Archive
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 to the ever-changing social and cultural landscape. With support …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Thriving (or Just Surviving): 2023 Trends to Watch in Religion and Society
If CRCC’s annual trends to watch have been growing more ominous in recent years, then 2023 feels like a pivotal year for many of the issues we’ve been tracking: Like our final …
Holistic Resilience: Why Some Spiritual Exemplars Question Suffering as a Path to Resilience
When CRCC’s “Spiritual Exemplars Project” team was invited to present about “resilience,” it was easy to think of many examples within our sample of 100+ spiritually engaged humanitarians who had endured and …
Sister Norma Pimentel: The Hands and Voice of God for Migrants at the US/Mexico Border
Sister Norma Pimentel is one of the nation’s leading voices calling for new and more just immigration policies. As executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, she …
Conflict and Congregations: How Churches Respond to Politics and the Pandemic
As the 2022 midterm elections approach, little can be predicted—except, perhaps, that they will further cement the deep divides in our country. Those divides often extend into religious congregations. CRCC is a …
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur: Musing on Mortality from a French Feminist Rabbi
This article was originally published by the New York Times, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur thinks a lot about death. In years past, she would typically …