Archive
Deseret News: Why Teens Leave the Faith
Within the growing portion of religious “nones,” many who leave their childhood religion behind do so as a teenager. The Deseret News quoted CRCC’s Richard Flory about this phenomenon, as well as …
A Post-Election Prayer for Love, Families and Unity
The Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, was part of a prayer service for hope and unity at the Cathedral of Our Lady of …
How to solve the difficult problem of adding ‘Muslim’ to ‘American’
This post originally appeared on the Los Angeles Times. In mid-September, my 6-year-old daughter ran into our living room and literally started jumping for joy. “Baba, it’s a miracle!” she told her father with …
KPCC Take Two: Raising Children in a Time of Religious Change
KPCC’s Take Two took on the question of how parents can introduce their kids to religion and spirituality. CRCC Executive Director Brie Loskota offered her expertise in both religion and parenting for …
Pope Francis’ ‘Joy of Love’ Exhortation Won’t Resolve Catholic Tensions on Marriage and Sex
This post originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times. When my parents went to schedule my older brother’s baptism at a Catholic church, the priest told them their baby was a bastard. …
KPCC: Papal Proclamation Urges a More Welcoming Church
CRCC University Fellow Joseph Palacios spoke about Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love,” on KPCC’s Take Two. Palacios, a sociologist and a Catholic priest, gave an overview …
It’s Time to Invent Rituals for Retirement
This post originally appeared on Next Avenue and Forbes. Every day, as you may have heard, 10,000 people in the United States turn 65. The financial industry advertises to this retirement cohort …
Happy Chrismukkah: On the Complexity of Jewish Identity
(Image from Adam Baron on Flickr Commons) Back in March, I traveled to a two-day conference called “Rethinking Jewish Identity and Education” at the Mandel Center at Brandeis University. On the flight …
Keeping Faith: A CRCC Senior Fellow Finds the Key to Passing Religion Across Generations
Bengtson says that emotional warmth rather than devoutness or discipline appears to be the key factor in families that successfully transmit religious traditions across generations. Allowing their children—particularly adolescents—to venture away from orthodox expressions of belief might seem counterintuitive to parents who want their kids to remain in the fold. Yet Bengtson’s work shows that a home environment that is nurturing but not constricting appears most likely to encourage spiritual roots to grow deep.
Families and Faith: How Religion is Passed Down across Generations
Families and Faith Vern L. Bengtson, With Norella M. Putney, and Susan Harris, Authors (Oxford University Press: 2013) CRCC hosted the grant that enabled the collection of interview data for this project, …
L.A.’s First Jewish Mayor?
Since the mid 1950s Los Angeles has been the second largest Jewish community in the United States, but has never had a Jewish mayor. New York, by contrast, elected its first Jewish …
Religion and Youth
Religion and Youth Sylvia Collins-Mayo, Editor (Routledge: 2011) What is the future of religion given the responses of young people? What impact do existing religious forms …
Whom You Do vs. What You Do
This post originally appeared at Trans/missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. With an important election looming, our constantly simmering political contest over “values” is once again at full …
A More Complex View of Gender and Sexuality in Christianity
The CRCC Interdisciplinary Research Group held its first seminar on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. This session featured Heather White (New College of Florida) and Sheila Briggs (USC). Lori Meeks writes that the papers revealed “Christian views of gender and sexuality would surprise contemporary Christians.”
Growing up in America: The Power of Race in the Lives of Teens
Growing Up in America: The Power of Race in the Lives of Teens Richard Flory with Brad Christerson and Korie Edwards (Stanford University Press: 2010) People’s experiences …
Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims
Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims James L. Heft (ed.) (Fordham University Press: 2006) This books was supported by the USC Center for …
Faith-Based Adoptive/Foster Services: Faith Communities’ Roles in Child Welfare
Written by John Orr and Grace Roberts Dyrness, this publication offers a global scan of the historical involvement of faith communities in child welfare services. It describes recent trends and leadership programs, …
Crisis in the Streets: Homeless Women and Children in Los Angeles
Written by Grace Roberts Dyrness, Mia Thompson, and Peter Spoto, this publication contains data related to homeless families in Los Angeles. It details services that are being offered to this population, then …
Homeless Families: The Struggle for Dignity
Homeless Families The Struggle for Dignity Donald E. Miller & Barry Jay Seltser (University of Illinois Press: 1993) How do homeless people perceive their plight? Specifically, …