CommentaryThe Roaring 20s: Religion Trends to Watch in 2020 and the Next DecadeThe 1920s was a decade of change, and we see the 2020s as reminiscent of the cultural flux of that period. When people think of the 1920s, many imagine a golden era …Topics: Community Dynamics, Environment, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture
ResourcesCensus 2020: Facts, Fictions and FaithWhat is the census? The census is a counting of all residents in the United States. Our constitution mandates that we do a census every 10 years, and that it be used …Topics: CMCCE, Government and Religion,
ArchiveJoy Comes in the Morning: The Prophetic Social Witness of Rev. Cecil L. Murray“Joy Comes in the Morning” is a PDF collection of 14 sermons delivered by the Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray at First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles. It is part of …Topics: CMCCE, Murray Archive
FeaturedEngaged SpiritualityTopics: CMCCE, Murray Archive
CommentaryCan Religion Help Survivors Regain Their Humanity? A Reflection on the Rwandan GenocideThe following article originally appear in Tui Motu InterIslands Magazine, a New Zealand publication. One of the first survivors that I interviewed in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide told me that his …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Faith-Based Organizations, Genocide, Religious Leadership, Sub-Saharan Africa, Violence
ResourcesChurch in the Wake of COVID-19: Helpful Info & Tips for CongregationsIn the wake of COVID-19, the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement has compiled an infographic with helpful facts and tips for congregations with information from the Center for Disease Control …Topics: CMCCE,
CRCC in the NewsKPCC, U.S. News, Teen Vogue & RNS: CRCC on Community in the Face of COVID-19In the wake of COVID-19, communities across the world are undergoing immense changes and facing great uncertainties. Brie Loskota appeared on KPCC’s Take Two to discuss how communities should respond during these …Topics: Disaster Response,
CommentarySecuring Faith Communities in the Era of Mass Shootings – Keynote AddressBrie Loskota was the keynote speaker at the Faith Communities Security Summit, hosted by Biola University on March 3, 2020. Loskota is a board member of the LA Emergency Preparedness Foundation, one …Topics: Disaster Response, Violence
ReportWhen What You Do Is Who You Are: The Intersection of Jewish Organizational Culture and Identity“By the time Shabbat comes around, I don’t want to see another Jew or think about anything Jewish.” I have heard variations on that statement countless times over the years that I …Topics: Faith-Based Organizations, Jews and Judaism, weforum- VideoTuenjai Deetes: Helping the Stateless in Thailand
ReportReimagining Impact: An Evaluation of the Avanath/CORCDC PartnershipThis study examines the social impact of community service organizations that are affiliated with church groups in Southern California. In our work with many such faith-based groups, we have found that, while …Topics: Black Church, CMCCE, Economic Inequality, Faith-Based Organizations, weforum
BookBack-Pocket God: Religion and Spirituality in the Lives of Emerging AdultsBack-Pocket God: Religion and Spirituality in the Lives of Emerging Adults By Melinda Lundquist Denton & Richard Flory (Oxford University Press, 2020) More than a decade ago, a group of researchers began …Topics: Books, Millennials, Religious Affiliation
“It is reasonably easy to be an armchair critic of religion. There are ample examples of religious leaders who compromise the values of their tradition, and the fundamentalists of every religion are inevitably out of step with the latest findings of modern science.
“But the storyline about religion gets more complicated when one examines religious people in the trenches, serving the poor and disenfranchised of their societies.”
– Donald E. Miller
A Pragmatist’s View of Religion
Experts
The CRCC can connect you with one of our many expert religious researchers and writers, contact us and we’ll help you find the right person for your subject.
Mark WhitlockContributing WriterRev. Mark Whitlock is a pastor specializing in church leadership and community and economic development.
Cecil L. MurrayUniversity FellowRev. Cecil Murray works to ensure that the legacy of African American Church leaders pass on their years of experience to the next generation.
Brie LoskotaExecutive DirectorBrie Loskota researches how religions change and make change in the world, and works to build the capacity of religious communities around the globe.
Donald E. MillerDirector of Strategic InitiativesDonald Miller focuses on global religious trends, genocides of the 20th century, and the role of religious NGOs in addressing issues of moral concern.
Richard FlorySenior Director of Research and EvaluationRichard Flory is a sociologist whose work focuses on religion and urban life, religious and cultural change, and youth and young adults.
Nalika GajaweeraResearch AssociateNalika Gajaweera is a cultural anthropologist specialized in Buddhism, transnationalism and ethics, with an area expertise in South Asia.
Juan MartínezPast FellowJuan Martinez studies the history of Latino Protestantism, Latino Protestant identity and transnational mission among U.S. Latinos.
Najuma Smith-PollardProgram Manager of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community EngagementRev. Najuma Smith-Pollard combines her experience as a pastor and expertise as a community leader to train Murray Center Fellows.
Nick StreetSenior WriterNick Street is a journalist covering religious change and innovation, Buddhism, Pentecostalism and LGBT issues.