Many people assume that religion is unchanging across time and place, but in order to survive, religion must adapt to new social and cultural realities. Membership and participation in religious groups fluctuates over time, with some groups gaining or losing adherents in the process. Religious affiliation may be related to many different things, including basic population shifts through immigration and aging.
Religion also changes through the varying needs and desires of different generations—what one generation thinks is sacrosanct, the next generation may consider no longer essential to their faith. Further, religious organizations must keep up with how the spiritual and religious needs of individuals change across their life course. Religions must adapt to the needs and demands of both young and old adherents, even as they maintain the core tenets of the tradition.
Photo Credit: Stefan Georgi
- CRCC in the NewsKPCC LAist 89.3: Richard Flory on How Gen-Z Are Finding (Or Moving Away From) ReligionHow has living in a time of tremendous social change influenced Gen Z’s attitudes towards religion–organized or otherwise? CRCC’s executive director Richard Flory was on KPCC LAist 89.3’s Airtalk with Larry Mantle …Topics: Creativity and Innovation, Religious Affiliation
ArticleReimagining (Again): Key Lessons on Ministry Sustainability in a Post-Pandemic WorldThe USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) recently held its first in-person event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019. More than 70 clergy and faith-inspired community …Topics: Community Organizing, Creativity and Innovation, Faith-Based Organizations, Religious Affiliation, Religious Leadership, Social Services, Thriving Congregations
ArticleKumu Hina and Walter Ritte: ‘A very Hawaiian place’This article was originally published by Indian Country Today, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. HONOLULU, Hawai’i — It’s a weekday evening rush-hour in Honolulu, and Hina Wong-Kalu is driving us …Topics: Community Organizing, Engaged Spirituality, Environment, Gender and Sexuality, National and Cultural Identity, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture, Spiritual Exemplars
ArticleSri Lanka’s Dual Crisis: Ethnic Conflict & the Debt EconomyThis article was originally published by Jamhoor. “Except for the home crowd cheering for our national team at an international cricket match, it was the first time I was seeing Sri Lankans …Topics: Asia, Buddhists and Buddhism, National and Cultural Identity, Protests and Uprisings- CRCC in the NewsLA Daily News: Churches face post-pandemic declines in membershipLike many congregations in the wake of pandemic-era restriction, the first Black church founded in the San Fernando Valley has seen significant declines in membership, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Membership …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, Religious Affiliation
CRCC in the NewsJTA: Flory and Belzer on the Spiritual Lives of Young JewsYoung Jews, age 13-25, are among those who are least likely to be thriving spiritually and religiously, according to a survey conducted by Springtide Research Institute. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency turned to …Topics: Jews and Judaism, Religious Affiliation
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- VideoThe Intersection of Gender, Nationalism and Faith-based Giving in Sri Lanka
CRCC in the NewsDeseret News: Flory on Reaching Gen Z During the PandemicIs the COVID-19 pandemic the perfect opportunity for faith leaders to reach Gen Z? Research suggests that this might be an ideal moment for faith leaders to reach out, but so far, …Topics: COVID, Religious "Nones", Religious Affiliation- VideoSpiritual Protest: The Role of Faith in the Fight for Racial Justice
ArticleSarah James: Fighting for What’s Sacred in the Arctic National Wildlife RefugeThis radio documentary was produced by KALW’s The Spiritual Edge, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Listen to it on SpiritualEdge.org. To hear this and other profiles, subscribe to …Topics: Engaged Spirituality, Environment, National and Cultural Identity, Spiritual Exemplars
CRCC in the NewsIBT: Loskota on Millennial Anxiety Amid the PandemicThe ongoing pandemic has caused young people to lose hope. A survey of 2,000 youths, for example, found that 40 percent of 16- to 25-year-olds now feel that their goals for the …Topics: COVID, Millennials
“In major urban centers across the United States, there is a generalized perception that individuals in their 20s and early 30s constitute a ‘black hole’ in congregational life. Members of the young-adult population are simply missing from most churches, synagogues and mosques.”
—Tobin Belzer, Richard Flory, Nadia Roumani and Brie Loskota, in Congregations that Get It: Understanding Religious Identities in the Next Generation
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
Brad ChristersonContributing FellowBrad 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.
Nalika GajaweeraResearch AssociateNalika Gajaweera is a cultural anthropologist specialized in Buddhism, transnationalism and ethics, with an area expertise in South Asia.
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.
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.
John B. OrrCo-founder & Past FellowJohn B. Orr has worked extensively in the fields of religion, education and politics.
Bruce PhillipsUniversity FellowBruce Phillips is among the leading researchers in the sociology of American Jewry and is an avid historian of Los Angeles.
Nadia RoumaniContributing FellowNadia Roumani has worked with a wide range of organizations over the past decade to better understand the needs of Muslim communities across the United States.
Rebecca SagerContributing FellowRebecca Sager’s work focuses on political and religious movements and parties in American political life.
Nick StreetSenior WriterNick Street is a journalist covering religious change and innovation, Buddhism, Pentecostalism and LGBT issues.
Megan SweasEditor and Director of CommunicationsMegan Sweas is a journalist specializing in social and economic justice issues and world religions.