Co-hosted by the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), International Society for the Study of New Religions (ISSNR), and the Korean Academy of New Religions (KANR) and supervised by the Department of Daesoon Theology at Daejin University, ‘The 2016 International Conference of Religious Movements’ was held in Daejin University from July 5th to 10th. About 120 religious scholars and religious people from 20 counties all around the world participated in this academic conference and had a heated discussion on the topic of ‘Religious Movements in a Globalized World: Korea, Asia, and Beyond.’ The religious scholars led discussions by delivering presentations on the new religions of Korea and East Asia such as Daesoonjinrihoe, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, and Won Buddhism and by presenting various research results on new religions. Religious scholars who went on a field trip also had a chance to explore the central headquarters of Korean new religions by visiting the Cheongpyeong Holy Ground of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex of Daesoonjinrihoe, and the headquarters of Won-Buddhism (Iksan, Jeonbuk) from July 8th to 10th.

About 70 religious scholars including Massimo Introvigne (Pontifical Salesian University, Torino, Italy), one of the founders of ISSNR, and President Milda Alisauskiene (Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania) of ISSNR visited Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex on July 9th and paid their respects to Yeongdae(Chamber where the most sacred and highest deities enshrined) by dressing up in Hanbok. (Korean traditional clothes) The welcome ceremony held in Daejin Youth Training Center on that day drew an enthusiastic response of religious scholars by showing the promotion video of religious organization as well as Samulnori (Korean 4 traditional percussions play), traditional drum, and Chang (Korean traditional narrative song) performances of Daesoon Hanmadang Pungmul Team. During the question and answer time, the religious scholars showed a huge interest in Daesoonjinrihoe by giving various questions on the concept of mutual beneficience, religious rituals that can be carried out in daily life, and 3 major works of Daesoonjinrihoe.

Director Eundo Yoon of Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex said in the welcome speech that “Practical goals are essential in an era in which cultural understanding and religious harmony are important. We hope this conference becomes an opportunity for us to take a further step toward our goal of practicing religious ideologies in society." The International Conference of New Religious Movements was held for the first time in Korea this year. It has been held every year in every country of the world since its establishment in 1997, and it will be held in Jerusalem, Israel next July.