Archive
The Orange County Register: Irvine pastor Rev. Mark Whitlock exhorts church to ‘set a moral tone’ during Trump Presidency
In response to the surprising Trump victory of this year’s Presidential election, the Rev. Mark Whitlock is encouraging for faith organizations to be prominent moral voices against any future policies that could …
Trump Will Always Be With Us – Rev. Cecil Murray on the Election
As soon as I entered my office on Wednesday morning, people started calling me. The callers are in shock, amazement, at what happened in the presidential race. I listen, and then I …
Surprised American Evangelicals Voted for Trump? They Have a History of Racism
This post originally appeared on International Business Times. As a scholar of religion, one story that has intrigued me since the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign is how Trump’s candidacy—now his …
Might, Right and White Privilege: It’s Morning in America, the Sequel
This post originally appeared on Religion Dispatches. Early this morning, when Donald Trump accepted the presidency of the United States, Ronald Reagan and Jerry Falwell were somewhere enjoying the last laugh. Their …
How are Religious Congregations Talking About the Election in 2016?
Each election season brings questions about the role of religion in politics and the separation of church and state. In 2016, the presidential campaign also has introduced questions about the importance of …
Being Prophetic from the Pulpit in a Strained Political Season
This post was also published by the Los Angeles Sentinel. I was not quite ready for the personal challenge posed by “The Birth of a Nation,” the new film by Nate Parker. …
How a New Generation Is Changing Evangelical Christianity
Since the late 1970s, American evangelicalism has been largely identified with right-wing politics. Conservative religious values entered the political sphere through movements such as Moral Majority and Focus on the Family that …
“There is Sin and Evil in the World”: Reagan, Trump, and the News Media
This post originally appeared in The L.A. Review of Books. HOW DID A LYING, philandering blowhard convince millions of Americans — including white evangelicals and the working poor — that he should …
VP Debate: Tim Kaine and American Religion in Flux
Tim Kaine’s faith story is an essential part of his stump speech. At the vice presidential debate, the Democratic candidate mentioned his missionary year in his response to the first question, then …
Civic Engagement: A Call for More Than Just Every Four Years
This article originally appeared in The Ismaili USA. Every four years the citizenry of the United States engages the political process through national elections. The election cycle seems to lengthen with each …
America magazine: Trump Makes a Place for Faith
As presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks more on his own faith to appeal to religious voters, his statements remain largely ambiguous. America, a national Catholic magazine, interviewed CRCC’s Andrew Johnson about his …
Making Evangelical America Great Again: Trump and “Wall” Christians
Along with many other observers, I have been struggling to understand how nearly 80 percent of white evangelical Protestant voters can support Donald Trump, someone who has a dubious church-going record and …
L.A. Daily News: As Ramadan Ends, Local Muslims Reflect on how Violence Hung over a Holy Month of Peace
CRCC’s Executive Director Brie Loskota was quoted in an article about the end of Ramadan in The Los Angeles Daily News. The article marks the somber reflections of the Muslim American community …
Dobson’s Baby: Trump’s Baptism at the Evangelical-Washing Font
This post originally appeared in Religion Dispatches. Donald Trump is now a “baby Christian“? Now that Trump has become the presumptive GOP nominee—the old guard has stepped forward to engage in an ancient …
What’s an Evangelical These Days? Trump’s Advisors Point to Divisions
Is Donald Trump the friend or foe of evangelicals? Some argue that “real” evangelicals aren’t supporting Trump, while others attempt to explain why evangelicalism is susceptible to candidates like Trump. By meeting with more than 900 …
Loskota at USC Roundtable on Security with Clinton
Los Angeles is a model for how to engage communities in the fight against extremism, Secretary Hillary Clinton said at a roundtable on homeland security hosted by Mayor Eric Garcetti at the …
Why Are Muslim Americans Feeling the Bern? (Updated)
Editor’s Note: Rhonda updated this post to reflect the broader trends of the election. A coalition of Muslim, Black and Latino activists recently shut down a rally for presidential contender Donald Trump …
Why Do Christians Like Trump? Evangelicals Flirt with Fascism
Donald Trump has now won among evangelicals in South Carolina’s primary and in Nevada’s caucuses, keeping his momentum going into Super Tuesday. Sarah Palin’s endorsement and support from other high-profile evangelicals, including …
The Top Five Religion Trends to Watch in 2016
From the rise of evangelical hipsters to the rise of religious “nones,” religion is in a period of flux as we end one year and look forward to the next. Here at …
How a Pentecostal Law Professor Has Helped Reshape Nigerian Politics
This post also appeared on The Washington Post Acts of Faith blog. I met Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice president-elect, two years ago, during the annual convening of the mammoth Holy Ghost Congress …