Archive
Studying Religion in the “Belly of the Beast” – A Prison in Rio
It seemed like a good idea when I made the arrangements. But my heart was beating at double speed and I was filled with doubt, as a staff member handed me a …
Christianity Today Review of “If I Give my Soul”
Christianity Today reviewed Andrew Johnson’s book, If I Give My Soul: Faith Behind Bars in Rio de Janeiro, giving the book five stars. Johnson’s research for the book was supported by CRCC’s Pentecostal …
If I Give My Soul: Faith Behind Bars in Rio de Janeiro
If I Give My Soul: Faith Behind Bars in Rio de Janeiro By Andrew Johnson (Oxford University Press, 2017) The writing of this book was supported by the Pentecostal Charismatic Research Initiative. …
ThinkProgress: Multiracial Churches Gaining Prominence
In the era of Trump’s presidency, multi-racial churches are growing in prominence. Their organizing is a response to and departure from the racism embedded in predominantly white evangelical Christianity, ThinkProgress reported an article that features …
Andre Ward And The Fight For Consistency
This post originally appeared on the Huffington Post. “Smokin’ Joe”, “Iron Mike”, “PacMan”, “Money”, “Macho Camacho”, “Real Deal”, “Motor City Cobra” … “The Greatest.” Aspiring boxers should choose their nicknames carefully because …
Studying Faith: Qualitative Methodologies for Studying Religious Communities
Introduction Religion is a fundamental part of human experience and is deeply concerned with questions of “making sense” and “meaning” of our world and our existence. It constitutes the symbols, historical narratives …
America magazine: Trump Makes a Place for Faith
As presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks more on his own faith to appeal to religious voters, his statements remain largely ambiguous. America, a national Catholic magazine, interviewed CRCC’s Andrew Johnson about his …
Manny Pacquiao, Championship Boxer, Has a New Opponent: Philippine Poverty
This article originally appeared in Christianity Today. It is available in full behind a paywall on their site. A political candidate was recently elected who is a bigger celebrity than Donald Trump, …
The Welterweight Church Usher
creatThis post originally appeared on Huffington Post. Shawn Porter is not the only one skipping meals in preparation for his WBA welterweight title bout this Saturday night at the Barclays Center. In …
What’s an Evangelical These Days? Trump’s Advisors Point to Divisions
Is Donald Trump the friend or foe of evangelicals? Some argue that “real” evangelicals aren’t supporting Trump, while others attempt to explain why evangelicalism is susceptible to candidates like Trump. By meeting with more than 900 …
Faith in East Los Angeles, the Vatican of Boxing
This post originally appeared on Huffington Post. Leo Santa Cruz is the undefeated, undisputed champion of America’s best boxing city, Los Angeles. He won that title after defeating Abner Mares, a fellow …
Long Beach Press-Telegram: New Churches in an Urban Community
“Known culturally for its hipsters, bars, food trucks and gay community, Long Beach could also become known as a revival town for churches,” Josh Dulaney writes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram. His …
Pre-Fight and Post-Fight Prayers
This post originally appeared on Huffington Post. Last November Andre Berto made an unannounced trip to Inova Fairfax Hospital. He went to visit both a comatose Prichard Colón and a family pleading …
The Conversion of Freddie Roach: Boxing Without Religion
This post originally appeared on Huffington Post. Freddie Roach is the best known and one of the most beloved trainers in the history of boxing. He has posed for more selfies than …
Mapping the New Landscape of Religion in Los Feliz
This article originally appeared in BOOM: A Journal of California. Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church was in trouble. Its congregation had become too small to sustain the decaying Los Feliz building that had …
Research on Religion Podcast: Pentecostal Faith in Brazilian Prisons
The Research on Religion Podcast featured CRCC Research Associate Andrew Johnson with a discussion of his research into the role of Pentecostalism in Brazilian prisons. His research, conducted as part of CRCC’s …
A Crisis of Integrity in Seoul, the Megachurch Capital of the World
Seoul, South Korea is the “Megachurch Capital of the World.” Not only is Seoul home to the largest known Protestant church in the universe, Yoido Full Gospel Church, the city has more …
The Boxer’s Prayer
This post originally appeared on Huffington Post Religion. Many professional athletes pray before they compete, but boxers’ prayers are special. On a recent Saturday night, Artur Szpilka was carried from the ring …
A Saintly Start-Up: Why Some New Churches Avoid a Corporate Model
Snapchat’s recent deal to lease more than 40,000 square feet in Venice caused some neighbors to throw up their hands in a “there goes the neighborhood” gesture. “Run for your lives! The …
How might a journalist and a social scientist approach religion differently?
Qualitative sociology and anthropology are similar to journalism, but there are some key differences. The time a social scientist spends collecting data is usually much longer than a journalist. One of the …