Archive
Beautiful Gate: Envisioning Christian Faith in Los Angeles
Beautiful Gate defines itself as a movement, not a church or community. Located in Los Feliz and founded by missionaries Samuel and Priya Theophylus, Beautiful Gate is an example how some Christian …
Media Coverage of L.A. Civil Unrest Anniversary
Having grown out of the 1992 Los Angeles civil Unrest, the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture and Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement commemorated the 25th anniversary with multiple opportunities …
A Declaration of Interdependence
A nation of nations, our actions in these troubled times must be guided by a notion of notions—let us call it “A Declaration of Interdependence.” We were founded to be a beacon …
May 3, 1992: Rev. Cecil Murray Preaches as the Fires of the L.A. Riots Burn
Over six days in late April and early May 1992, hundreds of fires burned in the heart of Los Angeles. The acquittal of police officers charged with using excessive force against Rodney …
Embodied Religion: Reassessing the Role of the “Senses” in Religious Research
We often make the mistake of identifying religious vitality with assent to particular beliefs. In this process, we forget that intellectual assent to beliefs is merely one element of religious experience. I …
Nefesh: A Soulful Experiment in Jewish Revival
Nefesh has breathed new life into Jewish communal devotional practice at one of the most storied synagogues in Los Angeles. Watch here: Like many religions, Judaism faces a decline in participation in …
Reimagining Religion: The 10 Qualities of Creative Communities
The following was edited from Brie Loskota’s opening remarks at Reimagining Religion: A Conversation about the Future of Religion, held at University of Southern California on February 9, 2017. We are in …
The Kingdom of God and American Exceptionalism
Does America have a special God-given role in the world? In meetings with both evangelical and religiously unaffiliated young adults in Los Angeles, I have seen a shift in the understanding of …
What’s So Wrong with Mindfulness?
This article originally appeared in Tricycle. “I was stressed out, burned out, and divorced. And then I started doing yoga.” This is how many people I have spoken to in the course …
Research Stipends Available for Interdisciplinary Study of Religions
The Interdisciplinary Research Group of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture will offer research stipends of $3,000 to USC faculty and advanced doctoral students for summer 2017. Nine stipends of $3000 each …
How a Christian Movement Is Growing Rapidly in the Midst of Religious Decline
This article was originally published on The Conversation. In August of 2011, more than 30,000 people cheered wildly as the then U.S. presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry – now secretary …
Reimagining Religion Blog Book
In 2014, CRCC was awarded a grant from the John Templeton Foundation to explore the proposition that competition between religious groups stimulates creative innovation, contributing to religious change. This “Religious Competition and …
A Mosque with Open Doors, Inviting the Community In
Masjid Al-Fatiha embraces its role as an ambassador for Islam in the larger community, while also creating a space for Thai Muslims to preserve their religious and cultural traditions in America. Although …
BYU Radio: Richard Flory on Religious “Nones”
An increasing number of Americans do not affiliate with any particular religion. BYU Radio’s Matt Townsend Show recently interviewed CRCC senior director of research and evaluation Richard Flory, about the increase of religious “nones” in …
KPCC’s Take Two: Loskota on America’s Moral Compass after Yiannopoulos’ fall
Milo Yiannopoulos recently lost his invitation to present at a Conservative Political Action Conference, a book deal, and his writer position at Breitbart News after a remark that seemed to rationalize pedophilia. …
Cecil Murray Center launches new Financial Fitness Workshops with CIT/OneWest Bank
The USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement announced the creation of a new initiative to bring Financial Fitness Workshops to churches throughout Los Angeles with the support of CIT/OneWest Bank. CIT Bank and …
The Rise of Network Christianity: How Independent Leaders are Changing the Religious Landscape
The Rise of Network Christianity: How Independent Leaders Are Changing the Religious Landscape Brad Christerson and Richard Flory (Oxford University Press 2017) The writing of this book was supported by the Pentecostal Charismatic Research …
Congregational Research App
The USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture has mapped more than 500 congregations across Southern California, creating neighborhood maps that present information on congregations in a designated area. A key data collection tool …