USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture

6-7 Trends to Watch in Religion and Society in 2026  - Center for Religion and Civic Culture Contradictions are inherent in societal trends. CRCC looks at the up, down and sideways movement across our 10 years of trend analysis.

Ken Chitwood reflects on CRCC's 6 to 7 Trends to Watch in Religion and Society in 2026:

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

From Headlines To Trendlines Religion News In A World Of Chaos In a world of relentless headlines demanding our outrage, true understanding of religion's role comes from tracking deeper trends.

"As the viral popularity of Canadian PM Mark Carney’s special address at Davos suggested, we are living in a global context shaped by increasing geopolitical rivalry, re-entrenched nationalism, rising migration, technological competition and cultural polarization."

www.patheos.com/articles/fro...

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations today and over the last decade.

Trend #7: We thought Pope Francis’ message of hope and love would win out over Trump’s violent rhetoric... One group’s hope might be another group’s fear.

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

There Is No Religious Revival | ARC: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera The Harvard Catholic Center wrapped up 2025 with huge news: the number of potential converts coming through its doors had doubled from the previous year. According to The Wall Street Journal “Free Exp...

As we said in our 2026 trends piece, “there is no religious revival.”

arcmag.org/there-is-no-...

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations today and over the last decade.

Trend #6: Themes of healing and wellness emerged in activist circles. Now, “Make America Healthy Again” is the movement that guides our national health policies.

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

This year CRCC was honored to host the Muslim Campus Life Summit at @usc.edu. MCL brings together higher education professionals dedicated to improving their campuses for Muslim students.

If I wasn’t Methodist, I might be Buddhist (RNS) — My Methodist heart was 'strangely warmed' in the dead of winter in North Carolina by a stalwart group of Buddhist monks walking for peace.

Our Compelling Preaching participant Michael Christensen reflects on “peace scrolling” stories about the Buddhist monks walking for peace.

religionnews.com/2026/01/30/i...

Levan Book Chat—Jessica X. Zu, Just Awakening

Tomorrow, 2/6, 1-2pm: In partnership with the School of Religion and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, CRCC is excited to co-sponsor a discussion of Jessica X. Zu's new book, Just Awakening: Yogācāra Social Philosophy in Modern China.

On Zoom: calendar.usc.edu/event/levan-...

Contributor: The deep, soul-sustaining truth of the '6-7' meme Maybe it’s not nonsense at all. Maybe it’s a message out of the mouths of babes to remind us how to keep going when the world feels like too much.

"We’re exhausted. The last 12 months have been endlessly painful. How are we going to keep going? 6-7. That’s the answer."

www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations over the last decade.

Trend #5: Companies have sprouted up promising to make it easier to “do church” with the help of #AI. Yet those companies’ booths were ignored at the '25 Exponential conference.

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

Levan Book Chat—Jessica X. Zu, Just Awakening

This Friday, 2/6, 1-2pm on Zoom: In partnership with the School of Religion and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, CRCC is excited to co-sponsor a discussion of Jessica X. Zu's new book, Just Awakening: Yogācāra Social Philosophy in Modern China.
calendar.usc.edu/event/levan-...

What an East LA pastor saw in Minneapolis amid ICE raids The Rev. Carlos Rincon spent three days in Minneapolis witnessing how churches are responding to fear and violence linked to ICE raids.

The Rev. Carlos Rincon spent three days in Minneapolis witnessing how churches are responding to fear and violence linked to ICE raids.

thelalocal.org/neighborhood...

LA Archbishop Gomez joins clergy at anti‑ICE vigil amid pressure Gomez attended Saturday’s vigil after Boyle Heights Beat reported calls for him to be more active at protests, vigils and press events.

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez told clergy and others that he was troubled by the “ongoing climate of fear and uncertainty” in LA, Minneapolis and across the country.

thelalocal.org/immigration/...

YouTube video by RNS On the Ground in Minneapolis: The Faith Response

ICYMI: RNS’ Jack Jenkins, who's been reporting from Minneapolis since the killing of Renee Good, and faith leaders including Holy Trinity’s Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen & Imam Mowlid Ali of Abubakar As-saddique Islamic Center discuss how they’re taking part in the protests.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfNg...

