colonial and Post-Colonial Perspectives, Mission, and Dialogue
Chair: Bernard DOHERTY
Portable Jewish Spirituality in Colonial Singapore: Books, Responsa, and Religious Adaptation
Mordechai MILLER (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel)
Spirituality Representation and Freedom in South Africa
Kgothatso MAFIRI (North West University, Mahikeng, South Africa)
A Categorical Distinction between African Indigenous Spirituality (AIS) and African Traditional Religion (ATR)
Khumbulani SIBANDA (African Hidden Voices, Johannesburg, South Africa)
The Succession Crisis: The Multifaith Movement, New Religions and Spiritualities, and Generational Change
Geraldine SMITH (University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia)
New Religious Movements and the Quest for Universality: The International Church in Romania
Laurentiu TANASE (University of Bucharest, Romania)
17–18.30 / Session 13 (in Chinese)
Case Study of Feng Shui Application
Chair: CAI Yuan-Lin
風水、忠義與地方信仰—以白河義民廟田野調查為核心之研究
WU Mao-Chuan (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
混元禪師從建構唯心聖殿到安頓心靈
LIN Xuan-Yu (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
混元禪師對世界人類的重要貢獻—禪機山上處處禪
ZHANG Lin-Ban (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
17–18.30 / Session 14
Perspectives on Caodaism
Chair: Jason Paul GREENBERGER
The Creative Uses of Tông Đường in Phạm Công Tắc’s Visions of Heaven
Christopher HARTNEY (The University of Sydney, Australia)
Universalizing an Indigenous New Religion in Colonial and Metropolitan Contexts: Gabriel Gobron, Caodaism, and Franco-Caodaist Universalism
NGUYEN Nam (Fulbright University, Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam)
Vehicles of Salvation: Escorting Souls to the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt and Vietnamese Caodaism
NGUYEN Tuan Em (National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan)
Critique of “Religion” as a Methodology to Investigate East Asia New Religious Movements: The Case of Caodaism
TUAN Phạm Hoàng Anh (The University of Sydney, Australia)
17–18.30 / Session 15
Deconstructing the Anti-Cult Playbook
Chair: Rosita ŠORYTĖ
Strange Bedfellows: The Chinese Communist Party and the Globalization of Korean Anti-Cultism
Massimo INTROVIGNE (CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
Defending Democracy and Pluralism? Deconstructing the Fred Clarkson and Steve Hassan Legacy
Thomas J. WARD (HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership, New York, USA)
From Recognition to Resilience: Supporting Vulnerable Religious Minorities
Sam NAGASAKA (InterBelief Relief, Prague, Czech Republic)
The “Dresden Scheme” and How to Avoid Personal Confusion After an Anti-Cult Attack
Barbora PARK (InterBelief Relief, Prague, Czech Republic)
Monday, October 12, 2026 - Weixin Shengjiao Taichung Branch Temple
9–10 / Session 16 (Plenary)
The Case of the Unification Church in Japan
Presiding and introducing: Massimo INTROVIGNE
Japanese Narratives Surrounding the Unification Church
Masaki NAKAMASA (Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan)
The Situation of Unification Church Members in Japan After the Dissolution of the Religious Corporation
Masaki HORI (FFWPU-Japan, Tokyo, Japan)
The Anti-Unification Church Movement in Japan
Shunsuke UOTANI (UPF Japan, Tokyo, Japan)
10–10.15 / Coffee Break
10.15–11.45 / Session 17 (Plenary)
The OneTaste Case: The Return of “Brainwashing” in American Courts of Law?
