From April 5-7, 2018, Daesoon Academy of Sciences attended ANU (Australian National University) Religion Conference on the theme, “Sacred Sites/Sacred Stories: Global Perspectives” in response to the university’s invitation and a request that Daesoon Jinrihoe present on the sacred sites of our religious order. In the first presentation titled, “The Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex as a Global Work of Art,” Massimo Introvigne (Director, Center for Studies on New Religions) showed many photos of Daesooon Jinrihoe’s headquarters temple complex and introduced its sacred beauty.

Secondly, Seongam Cha Seon-geun from Daesoon Religion and Culture Institution presented a paper on “The Sacred Space of Daesoon Jinrihoe: Distinctiveness and Significance” and explained that the sacredness of Daesoon Jinrihoe is unique in that it can be understood through a combination of all the major scholarly theories of religious sacredness. In particular, his analysis of the Feng Shui of the five Daesoon Jinrihoe temple complexes drew special attention from the audience.

Lastly, Rosita Sorite (Diplomat, former Chairperson of the European Union) presented her paper titled “The Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex as a Centre for Social Welfare and Humanitarian Aid.” She emphasized that Daesoon Jinrihoe’s charity aid work is a devoted activity that is rarely found in the world and is also an exemplary case study of a religion that makes great contributions to society. In the discussion time after her presentation, there were many questions from the audience and some scholars said they wished to see Daesoon Jinrihoe’s scripture, the Jeon-gyeong, academic papers, and other regular publications of Daesoon Jinrihoe translated into English to make them available for Western readers in near future.