CommentaryWhy The Pope Matters In A World Of RivalriesThis article was originally published on Religion Unplugged. “Cheering for the Cubs is like praying to Allah,” my cousin, a White Sox fanatic and evangelical Christian, once quipped over Christmas dinner. According to …Topics: Catholicism, Christianity, Politics, Religious Leadership
CommentaryPreaching Into our Post-Election DividesThe following were Richard Flory’s opening remarks at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture’s Compelling Preaching Across Divides conference, held on November 20, 2024. Just two weeks ago, we had …Topics: Christianity, Evangelicalism, preaching, Richard Flory
ArticleFather Greg Boyle: A Modern-Day Mystic — The Priest Behind Homeboy IndustriesThis article was originally published on Religion Unplugged, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. The founder of the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and prison reentry program in the world is a …Topics: Catholicism, Donald E. Miller, Engaged Spirituality, Religious Leadership, Southern California, Spiritual Exemplars
AnnouncementCRCC Launches Compelling Preaching InitiativeThe USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture is launching a new project that seeks to help faith leaders think about their preaching in an ever-changing social and cultural landscape. With support …Topics: Black Church, Catholicism, Christianity, Evangelicalism, Media and Technology, preaching, Religious Leadership- VideoSister Networks Building Hope at the US/Mexico Border
- VideoWomen of Integrity: Celebrating 175 Years of the Immaculate Heart Community
CRCC in the NewsWashington Post: Richard Flory on Saddleback’s Rick Warren Ordaining WomenRick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Church, is challenging the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) belief that women should not be pastors in their church. Saddleback was disfellowshipped by SBC officials after …Topics: Christianity, Evangelicalism, Innovation and Change, Religious Leadership, Southern California
BookFijians in Transnational Pentecostal NetworksFijians in Transnational Pentecostal Networks by Karen Brison (Australian National University, 2023) The writing of this book was supported by the Pentecostal Charismatic Research Initiative. In Fijians in Transnational Pentecostal Networks, Karen J. Brison …Topics: Books, Christianity, Pentecostalism, Religious Affiliation
ArticleDavid Raimundo dos Santos: Without this Black Catholic Priest, Affirmative Action Wouldn’t Be Alive and Thriving in Brazil.This article was originally published on Black Catholic Messenger, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Sometimes the truth hits so hard that it changes your life forever. For the …Topics: Catholicism, Engaged Spirituality, Racial Justice, Religious Leadership, Spiritual Exemplars- VideoMarguerite Brankitse: Forgiveness Is Key to Overcoming Genocide
CRCC in the NewsWall Street Journal: Richard Flory on Jesus in American CultureThe “He Gets Us” ad campaign has caused debate about its portrayal of Jesus, but Jesus always has had many faces in American culture. The Wall Street Journal describes how various Christian …Topics: Christianity, Evangelicalism,
CommentaryThriving (or Just Surviving): 2023 Trends to Watch in Religion and SocietyIf CRCC’s annual trends to watch have been growing more ominous in recent years, then 2023 feels like a pivotal year for many of the issues we’ve been tracking: Like our final …Topics: Christianity, Evangelicalism, Media and Technology, Politics, Racial Justice, Southern California, Thriving Congregations, trends
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
Brad ChristersonBrad Christenson is a sociologist who has written extensively in the areas of religion, race, ethnicity, and globalization.
Richard FloryExecutive DirectorRichard Flory is a sociologist whose work focuses on religion and urban life, religious and cultural change, and youth and young adults.
Andrew JohnsonPast FellowAndrew Johnson is a sociologist who studies religion on the margins of society, with specific interests in religious practice inside of prison, Latin American Pentecostalism and religion in the city.
Juan MartínezPast FellowJuan Martinez studies the history of Latino Protestantism, Latino Protestant identity and transnational mission among U.S. Latinos.
Donald E. MillerCo-FounderDonald Miller focuses on global religious trends, genocides of the 20th century, and the role of religious NGOs in addressing issues of moral concern.
Megan SweasEditor and Director of CommunicationsMegan Sweas is a journalist specializing in social and economic justice issues and world religions.
Tarra McNallyTarra McNally is an anthropologist specializing in evaluation and global health.
Diane WinstonAs a journalist and scholar, Diane Winston is a national authority on religion, politics, the news media and entertainment.