Born out of the diverse initiatives and networks that followed the L.A. riots, CRCC has been connected to all types of religious communities, before “interfaith” was cool. Coalition of faith leaders came together to address the social divides and ills that led to the conflagrations in 1992.
All religious traditions engage in the public square, and they also have their unique rituals, beliefs and approaches to prayer. Moreover, there’s often disagreements among adherents within each religion about the best way to practice their tradition and engage in political and social issues. Explore trends within a wide variety of groups—from Islam to evangelicalism to religious “nones”—on their respective topic pages, or check out trends that cross groups, such as creativity and innovation or prayer and meditation.
Topics
ArticleBuddhadharma: Reclaiming Our So-Called “Cultural Baggage”This article was originally published by Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly. You can often hear Western meditation-based convert circles use the term “cultural baggage” to refer to the ritualized acts, cosmological ideas, and …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Immigration, Race and Culture, TAS
AudioSister Dianna Ortiz: A Tribute to a Survivor of Torture Who Became a Voice for VictimsThis radio documentary was originally published by KALW’s The Spiritual Edge, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Listen to it at KALW.org. To hear this and other profiles, subscribe …Topics: Catholics and Catholicism, Engaged Spirituality, Gender, Latin America, Nuns and Women Religious, Spiritual Exemplars, Violence
ArticleRev. Gary Mason: Faith on the Peace Lines of Northern IrelandThis article was originally published by Religion Unplugged. Amid the bombings and murders of Northern Ireland’s decades-long conflicted called the Troubles, Rev. Gary Mason would go to the bars that he had …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Engaged Spirituality, Europe, Spiritual Exemplars, Violence
ReportAMCLI Through the Years – Founders’ ReflectionThe American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute (AMCLI) emerged out of a research project and a convening of civic leaders in 2006. Fifteen years after its inception, the USC Center for Religion and …Topics: AMCLI, Muslims and Islam
AudioMichelle Clifton-Soderstrom: An Evangelical Professor And Her Students Inside A Maximum Security PrisonThis radio documentary was originally produced by KALW’s The Spiritual Edge, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. To hear this and other profiles, subscribe to The Spiritual Edge podcast in …Topics: Christians and Christianity, COVID, Criminal Justice, Engaged Spirituality, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Spiritual Exemplars
ArticleBrother Chân Pháp Dung: Where the Search for Simplicity LeadsThis article was originally published in Yes Magazine, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Before entering monastic life, Brother Chân Pháp Dung gave away his worldly possessions. The last step …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Engaged Spirituality, Environment, Spiritual Exemplars
AudioRussell Jeung: He Started A Movement to #StopAAPIHateThis radio documentary was originally produced by KALW’s The Spiritual Edge, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. To hear this and other profiles, subscribe to The Spiritual Edge podcast …Topics: Christians and Christianity, COVID, Engaged Spirituality, race, Spiritual Exemplars, Violence
CRCC in the NewsHonolulu Civil Beat: Flory on Evangelical Pastors’ Influence on Vaccine UptakeSome pastors in Hawaii are discouraging their members from getting the COVID-19 vaccine, Honolulu Civil Beat reports. The article quotes CRCC’s Richard Flory about the perception of vaccines within evangelical Christianity. According …Topics: COVID, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Healthcare, Public Health
ArticleAlissa Wahid: A Legacy of Transformation in IndonesiaThis article was originally published by the KAICIID Dialogue Centre, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Inheriting a father’s legacy is never easy — especially when that father …Topics: Asia, Government and Religion, Interfaith/Multifaith Movements, Muslims and Islam, National and Cultural Identity, Religious Leadership, Religious Minorities, Religious Pluralism
ArticleBishop Isaiah: The Bishop, the Art school and the Conflict ZoneThis article was originally published on Eurasianet, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. In the village of Zemo Nikozi, reminders of the 2008 war are hard to hide. …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Education, Engaged Spirituality, Race and Culture, Violence- VideoCreating Safe(r) Spaces for Mindfulness of Breath: Experiences of Race in American Mindfulness
- VideoThe Intersection of Gender, Nationalism and Faith-based Giving in Sri Lanka
“Students in mindfulness classes may think they’re seeking therapeutic answers from secularized Eastern traditions, but their practices are authentically American too. Perhaps it’s this implicit knowledge that makes mindfulness so enchanting to spiritual seekers today.”
—Nalika Gajaweera,
“Mindfulness is as American as Apple Pie”
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
Tobin BelzerContributing FellowTobin Belzer is an applied sociologist who develops research and program evaluations to support the work of non-profit organizations and philanthropists.
Brad ChristersonContributing FellowBrad Christenson is a sociologist who has written extensively in the areas of religion, race, ethnicity, and globalization.
Donald Cook IIContributing FellowRev. Donald Cook II combines his expertise in church management with ministry and social justice initiatives to help faith organizations improve their communities.
Hebah FarragAssistant Director of ResearchHebah Farrag manages the center’s research and evaluation projects while engaging in research focused on religion, social change and new spiritualties.
Richard FloryExecutive DirectorRichard Flory is a sociologist whose work focuses on religion and urban life, religious and cultural change, and youth and young adults.
Nalika GajaweeraResearch AssociateNalika Gajaweera is a cultural anthropologist specialized in Buddhism, transnationalism and ethics, with an area expertise in South Asia.
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr.Contributing FellowRev. Frank Jackson, Jr. couples his experience in business and investment with his passion for community development.
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.
Brie LoskotaContributing FellowBrie Loskota researches how religions change and make change in the world, and works to build the capacity of religious communities around the globe.
Juan MartínezPast FellowJuan Martinez studies the history of Latino Protestantism, Latino Protestant identity and transnational mission among U.S. Latinos.
Tarra McNallyAssistant Director of EvaluationTarra McNally is an anthropologist specializing in evaluation and global health.
Lori MeeksLori Meeks studies the social and cultural history of Buddhism in Japan, particularly related to the role of women.
Donald E. MillerDirector of Strategic InitiativesDonald Miller focuses on global religious trends, genocides of the 20th century, and the role of religious NGOs in addressing issues of moral concern.
Jon MillerSenior Research AssociateJon Miller is a comparative sociologist and director of the international mission photography archive.
Cecil L. MurrayUniversity FellowRev. Cecil Murray works to ensure that the legacy of African American Church leaders pass on their years of experience to the next generation.