Archive
Recommendations
Based on the data obtained from the interviews, we provide the following recommendations to build on and increase the successes of the Roundtables: Seek broader representation of religious groups in future Roundtables. …
Summary
Overall, the Roundtable Pilot Program appears to have reached its goal of encouraging clergy and MH staff to build bridges, foster dialogue, and engage in cooperative care. The Roundtables also had unexpected …
Participant Feedback
Hopes for Continuation, Expansion & Implementation As the interviews concluded, participants were asked if there was anything else from their experience in the Roundtable that they might want to add. Several Roundtable …
Collaboration
Existing Collaborations While one of the goals of the Roundtable is to increase opportunities for collaboration between MH staff and clergy, it is important to note that a significant amount of collaboration …
Group Participation and Processes
The Significance of Client Contact Roundtable facilitators all expressed their understanding that a key aspect of their role was to encourage participation from all participants. Despite their efforts however, some group members …
Roundtable Format and Discussion Topics
Format The typical format of the Roundtable meetings included three distinct elements: 1) Introduction of new people 2) Discussion of “burning issues” and 3) New topics. Within this basic structure, however, each …
Perceived Benefits of the Roundtable
Relationship Building When asked whether participating in the Roundtable had aided them in their work as MH staff or clergy, all of those that were interviewed provided at least one example of …
Motivating Factors for Participating in the Roundtable
Virtually every clergy and MH staff stated that they participated in the Roundtable because they wanted to 1) build supportive bridges between clergy and MH staff, 2) obtain knowledge and insight into …
Background and Training of Roundtable Participants
Familiarity of MH staff with Religion While mental health professionals tend to have lower levels of religiosity than the general population[1], the MH staff who participated in the Roundtables tended to be …
Clergy/Mental Health Staff Roundtable Pilot Project
Individuals deal with various levels of trauma, including loss and bereavement, sickness and health, and mental illness—such as depression and schizophrenia—and even the chaos of everyday life and family disturbances. For many …
20th anniversary of LA riots puts Rev. Murray in media spotlight
Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray has appeared in national and local news stories regarding the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles civil unrest. Twenty years ago this month, over a thousand fires …
Twice Tested by Fire: A Memoir of Faith and Service
Twice Tested by Fire: A Memoir of Faith and Service Cecil L. “Chip” Murray Figueroa Press, 2012 The fellowship of Christians generally and the Black Church specifically have an obligation beyond the …
Matt Gainer selected as Photographer of the Week
Capricious selected CRCC research associate Matt Gainer as their photographer of the week on April 18. They posted a portion of images from his series Imperial Pictures on the website. Gainer received …
The Los Angeles Riots 20 Years Later: An Interview with the Rev. Dr. Cecil ‘Chip’ Murray
USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni interviewed Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray for the Huffington Post. During the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, Murray became a household name as the …
Putting Faith First: Traditions and Innovations in Organizing within Religious Communities
The Center for Religion and Civic Culture and the Program on Environmental and Regional Equity announce the publication of “Putting Faith First: Traditions and Innovations in Organizing within Religious Communities.” While some …
Movies, Money and Morality
This post originally appeared on Trans-Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. When I was a kid the Movieguide newsletter would arrive and, if I was quick enough, I …
Religion in the News: What Does it All Mean?
This post originally appeared on Patheos’ Black, White and Gray blog. Several news stories about religion in the U.S. have caught my attention over the last couple of weeks, and they each …
Megachurch and Microscoop: Beyond the Crystal Cathedral
This post originally appeared at Trans/Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. The Crystal Cathedral has finally met its demise. After bankruptcy, the sale of the landmark sanctuary to …
Syria’s Stockholm syndrome and its sectarian war
This post originally appeared in The Financial Times. When I worked in Syria as a journalist from 2004 to 2007 I was surprised to learn how many backed the regime – including …
Richard Flory talks about churchgoing on podcast
Why go to church when a recent Barna Group survey found that most churchgoers barely remember any insight from the previous week’s service? CRCC Director of Research Richard Flory talked about that …