Archive
Preaching Beyond the Walls of the Congregation: How Faith Leaders Can Use Media
Congregations are often on the frontlines of significant social issues, from poverty to immigration to polarization. Clergy’s moral leadership on these issues is grounded in both their spiritual traditions and the lived …
Wellness and Wellbeing: Caring for Self and Community
Anyone can experience burn out – pastors, preachers and even volunteers. Leaders can help their congregations thrive by maintaining their own wellbeing and helping their teams do so as well. As part …
“We Save Us” – 2025 Trends to Watch in Religion and Society
Multiple wildfires broke out across Los Angeles the day before our team was scheduled to discuss 2025 trends to watch in religion and society. Our leader canceled the meeting, while other team …
Bringing Religion Reporting—and Understanding—to Nigeria
Inspired by a fellowship with CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality (2019-2023), journalist Innocent Eteng has found ways to improve reporting on religion in Nigeria. Nigeria is a country with over 250 …
AI Tips for Preachers
CRCC Affiliate Ken Chitwood hosted a zoom session on best practices for using generative AI tools as a preacher — how to think about artificial intelligence, write prompts, verify information and other …
Memories of the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray – 1929-2024
The Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, who died April 5, 2024 at age 94, trained 1,000 faith leaders in community development and civic engagement at USC, building on an illustrious career …
2024 Shurden Lectures: Whose Country Is It Anyway?
Watch 2024 Shurden Lectures: “Whose Country Is It Anyway?” The Rev. Dr. Joseph Evans and the Rev. Dr. Christopher The brought their unique experiences and expertise to a conversation on religious and …
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 …
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, …
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 …
Fouzia Azizi: A Helping Hand for Afghan Refugees
Fouzia Azizi vividly recalls the night her family fled Afghanistan nearly 30 years ago. Fearing for their lives, they crossed the border into Pakistan. They traveled lightly, expecting to return soon. “I …
Sarah Zouak: Leading a Laboratory of Muslim Feminism in France
When Sarah Zouak was a graduate student in France, an adviser told her that the phrase “Muslim feminist” was a contradiction in terms. Zouak had proposed a thesis on the topic when …
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 …
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 …
Parveena Ahanger: A Grieving Mother’s Fight for the Disappeared of Kashmir
Parveena Ahanger, a well-known Kashmiri activist, exuded her characteristic warmth as she sat cross-legged in the kitchen on a freezing January afternoon in Srinagar, the region’s largest city. The warmest corner of …
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 …
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 …
Ethnographic Religion Reporting
This reporting guide was originally published on Religion Link, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. When asked to make predictions about newswriting for 2021, Kevin D. Grant, co-founder & …
The Moral Power of Stories: How Exemplars Help Us Find Meaning and Purpose
What has more emotional salience, an abstract moral principle such as love or justice or a good story of someone whose life commitments exemplify these values? Shortly after I finished my Ph.D. …
Unveiling the Heart of 100 Humanitarians
The USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture worked with dozens of journalists to profile more than 100 individuals whose spiritual beliefs and practices fuel their humanitarian work. Journalists share their experience …