 
| USC Gets $6.9 Million Grant To Study Pentecostalism |
Christian News: Churches  (Los Angeles, CA) The birthplace of pentecostalism, Los Angeles, is now home to a research initiative on pentecostalism. USC's College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Center for Religion and Civic Culture has established the Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative (PCRI) with a $6.9 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation.  The initiative will foster innovative social science research in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the former Soviet Union, by providing up to $3.5 million in grants to regional centers and individual scholars. PCRI will create scholarly resources, including a digital archive and conduct research on Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Los Angeles.  "Our goal is to inspire research partnerships around the globe and fund projects that will shape the discussion for years to come," said Donald Miller, executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and author of Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. "We are interested in understanding why Pentecostalism is growing so rapidly, what impact it is having on society, and how it is different in various cultural settings."  Representing approximately 500 million adherents around the world, "the movement is reshaping global Christianity, but it also has far-reaching implications for international politics and interactions among religious groups. Studying Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity is critical to understanding the ways in which religion shapes our world," said Brie Loskota, PCRI program officer and managing director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture.  Funding from the grant will support research in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the former Soviet Union. Comparative research projects are also eligible, including projects that explore the connections between Western countries and one or more of the four regions.  "The growth of global Pentecostalism is one of the most remarkable religious transformations of the last century," said Dr. Kimon Sargeant, vice president of human sciences at the John Templeton Foundation. "The goal of this project is to further better understanding of its significance in the social sciences in areas ranging from social capital to economic development and more."   ______________________________________________________________________________ The International Faith Telegraph |