One of the fascinating aspects of living in a time of great religious flux is the boom in religious (and irreligious) innovation. Young adults who are leaving established institutions are forming new kinds of associations to nurture a sense of purpose and belonging. Congregations with empty pews are experimenting with novel forms of music and liturgy to try to attract converts as well as to retain the faithful. Service-oriented groups that welcome all comers, regardless of religious affiliation, are flourishing across the country. And a variety of spiritual practices that focus on the experience of individual believers are flourishing in the West as well in as in the global South.
EventReimagining Religion Conference Program and Livestream – Feb. 9, 2017Scroll below to watch the livestream (times of panels noted on conference schedule) February 9, 2017 University of Southern California Preview: Increasingly, Americans are choosing not to identify with a particular religious …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Meditation and Prayer, Political Attitudes and Values, Religious "Nones", Religious Affiliation, Religious Beliefs and Rituals, Southern California
ArticleMapping the New Landscape of Religion in Los FelizThis article originally appeared in BOOM: A Journal of California. Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church was in trouble. Its congregation had become too small to sustain the decaying Los Feliz building that had …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, LGBT Issues, Place and Religion, Religious Affiliation, Southern California
CommentaryLaundry LoveSeveral years ago—2002 to be exact—I met an incredibly interesting young pastor named Greg Russinger. At the time, Greg was leading the Bridge Communities, an innovative church in Ventura, California. What was …Topics: Community Dynamics, Creativity and Innovation, Interfaith/Multifaith Movements, Social Services
CRCC in the NewsThe New York Times: The Creation of a Modern MegachurchIn a few years, Zerephath Christian Church in New Jersey has transformed from the dwindling base of a little-known denomination to a large megachurch. The New York Times reported on this transition, turning to CRCC’s …Topics: Branding and Marketing, Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Megachurches, Multi-ethnic / Multi-racial Congregations
ArticleAyahuasca-naut: A Zen Student’s Experiment with Shamanic MedicineThis piece originally appeared in Boom California. A hallucinogenic brew called ayahuasca is having a heyday in the United States. Rolling Stone, Fusion, VICE and other trend-spotting news outlets have posted stories about spiritual adventurers tripping …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Place and Religion, Religious "Nones", Religious Affiliation, Southern California
CRCC in the NewsCRCC’s Project on Religious Competition Finds Cooperation in InnovationThis article was published by the John Templeton Foundation about CRCC’s Religious Competition & Creative Innovation project, which the Foundation funded. In a Huntington Beach, California laundromat, volunteers wash clothes for homeless and …Topics: Creativity and Innovation,
CRCC in the NewsOC Register: Orange County Church Finds Higher Purpose with Affordable HousingThe Wesley Village affordable housing project in Garden Grove was recently opened on Garden Grove United Methodist Church’s land. The concept of using church land to host affordable housing has been used …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, Faith-Based Organizations, Government and Religion, Place and Religion, Social Services, Southern California- VideoTrust Talks: A Dialogue on Police and Race in Los Angeles
CRCC in the NewsChristianity Today: The ‘Prophets’ and ‘Apostles’ Leading the Quiet Revolution in American ReligionA Christian movement has become one of the fastest-growing faith groups in the country recently, attracting millions of followers with promises of direct access to God. Christianity Today interviewed CRCC Senior Director …Topics: Branding and Marketing, Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, Megachurches, Population Trends, Religious Affiliation, Religious Beliefs and Rituals, Religious Leadership, Southern California- VideoSunday Assembly: Atheists Find Community at Godless Church
- CRCC in the NewsBBC News: INC Christianity Is Growing and Influencing AmericaThe fastest growing Christian movement in the United States aims to bring the rule of God to earth, CRCC fellow Brad Christerson told BBC World Service in a radio documentary on “INC …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism,
- VideoFounders MCC: A Radically Inclusive Christian Community
“Most people would probably be surprised to hear ‘faith’ and ‘innovation’ used in the same sentence. But any conversation about leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation has plenty of space for the topic of faith.”
—Rebecca McQuigg Rigal
“A Leap of …Entrepreneurship? Finding a Place for Faith in Social Innovation”
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
Steven Barrie-AnthonyContributing FellowSteven Barrie-Anthony is a scholar and writer who examines spiritual and religious innovation and change and its impacts on public life, such as on styles of civic and political action.
Brad ChristersonContributing FellowBrad Christenson is a sociologist who has written extensively in the areas of religion, race, ethnicity, and globalization.
Samuel ChuContributing FellowSamuel Chu is a seasoned community organizer and strategist who works at the intersection of faith and public policy.
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 FlorySenior Director of Research and EvaluationRichard 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.
Andrew JohnsonResearch AssociateAndrew 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 religionin the city.
Brie LoskotaExecutive DirectorBrie Loskota researches how religions change and make change in the world, and works to build the capacity of religious communities around the globe.
Juan MartínezContributing FellowJuan Martinez studies the history of Latino Protestantism, Latino Protestant identity and transnational mission among U.S. Latinos.
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.
Bruce PhillipsUniversity FellowBruce Phillips is among the leading researchers in the sociology of American Jewry and is an avid historian of Los Angeles.
Nick StreetSenior WriterNick Street is a journalist covering religious change and innovation, Buddhism, Pentecostalism and LGBT issues.