Family and Relationships
CRCC in the NewsDeseret News: Why Teens Leave the FaithWithin the growing portion of religious “nones,” many who leave their childhood religion behind do so as a teenager. The Deseret News quoted CRCC’s Richard Flory about this phenomenon, as well as …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, Family and Relationships, Religious "Nones", Religious Affiliation
CommentaryA Post-Election Prayer for Love, Families and UnityThe Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, was part of a prayer service for hope and unity at the Cathedral of Our Lady of …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, CMCCE, Family and Relationships, Government and Religion, Interfaith/Multifaith Movements, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership, Southern California
CommentaryHow to solve the difficult problem of adding ‘Muslim’ to ‘American’This post originally appeared on the Los Angeles Times. In mid-September, my 6-year-old daughter ran into our living room and literally started jumping for joy. “Baba, it’s a miracle!” she told her father with …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Family and Relationships, Media, Muslims and Islam, National and Cultural Identity, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture
CRCC in the NewsKPCC Take Two: Raising Children in a Time of Religious ChangeKPCC’s Take Two took on the question of how parents can introduce their kids to religion and spirituality. CRCC Executive Director Brie Loskota offered her expertise in both religion and parenting for …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Family and Relationships, Religious Beliefs and Rituals, Religious Pluralism
CommentaryPope Francis’ ‘Joy of Love’ Exhortation Won’t Resolve Catholic Tensions on Marriage and SexThis post originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times. When my parents went to schedule my older brother’s baptism at a Catholic church, the priest told them their baby was a bastard. …Topics: Catholics and Catholicism, Creativity and Innovation, Family and Relationships, Gender and Sexuality, Religious Leadership- CRCC in the NewsKPCC: Papal Proclamation Urges a More Welcoming ChurchCRCC University Fellow Joseph Palacios spoke about Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love,” on KPCC’s Take Two. Palacios, a sociologist and a Catholic priest, gave an overview …Topics: Catholics and Catholicism, Family and Relationships, Gender and Sexuality
CommentaryIt’s Time to Invent Rituals for RetirementThis post originally appeared on Next Avenue and Forbes. Every day, as you may have heard, 10,000 people in the United States turn 65. The financial industry advertises to this retirement cohort …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Family and Relationships, Religious Beliefs and Rituals
CommentaryHappy Chrismukkah: On the Complexity of Jewish Identity(Image from Adam Baron on Flickr Commons) Back in March, I traveled to a two-day conference called “Rethinking Jewish Identity and Education” at the Mandel Center at Brandeis University. On the flight …Topics: Family and Relationships, Jews and Judaism, National and Cultural Identity, Religious Affiliation
CommentaryKeeping Faith: A CRCC Senior Fellow Finds the Key to Passing Religion Across GenerationsBengtson says that emotional warmth rather than devoutness or discipline appears to be the key factor in families that successfully transmit religious traditions across generations. Allowing their children—particularly adolescents—to venture away from orthodox expressions of belief might seem counterintuitive to parents who want their kids to remain in the fold. Yet Bengtson’s work shows that a home environment that is nurturing but not constricting appears most likely to encourage spiritual roots to grow deep.Topics: Family and Relationships, Generation X, Millennials, Population Trends, Religious "Nones", Religious Affiliation
BookFamilies and Faith: How Religion is Passed Down across GenerationsFamilies and Faith Vern L. Bengtson, With Norella M. Putney, and Susan Harris, Authors (Oxford University Press: 2013) CRCC hosted the grant that enabled the collection of interview data for this project, …Topics: Books, Family and Relationships, Religious Affiliation