In this brief note written during a global pandemic, we consider some of the important ways this historical moment is altering the religious landscape, aiming our investigative lens at how religious institutions, congregations, and individuals are affected by the social changes produced by COVID-19. This unprecedented time prompts scholars of religion to reflect on how to strategically approach the study of religion in the time of “social distancing,” as well as moving forward. Particularly important considerations include developing heuristic, innovative approaches for revealing ongoing changes to religion, as well as how religion continues to structure social life across a wide range of contexts, from the most intimate and personal to the most public and global. Although our note can only be indicative rather than exhaustive, we do suggest that the initial groundwork for reconsiderations might productively focus on several key analytical themes, including: Epidemiology, Ideology, Religious Practice, Religious Organizations and Institutions, as well as Epistemology and Methodology. In offering these considerations as a starting point, we remain aware (and hopeful) that inventive and unanticipated approaches will also emerge.

Why are some organizations more successful than others at involving socially diverse groups of people? Previous research emphasizes the role representative leaders play in recruiting diverse constituencies. This study extends that research by analyzing how an organization’s group style—its customs that shape everyday interactions—influences constituent involvement by either bridging or reinforcing social divides. Our multi-method approach examines ally immigrant rights organizations to assess the relationship between their group styles and their ability to involve immigrants. Ethnographic data reveal that divergent levels of immigrant involvement in two organizations can be explained by differences in the organizations’ group styles—specifically, differences in their religious, class-based, and linguistic practices. Original survey data from a national sample of ally organizations demonstrate the generalizability of our findings. Our analysis shows how having an immigrant-friendly group style can promote immigrant involvement, indicating that an organization’s style is associated with its social composition. Having representative leaders from immigrant groups, though positively associated with immigrant involvement, is insufficient for sustaining immigrant involvement; group style can moderate the effect of having representative leaders. This research suggests that organizations seeking to recruit and retain a diverse social base could benefit from cultivating a representative group style.

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In a time of increasing religious diversity, interfaith political coalitions have become important settings for interreligious interaction, but little research has explored the types of religious expression INTRODUCTIONThe United States has become increasingly religiously diverse over the last century. More than one out of five Americans now affiliate with a tradition other than Christianity or Judaism (Pew 2008). More frequent contact with religious others-both face and virtual-has resulted in new forms of conflict and cooperation (Bender and Cadge 2006;Wuthnow 2006). One of the most widespread forms of interreligious interaction occurs through the work of interfaith political coalitions. In these settings, religiously diverse groups of activists work together in sustained ways to solve problems facing their neighborhoods, their country, and the world. . We use our data on national religious advocacy organizations and the New Sanctuary Movement-a network of interfaith coalitions of immigrant rights activists-to develop a framework for understanding interfaith encounters today.Rather than focusing on how actors' differing religious beliefs create conflict or cooperation, we ask: What kinds of religious communication and practice occur in interfaith settings, and how do they vary depending on the characteristics of the settings themselves? In line with emerging cultural-interactionist frameworks (Lichterman 2012), our analysis demonstrates that the style of Acknowledgments: The authors thank the National Science Foundation for funding that supported part of this research, as well as Craig Calhoun and Melissa Aronczyk for their suggestions on an earlier version of this article.

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