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University of Southern California

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Archive

God’s Resistance: Mobilizing Faith to Defend Immigrants

Watch a discussion about the power of faith to drive resistance to anti-immigration policies in the United States. This event was hosted by the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture on …

Father Greg Boyle: A Modern-Day Mystic — The Priest Behind Homeboy Industries

This article was originally published on Religion Unplugged, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality.  The founder of the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and prison reentry program in the world is a …

A Year of Crisis and Opportunity: 2024 Trends in Religion and Society

In CRCC’s annual trends post last year, we wrote about surviving, if not thriving. We write this year’s trends with a special place in our hearts for CRCC’s senior editor Nick Street, …

Black woman in glasses and long dreads stands in front of a green trees and a pond.

Konda Mason: Growing rice in Louisiana is a path to justice for Black farmers

This article was originally published on The Christian Science Monitor, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality.  It’s past daybreak on a muggy July morning when Konda Mason reaches the farm, a …

Donald Miller at a podium with sign saying

Donald E. Miller Retires from the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture

The USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture celebrates the long and productive career of its co-founder Donald E. Miller upon his retirement from the center. The Leonard K. Firestone Professor of …

CRCC Launches Compelling Preaching Initiative

The USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture is launching a new project that seeks to help faith leaders think about their preaching in an ever-changing social and cultural landscape.  With support …

Monica Francisco holds her fist up in the middle of a streat, surrounded by other Black Brazilian women.

The Radical Resistance and Radical Acceptance of Spiritual Exemplars

How spiritual exemplars work to create a world befitting of our inherent nobility A key question we are asked by consumers of our research on “spiritual exemplars” is about the qualities of …

Sister Networks Building Hope at the US/Mexico Border

Catholic sisters are working together across congregations and across the US/Mexico border to better serve people in need of housing, food, health care and immigration services. This video highlights the work of …

Women of Integrity: Celebrating 175 Years of the Immaculate Heart Community

On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, the exhibition “Women of Integrity: Celebrating 175 Years of the Immaculate Heart Community” opened in USC’s Doheny Memorial Library. It tells the remarkable story of the Immaculate …

Boy with volunteer shirt writes while standing in a window cut from plywood, painted rainbow colors

The Complex Relationship Between Religion and Humanitarianism

The hero image of religious saints involved in humanitarian work warrants examination. I have come to this conclusion in the process of leading a global project on “spiritual exemplars” at USC’s Center …

William James

Spiritual Exemplars: The Pragmatism and Mystical Perspective of William James

William James was the inspiration for our project on “spiritual exemplars” at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. James, a philosopher and psychologist, believed that one learns more from what …

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 …

David Raimundo dos Santos: Without this Black Catholic Priest, Affirmative Action Wouldn’t Be Alive and Thriving in Brazil.

This article was originally published on Black Catholic Messenger, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality.  Sometimes the truth hits so hard that it changes your life forever. For the …

After Thay: Plum Village Reckons With the Loss of Its Founder

This article was originally published on Tricycle with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality.  Monastics in long brown robes entered the hall for formal lunch in order of seniority, the longest ordained …

John Orr: Religion professor’s long career at USC helped launch some of the university’s most distinctive programs

Professor Emeritus of Religion John Orr was a continuous presence on the USC campus for nearly 30 years. He helped usher in a number of programs that define the university’s commitment to …

Donald E. Miller: ‘Spiritual exemplars’ change the media narrative about religion

This article was originally published on Religion News Service, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Media stories about religion often focus on corruption in religious institutions, politicians’ alliances with conservative Christians and …

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 …

Layli Miller Muro: Protecting the Rights of Migrants

As a lawyer and a member of the Baha’i faith, Layli Miller-Muro believes the pursuit of justice is a divine calling. When she was in law school in 1996, Miller-Muro successfully helped …

Self-Care for Faith Leaders: Thriving Congregations Conversation with Dr. Thema Bryant

Pepperdine University Professor and 2023 President of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Thema Bryant spoke about the lingering impact of the pandemic on faith leaders and congregations. This was recorded as part …

Shifting Your Mindset About Church Leadership: Thriving Congregations Conversation with Quentin P. Kinnison

Fresno Pacific University, Associate Professor Quentin P. Kinnison, provides insights on what it means to transform pastoral leadership. This was recorded as part of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture’s …