An excerpt from Soraya's prayer:

"O Allah, let this gathering not end here. Let it move us toward care, accompaniment, and accountability. Let us leave this place more awake, more committed, and more willing to protect the dignity of every human life."

Relevant to our trend on faith leaders taking a stand (see last post), Soraya Ahyaudin was invited to give a prayer at an @lavoice.bsky.social interfaith gathering on immigration last week.

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations today and over the last decade.

Trend #4: Pressure continues on faith leaders to take a stand on the issues of the day. We expect “compelling preaching” in pulpits and the public square.

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: On the Ground in Minneapolis: The Faith Response. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Events are unfolding quickly in Minneapolis-St. Paul as we enter the fourth week of mass protests in the Twin Cities against the federal ICE immigration raids. We hear the latest from RNS’ Jack Jenkin...

Want to better understand what's going on in Minnesota with immigration raids and protests? Tune into this webinar from @rns.org tomorrow at 9 am Pacific for perspective from a reporter on the ground and faith leaders.

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations today and over the last decade.

Trend #3: Christianity continues to assert its power, thanks in large part to its institutions. A new force challenging institutional power: social media.

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

Satellite Ministries: The Rise of Christian Television in the Middle East - UCLA Humanities In this book talk, Febe Armanios (Middlebury College) will present on her recently-published monograph Satellite Ministries, which explores how modern expressions of faith, technology, and political p...

Tuesday Febe Armanios will be presenting her monograph Satellite Ministries, exploring how modern expressions of faith, technology, and political power intersected and clashed across the Global South through the analysis of Christian TV shows in the Middle East.

humanities.ucla.edu/event/satell...

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations today and over the last decade.

Trend #2: Religion has cultural capital right now. “God is SO Back." What does that mean for politics on the left and right?

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

CRCC's 2026 trends look at the contradictions in our observations today and over the last decade.

Trend #1: For a decade the enduring narrative of religion in America has been the “rise of the nones.” In 2025, a new narrative emerged claiming a “religious revival.”

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

Levan Book Chat—Jessica X. Zu, Just Awakening

CRCC is excited to co-sponsor a discussion of Jessica X. Zu's new book, Just Awakening: Yogācāra Social Philosophy in Modern China.

Fri, Feb 6th 1-2pm on Zoom - registration required: calendar.usc.edu/event/levan-...

Check out our enewsletter!

mailchi.mp/usc/crcc-new...

In Minneapolis, George Floyd-era faith networks reignite after Renee Good's killing by ICE MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) — The faith-based networks, which developed organizing infrastructure and relationships during the Floyd era, are joined by newcomers as resistance efforts have intensified since Goo...

The faith-based networks, which developed organizing infrastructure and relationships during the George Floyd era, are joined by newcomers as resistance efforts have intensified since Renee Good’s shooting.

religionnews.com/2026/01/11/i...

6 to 7 Trends to Watch in Religion and Society in 2026  - Center for Religion and Civic Culture USC Dornsife Site

We can't claim to know what will happen in the next week, let alone in the next year. But let's just see how it goes...

dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/6-to-7-...

Home Page - Center for Religion and Civic Culture USC Dornsife Site

New Year... New Website!

Glad to join USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences's web platform. Check us out:
dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/

A House of Worship Without a Home - Christianity Today One year after the Palisades and Eaton fires, congregations meditate on what it means to be a church without a building.

One year after last year's LA fires, church buildings still lay burned, damaged, or leveled, gated off and covered in sawdust. Pastors reflect on how recovery of faith communities impacted by the Palisades and Eaton blazes is far from over.

www.christianitytoday.com/2026/01/pali...

New Study Examines Faith and Organizing Networks After Los Angeles Wildfires With a new project entitled “Faith Under Fire,” the Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) and the Equity Research Institute (ERI) at USC are partnering to study the reconstruction of the Los An...

A year after wildfires, we are grateful to partner with USC Equity Research Institute and come alongside impacted communities in Altadena and the Palisades, to understand how faith communities can contribute to a just recovery after disasters.

crcc.usc.edu/new-study-ex...