{"id":104627,"date":"2025-10-08T23:02:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T23:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/crcc\/?page_id=104627"},"modified":"2025-10-23T18:43:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T18:43:22","slug":"engaged-spirituality","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/crcc\/engaged-spirituality\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaged Spirituality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n \n \n
\n\n \n

Around the world, humanitarians care for AIDS orphans, fight oil companies in the arctic, perform surgery in the middle of wars, save migrants from certain death in the desert or the sea, and give love and jobs to gang members. They work on intractable issues, often in the face of great challenges.<\/p>\n

In November 2018, the Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) at the University of Southern California launched a five-year project focused on people who dedicate their lives to human flourishing. The joint academic-journalistic project resulted in the publication of more than 100 stories of \u201cengaged spirituality\u201d \u2014 stories about how religious values and spiritual practices inspire and sustain social action.<\/p>\n

Explore those stories and insights on how engaged spirituality operates in the lives of humanitarians around the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n\n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n\n
\n
\n \n
\n\n \n

\n 100 Stories of Inspiration and Resilience\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

Watch for an introduction to CRCC’s project on Engaged Spirituality and some of the extraordinary people profiled in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n \n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

\n What is a spiritual exemplar?\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
\n\n \n

CRCC crafted the following criteria to focus our work on spiritually engaged humanitarians. A “spiritual exemplar” is…<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \nA living individual anywhere in the world;<\/li>\n
  2. \nEngaged in significant humanitarian work;<\/li>\n
  3. \nInspired and sustained by their spiritual values, beliefs and practices;<\/li>\n
  4. \nAdmired and emulated by others within and beyond their community;<\/li>\n
  5. \nRespects human rights, such as those defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
    \n
    \n

    104<\/h3>\n \n

    Exemplars Profiled<\/p>\n<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n

    \n

    13<\/h3>\n \n

    Faith Traditions<\/p>\n<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n

    \n

    42 <\/h3>\n \n

    Countries<\/p>\n<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

    \n\n \n
    \n
    \n\n \n
    \n\n \n Report<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
    \n\n \n

    \n A Directory of Spiritual Exemplars\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
    \n\n \n

    Through \u201cSpiritual Exemplars: A Global Project on Engaged Spirituality,\u201d CRCC gained insights into how spiritually engaged humanitarians understand their lives and their work, as well as how their social action affects their beliefs and practices.<\/p>\n

    This report lists the 104 people profiled, along with insights about the project as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n

    \n\n \n \n \n\n View and download the report \n <\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n
    \n \n
    \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\n \n
    \n
    \n\n \n
    \n\n \n Book<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
    \n\n \n

    \n Engaged Spirituality Stories of Religious Resilience, Inspiration, and Pursuing the Common Good\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
    \n\n \n

    This open access book is a testimony to the power of telling good stories, revealing that the sharing of good\u00a0religion\u00a0<\/i>stories helps advance vital conversations around some of the most critical issues of our time.<\/p>\n

    Edited by CRCC Affiliate Ken Chitwood, this volume collects compelling profiles of spiritually engaged humanitarians to\u00a0<\/b>chronicle individuals’ efforts to fix what is wrong, and suggests how readers might find their own solutions in exemplary stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n

    \n\n \n \n \n\n Download or buy the book \n <\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n
    \n \n
    \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\n \n
    \n
    \n\n \n
    \n\n \n Exhibit<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
    \n\n \n

    \n Stories of Social Change: Spirituality in Action\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
    \n\n \n

    Stories of Social Change was a multimedia exhibit presenting photography, quotations, video and audio collected through “Spiritual Exemplars: A Global Project on Engaged Spirituality.”<\/p>\n

    Visit the exhibit website to see its multimedia components, watch a panel of exemplary humanitarians and learn more about exhibit assets.<\/p>\n

    The exhibit was on display at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Fall 2023 and is available for display in other venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n

    \n\n \n \n \n\n Stories of Social Change: Spirituality in Action \n <\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n
    \n \n
    \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \t\t \n \n \n \n \n \n \t\t \n \n \n \n \n \n \t\t \n \n \n \n \n \n \t\t \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\n \n
    \n\n
    \n \n
    \n\n \n

    \n Explore\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
    \n
      <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n\n
      \n