Bitter Winter

Bitter Winter is an online magazine focused on religious freedom and human rights, specifically in China. Established in May 2018 by CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions based in Turin, Italy, it brings together scholars, journalists, and human rights advocates from various nations. Their mission is to amplify the voices of those who suffer persecution for their beliefs by sharing news, documents, and personal accounts of religious oppression in China.

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Tai Ji Men’s Teachings on Human Conscience: A Remedy for Media Decadence

2 days ago | bitterwinter.org | Marco Respinti

by Marco Respinti*Conclusions of the international webinar “The Media Impact on FoRB and the Tai Ji Men Case,” co-organized by CESNUR and Human Rights Without Frontiers on May 8, 2025, after the United Nations World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on May 3. Today, our new webinar in this important series dedicated to the “Tai Ji Men case” takes place after the World Press Freedom Day, which the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in December 1993.
Pope Leo XIV, Father Dowling, and China

4 days ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneWhen Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, gave his first short speech in Saint Peter’s Square, I was immediately reminded of Father Francis Dowling, the priest from Chicago who solves murders and other mysteries in the novels of the late Catholic philosopher Ralph McInerny.
The Jesus Christians. 8. “Kidneys for Jesus”

4 days ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne and María VardéArticle 8 of 10. Read article 1, article 2, article 3, article 4, article 5, article 6, and article 7. Some media outlets have called the Jesus Christians “the kidney cult” and spread the idea that to become a member it is necessary to donate a kidney.
Czech Republic: “Sensational Revelations” About Guru Jára

6 days ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne and Rosita ŠorytėThe long-lasting legal saga of Guru Jára seemed to have ended on August 28, 2024. A final Czech verdict ruled that he and his co-worker, Barbora Plášková, had already purged through their time in detention camps in the Philippines, where they had unsuccessfully applied for asylum, the sentences rendered in the Czech Republic against them. They were now free to return to their everyday lives.
The Jesus Christians. 7. The Whipping Trials

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne and María VardéArticle 7 of 10. Read article 1, article 2, article 3, article 4, article 5, and article 6. Another controversy that arose in the media from a family conflict and the unusual response of the Jesus Christians is the accusation that the leaders flog group members as a form of punishment. This accusation is a favorite of Jesus Christians’ detractors, and probably, due to its spectacular nature, the most successful in scaring public opinion.
The Jesus Christians. 6. Accusations of “Kidnapping”

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne and María VardéArticle 6 of 10. Read article 1, article 2, article 3, article 4, and article 5. Although the Jesus Christians were always much smaller than other controversial groups, their unconventional beliefs and radical lifestyle made them the targets of both secular anti-cultists and Christian heresy hunters.
The Jesus Christians. 5. Answering the “Left Behind” Book Series

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne and María VardéArticle 5 of 10. Read article 1, article 2, article 3, and article 4. The Jesus Christians have always been deeply interested in Biblical prophecy and the Book of Revelation. They can be called a millenarian movement according to the definitions of Catherine Wessinger. She distinguishes between “catastrophic” and “progressive” millennialism.
Behind the Dissolution of the Unification Church: Japan’s Communist Party, North Korea, and China

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneOn March 25, 2025, the Tokyo District Court ordered, in first degree, the dissolution of the Unification Church (now called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, but still often referred to with the old name). This was the culmination of efforts by anti-Unification-Church lawyers that started some forty years ago. These lawyers were politically motivated, and their aim was to destroy the Unification Church because of its successful anti-Communist activities.
China’s Shadow Over the Conclave: Two Bishops Appointed Without Vatican’s Approval

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneOne of the most problematic aspects of Pope Francis’ legacy is the Vatican’s relationship with China, which I discussed in “Bitter Winter” after the Pontiff’s death. Different assessments of the Vatican-China deal of 2018 exist, but one fact is that Beijing keeps violating it. The 2023 situation regarding the new bishop of Shanghai, the most significant diocese in China, illustrates this issue.
The Jesus Christians. 4. The Nullarbor Walkers

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne and María VardéArticle 4 of 10. Read article 1, article 2, and article 3. While members were commuting to India, they experimented in Australia with “faith outreaches,” where they went on the road distributing tracts without money or food, trusting God would provide to meet their needs.