Archive
Tom Catena: Choosing Joy Over Happiness
This article was originally published by Religion Unplugged, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. GIDEL, Sudan — The media is filled with articles on how to achieve happiness, including in …
American Theocracy Is Bad for Everyone–Including White Christian Nationalists
As we marked the 246th anniversary of our country’s independence from a despotic regime that fused church and state power, the staff of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture gathered …
LA Times: Richard Flory on Biola University and the Future of Evangelicalism
Divisions about the political and cultural application of evangelical faith principle are playing out at evangelical colleges across the country. The Los Angeles Times covered how those divisions are playing out at …
Roundtable of Faith Leaders and Vice President Kamala Harris on Reproductive Health
Vice President Kamala Harris recently hosted a roundtable with faith leaders on the state of reproductive health care in the United States. The event, held at the Los Angeles County Federation of …
Voice of San Diego: Richard Flory on a Right-Wing Church
The Voice of San Diego profiled Awaken, a local evangelical church that has become a center for right-wing political organizing. CRCC’s Richard Flory provided context for conservative political activism of evangelical churches. …
LA Times: L.A. Residents Process Massacre in Buffalo, NY
Black leaders and residents of Los Angeles are dealing with stress and trauma after the racially motivated terrorist attack at a grocery story in Buffalo, New York. A self-described white supremacist killed …
Sri Lanka’s Dual Crisis: Ethnic Conflict & the Debt Economy
This article was originally published by Jamhoor. “Except for the home crowd cheering for our national team at an international cricket match, it was the first time I was seeing Sri Lankans …
LA Daily News: Churches face post-pandemic declines in membership
Like many congregations in the wake of pandemic-era restriction, the first Black church founded in the San Fernando Valley has seen significant declines in membership, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Membership …
Media on the 30 Years after LA’s 1992 Civil Unrest
As the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture reflected on the 1992 Civil Unrest, the words and efforts of the Rev. Dr. Cecil Murray following the unrest continued to be highlighted …
Thirty Years Later: Remembering LA’s 1992 Civil Unrest and Reimagining Social Action
Like the tectonic fault lines that can suddenly release pent-up geological pressures, shaking the literal bedrock of Southern California, the cultural fault lines between groups with unequal political and economic power periodically …
Part Two: Forgiveness (Rituals for the Mind and the Heart)
Interdependence: the dependence of two or more people or things on each other; the quality or condition of being mutually reliant. Islamic death and burial rituals serve one main purpose: to remind …
Part One: Mercy to Creation (Body and Environment)
In the first ten days of the month of Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged Muslims to focus on the quality of mercy. As we transition into this Ramadan, a period of …
Healing Heartwork Toolkit: Exploring Loss
Deepening our understanding of Islamic tools for healing, self-care and community care In response to the emerging needs of its fellows, AMCLI launched a series of Healing Heartwork Toolkits to provide Islamic …
Munther Isaac: What Would Jesus Do at an Israeli Military Checkpoint?
This article was originally published by Religion Unplugged, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. BETHLEHEM— In the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, a stained glass window depicting …
Why Activism Thrives in L.A.’s Black Churches
This article was originally published by Trojan Family Magazine. by Eric Lindberg; Photos by Gus Ruelas Many members of the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard’s church near downtown Los Angeles struggled for food during the …
LA Times: Nalika Gajaweera on How Buddhists Are Responding to Anti-Asian Violence
The March 16, 2021 killing of six women of Asian descent and two others brought Asian Buddhists together across lineages and communities to confront anti-Asian hate. A year later, the LA Times …
Taizé: A Musical Monastic Community, Formed in Response to a Global Crisis, Faces New Ones
This article was originally published by America Magazine, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. “Iedere nacht verlang ik naar u, o God” (My spirit yearns for you in the …
ABC7: Najuma Smith-Pollard on Black History Month
CRCC’s Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard was interviewed on ABC7 News about Black History Month. “It’s about having the mindset of we and us, not just me and myself alone,” Smith-Pollard said. “Black …
For Covering and Joy: A Prayer for Black History Month
Najuma Smith-Pollard helped University of Southern California kick off Black History Month with a prayer for the university-wide event, “Black Joy: Embracing Health and Vitality.” Watch the prayer or read the full …
Community Storytelling for Policy Change: 30th anniversary of LA Civil Unrest
In times of turmoil, storytelling can be a catalyst for policy change as well as a symbol for healing and resistance. As we recognize the 30th anniversary of the Los Angeles Uprising, …