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 NewsLarry King Now: Richard Flory on the Future of Faith in AmericaDespite the fact that the United States remains the most religious first world country in the world, religiosity is on the decline among Americans under 40. Joining a panel of faith leaders, …Topics: Religious Affiliation
CommentaryHoly Listening Connects Young Adults to ChurchesThis post, co-authored by Dori Baker, originally appeared on Faith & Leadership. Multicolored Post-it notes dot the walls of the seminary classroom. Here, in a pop-up design thinking lab, people are buzzing …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Creativity and Innovation, Millennials, Religious Affiliation
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CommentaryLA-Times Op-Ed: The Leaner, and Arguably Meaner, Evangelical ChurchThis Op-Ed originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times on May 31, 2018. Franklin Graham, the evangelical preacher and son of Billy Graham, is in the midst of a 10-city tour of …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Government and Religion, Political Attitudes and Values, Religious "Nones"
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CRCC in the NewsNBC: Richard Flory on Bringing Environmentalism to EvangelicalsWhite evangelicals have often dismiss climate change as a critical issue, but NBC News reports that some pastors and environmentalists in the community are hoping to re-contextualize the issue and help evangelicals …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Evangelicals and Evangelicalism, Political Attitudes and Values, Population Trends, Religious Beliefs and Rituals
CRCC in the News83.9 KPCC: Mark Whitlock on LA’s Korean Christian Community Seeking Social ImpactKorean Americans make up a large portion of Los Angeles’ population, and many of them identify as Christian. However, Korean churches do not have the same reputation for impacting the community in …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, CMCCE, Community Organizing, Faith-Based Organizations, Immigration, Political Attitudes and Values, Race and Culture, Religious Affiliation, Religious Leadership, Social Services, Southern California- VideoReimagining Religion Conference: The Future of Religion in Los Angeles
CommentaryHow a Growing Christian Movement is Seeking to Change AmericaThis article was originally published on The Conversation. Last week, from Oct. 6 to 9, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. was filled with tents, worship music and prayer for the “Awaken …Topics: Christians and Christianity, Government and Religion, Pentecostals and Pentecostalism, Political Attitudes and Values, Religious Affiliation, Voting and Elections
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 NewsFaith Community Responds to Racism and Violence in CharlottesvilleAfter white supremacists’ protests in Charlottesville left one dead, many injured and the country grappling with its still prevalent racism, faith leaders have been working to respond with words and action. Rev. Mark …Topics: Black Church, Christians and Christianity, CMCCE, Community Organizing, Disaster Response, National and Cultural Identity, Political Attitudes and Values, Protests and Uprisings, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership, Violence
“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 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 JohnsonContributing 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 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.
John B. OrrCo-founder & University 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.
Jonathan RussellContributing FellowJonnie Russell is a scholar engaging religion, philosophy and politics, and a chaplain working for social justice on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
Rebecca SagerContributing FellowRebecca Sager’s work focuses on political and religious movements and parities 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.