Chair: Márk NEMES
OneTaste: History, Development, and Organizational Trajectory
Massimo INTROVIGNE (CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
Eros, Attention, and Practice: The Doctrinal and Ritual System of OneTaste
María VARDÉ (Ph.D. candidate, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
“Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery”: The Weaponization of Human Trafficking Laws
Holly FOLK (Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington)
The OneTaste Case: Legal Controversy, Media Dynamics, and Contemporary Challenges
John LAURO (Attorney, New York, USA)
Respondent: Kevin WILLIAMS (Attorney, New York, USA)
11.45–13.15 / Session 18 (English Plenary)
African Indigenous Spirituality and Anti-Cultism in South Africa
Chair: Massimo INTROVIGNE
State Control of Religion and “Cult” Controversies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Rosita ŠORYTĖ (European Federation for Freedom of Belief, Turin and Rome, Italy)
Universal Concept of Spirituality: Africa is the Mother of Spirituality
Sam LANGA (African Hidden Voices, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Ecological Consciousness and African Spirituality: A Decolonial Perspective
Tshidiso GAMA (African Hidden Voices, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Beyond Liberal Tolerance: A Decolonial Critique of Pieter Coertzen’s Religious Charter and the Exclusion of African Indigenous Spirituality in South Africa
Khumbulani SIBANDA (African Hidden Voices, Johannesburg, South Africa)
11.45–13,15 / Session 19 (Chinese Plenary)
Chinese Ancestral Veneration
Chair: Fiona CHANG
混元禪師以唯心聖教「三寶」禪解中華三祖堂--世界和平之道
YU Jing-Hui (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
從追根溯源到天下太平：唯心聖教祭祖實踐的和平建構模式
FAN Tzu-Hsin (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
混元禪師追根溯源實踐行動力
SU You-Min (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
混元禪師的宗教觀及其三祖信仰對唯心聖教之靈性資本建構研究
YANG Yung-Lieh (President, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
13.15–14 / Business Lunch
14–15.30 / Session 20 (English Plenary)
The Christian Gospel Mission (CGM) in South Korea and Taiwan
Presiding and introducing: MASSIMO INTROVIGNE
From Eschatological Judgment to Individual Flourishing: An Embodied Hermeneutics of “Reigning with Christ” (Rev 20:4-6) in a Contemporary New Religious Movement
SHUENG Yowting (Ph.D. Student, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan) and Andy TSAI (National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan)
The Fundamentals of CGM Theology: Salvation, Soteriology, and Trinitology
Márk NEMES (Hungarian Academy of Arts, Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology, Budapest, Hungary, and CESNUR, Turin, Italy), and Anatolii TOKMANTCEV (Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary)
Beyond the Leader: Guilt by Association and Stigma in the Christian Gospel Mission
María VARDÉ (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
14-15.30 / Session 21 (Chinese Plenary)
The Charisma of Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi
Chair: CHEN Yao-Xiang
混元禪師宗教領袖的魅力; 混元禪師證道案例(以師父的案例闡述)
TIAN Li-Wei (President, Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
再造命:混元心法之應用
WU Qing-Fu (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
混元禪師宗教領袖的魅力
CHEN Shi-Nong (Weixin Shengjiao I Ching University, Nantou County, Taiwan)
15.30-15.45 /Coffee break
15.45-17 / Session 22
Why Victoria? Why Now? Abuse, Apostasy, and Activism in an Age of Accountability
Chair: J. Gordon MELTON
Why Victoria? Why Now? Understanding the Social Context of the Victorian Inquiry into “Cults”
Bernard DOHERTY (Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia)
“Cults,” Coercion, and Confusion: How the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry Has Misconstrued Coercive Control
Erin Martine HUTTON (Australian University of Theology, Sydney, Australia)
The Report and Findings of the Victorian Inquiry: A Summary and Preliminary Analysis
Bernard DOHERTY (Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia)
15.45-17 / Session 23 (in Chinese)
Weixin Shengjiao Heart Dharmas and Scriptures
Chair: YAO Yu-Shuang
從方寸(印章)間探討混元禪師的易理修心之道
WANG Zhi-Huang (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
唯心聖教的中華文化道統觀
ZHANG Chong-Guo (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
當代靈性修行與安心實踐：以唯心聖教《混元修真寶照覺經》探討
ZENG Zi-Ying (Graduate Student, Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
15.45-17 / Session 24
Religion, Spirituality, and Democracy from the Middle East to East Asia
Chair: Karolina Maria KOTKOWSKA
