Archive
5 Ways for Faith Communities To Support COVID-19 Vaccine Access Locally and Globally
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with the Delta variant sweeping across the globe, the need for a timely and coordinated vaccine response is urgent. Faith communities and their leaders are an important …
Witness as Ministry: Serving God and Refugees in Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon has been wrecked by war and strife for many decades. More recently, there has been a flood of refugees from Syria and, in 2020, much of the city was leveled …
An Interfaith Dialogue on the Crisis Care Needs of Faith Communities
Faith leaders share about the behavioral health crises affecting diverse faith communities and the critical role they play as a support system during times of crisis. This panel was a part of …
LA Times: Why Are Christian Groups Allowed To Discriminate? Power and Privilege
The Los Angeles Times published the below letter to the editor from CRCC’s Richard Flory: To the editor: Op-ed article writers Rachel S. Mikva, Corey D.B. Walker and Reza Aslan are rightly …
Jean Bouchebel: Retired From World Vision, but Not From Serving God and Refugees
This article was originally published by Christianity Today, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. When Jean Bouchebel retired at age 70, he was not ready to simply relax. …
#BuddhistCultureWars: Buddhabros, Alt-Right Dharma, and Snowflake Sanghas
This article appeared in the Journal of Global Buddhism Vol 22, No 1 (2021) and was co-authored by Ann Gleig and Brenna Artinger. Abstract While often associated with a liberal demographic, the …
The End (of Lockdown) is Near: Opening Houses of Worship in a Time of Uncertainty
I had just announced our church’s plans to resume in-person worship when someone called and told me they had contracted COVID-19. Immediately, I second-guessed the decision to reopen our worship building for …
Kushil Gunasekera: ‘The More You Give, the More Will Be Yours to Give’
This article was originally published by The Arrow Journal, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. “I want to be one of the nicest human beings that this earth …
CBS2: Smith-Pollard on MLK’s impact in Los Angeles
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. found both support and opposition in Los Angeles. Najuma Smith-Pollard of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement spoke with CBS-LA about the legacy of …
Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard on Chauvin Trial
Religious leaders anticipated and responded to the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center …
In Wake of Chauvin Trial, What Can Faith Leaders Learn From the Rodney King LA Civil Unrest?
This article was originally published in Religion News Service and The Washington Post. As the U.S. reacts to the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, many are wary of violence …
Religion in Los Angeles: Religious Activism, Innovation and Diversity in the Global City
Religion in Los Angeles: Religious Activism, Innovation and Diversity in the Global City Edited by Richard Flory and Diane Winston (Routledge, 2021) Why has Los Angeles been a hotspot for religious activism, …
Showing Up! Female Faith Leadership in the COVID-19 Pandemic
This post was originally published on the Berkley Forum, as part of a series on Gender, Religion and COVID-19. As a female pastor and community faith leader, I found myself called to …
VOANews Features Disasters & Religion App
Religious groups play a critical role in responding to wildfires, hurricanes and other disasters, VOA News notes in a piece about the Disasters & Religions app. The app helps disaster professional and …
Sojourners Magazine: Can Churches Earn the Trust of Young Racial Justice Activists?
Religious adherence may be on the decline among young people, but activists in the racial justice movement remain animated by spiritual practices, Sojourners magazine reported. The article quotes CRCC’s Hebah Farrag and …
Black Female Leadership within LAPD: Untold Stories!
High-ranking African-American female leadership in the Los Angeles Police Department share untold stories of issues around racial equity, internal culture and politics of the LAPD, and being a Black woman in law …
Voices of Women and People of Color Must Be Part of Catholic Social Teaching Discussion
This article was originally published in the National Catholic Reporter. In a recent essay, Francis X. Rocca of the Wall Street Journal argued that Catholic social teaching presents a framework for uniting America, noting …
White Christian nationalism and the next wave of political violence
This article was originally published by The Hill. There was a brief period when Republicans appeared to reject Trumpism. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) condemned the insurrectionists as “terrorists, not patriots,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the seditionists were …
Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray: A Life of Faith and Service
Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray served for 27 years as pastor of the historic First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles and guided Angelenos through the trauma of and …
Election Dissection: Understanding Faith and Politics in the 2020 Presidential Election
The November 2020 US Presidential election marked the end of the Trump presidency. The election also revealed new shifts in the way that Americans vote and self-identify in electoral politics. What does …