Archive
Future Challenges
The challenges facing the Los Angeles region in the coming years are immense, and we are just beginning to understand them. For example, the economy is slowly recovering from the recession of …
Faith groups in the civic sphere of Los Angeles
Currently, faith groups in Los Angeles exhibit five different, although sometimes overlapping, approaches to meeting the needs they see in the public sphere: 1) Charity in the form of volunteerism and service …
The role of the faith community
While the faith community is not equipped to solve the current economic crisis, to bring about immigration reform solely on its own, or to address all the problems associated with a large …
The social context of faith-based organizations in Los Angeles, 1995-2010
A variety of events and political developments since 1995 have served to motivate the faith community to become more active in a public way. Beginning with former President Clinton’s Charitable Choice/ welfare …
Successes, failures, and contributions of civic religion, 1992-1995
Immediately following the civil unrest of 1992, faith groups began to work toward creating a more unified city, with informal partnerships or covenant relationships being a prime expression of the desire to …
The religious and social ecology of Los Angeles
As the population of Los Angeles has grown, so have the many religious congregations and other faith- based nonprofits. Since 1990 the number of religious congregations has grown substantially, and since 1995, …
Forging a New Moral and Political Agenda
Executive Summary In the nearly 20 years since the 1992 civil unrest, the Los Angeles faith community has significantly expanded its role in the public sphere. The social response to the Rodney …
Homeboy, Bieber and the Brand-value of God
This post originally appeared on Trans/Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. A few weeks ago I walked into my hometown Ralph’s grocery store in a suburb of Los …
The Pope on Condoms: Where the Rubber Meets the Road
This post originally appeared on Trans-Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. Many theologians, reporters and devout Catholics uttered a collective “whaaat?!?” when the Holy See announced that condoms …
Whom You Do vs. What You Do
This post originally appeared at Trans/missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. With an important election looming, our constantly simmering political contest over “values” is once again at full …
I’m Out of Here, For Christ’s Sake
This post was originally published on Trans/Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. The sky is falling and apparently it’s taking organized religion with it. That’s the take-away message …
My iPhone is My Co-Pilot
This post originally appeared on Trans/Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. The only thing Americans seem to like more than the culture war is trying to make money …
Is “Buy Christian” the New “Buy American”?
Brie Loskota on investing according to “Christian beliefs”
Imprisoned by Short-sighted Politics
This post originally appeared at Trans/Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. In his recent state of the state address, Gov. Arnold Shwarzenegger addressed the issue of California’s prison …