Is It Possible to Combine Religion and Spirituality? The Story of Wang Zi-Ping
Davide S. AMORE (Italian Society of History of Religions, Rome, Italy)
From Unity to Diversity: Baháʼí, Divine Polity and Esperanto to Invented Religions, Micro-Nations and Linguistic Preservation
Carole CUSACK (The University of Sydney, Australia)
The Connection Between the Five Element Meanings in Bazi Astrology and I Ching Hexagrams, Using Bazi and I Ching as an Example
HUANG Chung-Hsiang (Taiwan Academy of Continuing Education, Taipei, Taiwan)
The Patroness of the Excluded, the Excluded Saint? The Cult of Santa Muerte in Mexico
Karolina KALETA (Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland)
15.45-17 / Session 25
Buddhist and Other Movements in East Asia
Chair: Susan PALMER
Environmental Rhetoric and the Ethics of Life in Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhism
Janka Veronika BALÁZS (ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary)
Xuan Truong Corporation’s Commercial Tourism and the Reconfiguration of Sacred Space in Contemporary Vietnam: The Case of Tam Chúc Buddhist Complex
BUI Minh Ha (The University of Sydney, Australia)
Taegojong: A Pro-Marriage Buddhist Movement in Contemporary Korea
David W. KIM (Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea)
Nostalgia for Origins and Multiple Hierophanies: Re-exploring the Homologous Narrative of Patriarch Wang, Jueyi’s Ultimate Universal Salvation in I-Kuan Tao
TAN Huoy-Sien (National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan)
15.45-17 / Session 26
Chair: Eriko KAWANISHI
Dialogues, Spirits, and Wonders
Religious Minorities and Interreligious Dialogue in Contemporary Argentina: An Exploratory Ethnographic Approach
María VARDÉ (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Playing with Spirits: Asian Video Games and the Digital Transformation of Spiritual Imaginaries
Andrej KAPCAR (Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic)
Korean Esotericism II—The Twin Peaks of Maisan, Sacred Mountain of Stone Towers and Esoteric Wonders
LEE Gyungwon (Daejin University, Pocheon City, South Korea)
Exploring the Sacred, Spiritual, and Religious within Fictosexuality in East Asia
Liz WONG (The University of Sydney, Australia)
17–18.30 / Session 27
Religious Liberty Issues
Chair: David W. KIM
BJP and Donyi-Polo: New Challenges to Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh and Northeast India
Dyron DAUGHRITY (Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, USA)
Persecution and Marginalization of Christianity in Contemporary India
Edward IRONS (The Hong Kong Institute for Culture, Commerce and Religion, Hong Kong)
The Famille Missionnaire de Notre Dame in Saint Pierre de Colombier (France): A Case of Infringement of Religious Freedom?
Angélique SACRISTE (Bordeaux Montaigne University, Bordeaux, France)
Introducing a Three-Tier Model of Religious Activities: Rethinking the Regulation of Religion
Brandon Reece TAYLORIAN (University of Lancashire, Preston, UK)
17–18.30 / Session 28
New Perspectives on the Tai Ji Men Case
Chair: Eileen BARKER
Central Issues in the Tai Ji Men Case
TSAI Cheng-Han (Shih Chien University, Taipei, Taiwan)
An Ancient Eastern Menpai and Conscience Education: A Brief Discussion of the Tai Ji Men Case
Emma CHEN (Association of World Citizens, Taipei, Taiwan)
When the State Misjudges the Sacred: An Islamic Critique of the Tai Ji Men Case
Davide S. AMORE (Italian Society of History of Religions, Rome, Italy)
Betrayed Virtuous Communities: The Knights Templar and Tai Ji Men in Comparative Historical Perspective
Peggy CHEN (writer and translator, Taipei, Taiwan)
Rethinking the Tai Ji Men Case Through the Lens of Epistemic Injustice
Karolina Maria KOTKOWSKA (Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland)
Conclusion: Massimo INTROVIGNE (CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
17–18.30 / Session 29
New Religions in Australia: Innovations, Controversies, and Cultural Responses
Chair: Carole CUSACK
Examining the Impact of New Religions in Australia Post 1945
Christopher HARTNEY (The University of Sydney, Australia)
Anticult in the Antipodes: Early Opposition to New Religions in Australia 1950 to 1980
Bernard DOHERTY (Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia)
Are We the Baddies? Chris Chan, Wahid Azal, and the Challenge of Lolcow Spirituality
BEI Dawei (Hsuan Chuang University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan)
“If Pan is the Devil, then I Am Indeed a Devil Worshipper”: The “Witch of Kings Cross” Rosaleen Norton and the New Spiritual Milieu in Post-War Australia
