Archive
Spotlight shines on spiritually engaged humanitarians in ‘Stories of Social Change’ exhibit
This story was originally published by USC News. After being immersed in the material for five years, Megan Sweas didn’t need a script as she led small groups on tours of the …
Washington Post: Richard Flory on Saddleback’s Rick Warren Ordaining Women
Rick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Church, is challenging the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) belief that women should not be pastors in their church. Saddleback was disfellowshipped by SBC officials after …
CapRadio: Najuma Smith on Solidarity within Black and Asian American Communities
What does racial solidarity look like among communities of color? CRCC’s Rev. Najuma Smith was interviewed on CapRadio’s Mid Pacific about the complex relationship the Black community has with the Asian American …
Wall Street Journal: Richard Flory on Jesus in American Culture
The “He Gets Us” ad campaign has caused debate about its portrayal of Jesus, but Jesus always has had many faces in American culture. The Wall Street Journal describes how various Christian …
Mai Nguyen: A Grain Farmer Applies Buddhist Principles to Preserve the Land — and Maximize Taste
This article was originally published on Religion News Service, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. The first time Mai Nguyen tried bread made with hard Red Fife wheat, it …
L.A. Times: Najuma Smith on the LAPD Civilian Review Process
The Los Angeles Times interviewed CRCC’s Najuma Smith about her decision to volunteer for Los Angeles Police Department civilian review process. The Times investigation found that some reviewers have been chosen repeatedly …
KPCC LAist 89.3: Richard Flory on How Gen-Z Are Finding (Or Moving Away From) Religion
How has living in a time of tremendous social change influenced Gen Z’s attitudes towards religion–organized or otherwise? CRCC’s executive director Richard Flory was on KPCC LAist 89.3’s Airtalk with Larry Mantle …
Articles written by USC Dornsife scholars for The Conversation garner more than 10 million reads
By Annie Bang This article was originally published by USC Dornsife. With topics ranging from religion to Botox, readers from around the globe have read the works of Trojan scholars through The Conversation. …
KPCC: Najuma Smith-Pollard on LA Council Members’ Racist Remarks
Faith leaders are among those calling for accountability after the revelations of racist comments in a conversation between some of Los Angeles’ top Latino political leaders. The Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard spoke …
RNS: Gajaweera on Buddhism and Sri Lanka’s Recent Protest Movement
Protests that led to Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resignation have raised questions about the role of Buddhism in the country’s politics. Religion News Service interviewed CRCC’s Nalika Gajaweera about the Buddhist …
NY Times: Najuma Smith-Pollard on Abortion Views in Black Communities
Among Black Americans, support for reproductive rights is connected with their concern for broader civil rights, the New York Times reports. The article frames CRCC’s Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard as helping shape …
CRCC on Religion and Reproductive Rights After the Overturning of Roe v Wade
Discussions about reproductive rights continue to circulate in the religious community after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. CRCC’s Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard and Richard Flory have been interviewed …
LA Times: Richard Flory on Biola University and the Future of Evangelicalism
Divisions about the political and cultural application of evangelical faith principle are playing out at evangelical colleges across the country. The Los Angeles Times covered how those divisions are playing out at …
Roundtable of Faith Leaders and Vice President Kamala Harris on Reproductive Health
Vice President Kamala Harris recently hosted a roundtable with faith leaders on the state of reproductive health care in the United States. The event, held at the Los Angeles County Federation of …
Voice of San Diego: Richard Flory on a Right-Wing Church
The Voice of San Diego profiled Awaken, a local evangelical church that has become a center for right-wing political organizing. CRCC’s Richard Flory provided context for conservative political activism of evangelical churches. …
LA Times: L.A. Residents Process Massacre in Buffalo, NY
Black leaders and residents of Los Angeles are dealing with stress and trauma after the racially motivated terrorist attack at a grocery story in Buffalo, New York. A self-described white supremacist killed …
LA Daily News: Churches face post-pandemic declines in membership
Like many congregations in the wake of pandemic-era restriction, the first Black church founded in the San Fernando Valley has seen significant declines in membership, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Membership …
Media on the 30 Years after LA’s 1992 Civil Unrest
As the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture reflected on the 1992 Civil Unrest, the words and efforts of the Rev. Dr. Cecil Murray following the unrest continued to be highlighted …
Why Activism Thrives in L.A.’s Black Churches
This article was originally published by Trojan Family Magazine. by Eric Lindberg; Photos by Gus Ruelas Many members of the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard’s church near downtown Los Angeles struggled for food during the …
LA Times: Nalika Gajaweera on How Buddhists Are Responding to Anti-Asian Violence
The March 16, 2021 killing of six women of Asian descent and two others brought Asian Buddhists together across lineages and communities to confront anti-Asian hate. A year later, the LA Times …