Geraldine SMITH (University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania)
17–18.30 / Session 30
New Religious and Spiritual Movements and Leaders, East and West
Chair: Zoe ALDERTON
Vows and Vowels, Monks and Monkeys: Esocharisma, Exocharisma, and the Charismatic Origins of New Religious Movements
Daniel DINKELMAN (Independent Scholar, Da Nang, Vietnam)
Divine Doctor for the Beloved Patient: Miraculous Life and Spiritual Path of Dr. Dinshaw K. Mehta (1903–1993)
Svetlana RYZHAKOVA (Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia)
Can Nothing Be Something? The First Axiom of Scientology through the Lens of Philosophy
Attila MIKLOVICZ (University of Pécs, Hungary)
Returning East: Seicho-No-Ie as Globalized New Thought in Japan
Philippe MURILLO (University of Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France)
18.40–19 Closing of the Conference, Homage to Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi, and Announcement of CESNUR 2027 Conference
Fiona CHANG (Vice President of Weixin Shengjiao College, Nantou County, Taiwan)
Massimo INTROVIGNE (Managing Director, CESNUR, Turin, Italy)
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Field Trip 1: Tienti Teachings and Zhongxing New Village
9 / Bus departs from the Moxy Hotel, Wenxin S. 6Th Road, Taichung
10:20 / Arrival at the Tienti Teachings Leilia Sacred Ground for a field visit to the headquarters of one of the main salvationist Chinese new religions. Lunch will be provided.
13:30 / Arrival at Zhongxing New Village, a well-preserved traditional Taiwanese village, for a guided cultural tour and experience, including a special Chinese Herbal Health Tea Do-it-yourself Activity.
16:30 / Departure from Zhongxing New Village to Taichung
18:00 / Arrival back at the Moxy Hotel in Taichung [dinner on your own].
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Field Trip 2: Mount Zion and the New Testament Church
07:00 / Departure from the hotel.
10:00 / Arrival at Mount Zion for a field visit. Mount Zion hosts the headquarters of the New Testament Church, a Taiwan-based Christian new religious movement now present in several countries, with an epic history of persecution and resilience documented in a museum. Some 400 members live communally in Mount Zion. Lunch will be provided.
15:00 / Depart from Mount Zion.
18:00 / Arrival back at the Moxy Hotel in Taichung.
19.00 / Farewell dinner at Style Culture Cafe (Fengle Branch), 328-2, Sec. 1, Wenxin S. 5th Rd., Nantun District, Taichung City.
Wednesday, October 15, 2026
The conference activities conclude on October 14.
On October 15, participants will have the option to be transported from Taichung to Taipei, courtesy of Tai Ji Men, for a visit to the Tai Ji Men Liu Ho Palais and the Swiss Mountain Villa. Bus departs at 9.30 from the Moxy Hotel in Taichung. Lunch will be provided. Those with evening flights will then be taken to the airport, with arrival at 7 p.m. If you have a morning, afternoon, or early evening flight, it is not recommended that you join this tour. If you stay in Taipei on the night of October 15, you should reach your hotel by taxi or public transportation at your own expense at the end of the Tai Ji Men visit (circa 5 p.m.).
Those who will not join the Tai Ji Men visit should travel from Taichung to Taipei on their own.
The Tai Ji Men option should be reserved with the registration form.
Registration
All participants should register through the registration form.
For the payment, non-Taiwanese participants should pay as indicated in the form.
Taiwanese participants should still register through the form and indicate which activities they intend to participate in, but should not pay using the form. They will be contacted by the local organizers for payment in Taiwan (at a reduced rate). This applies only to residents of Taiwan.
Accommodation
Accommodation is not included in the registration fees. We recommend booking at Moxy Taichung, which is within walking distance from the conference venue and from where the field trips will depart. Please use the link below to make your reservation with special CESNUR conference discounted rates: https://www.marriott.com.cn/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1781605299091&key=GRP
Visa
CESNUR is not in a position to send invitation letters to Taiwan to help you with your visa. Please get in touch with the local co-organizers, Weixin Shengjiao Merit Foundation, through Daphne Hung (daphnehung314@gmail.com) and Jimmy Chang (video8885@gmail.com).
