The University of Southern California announced today that it has established the Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative at the school's Center for Religion and Civic Culture. The initiative will conduct its own research in Los Angeles and help fund social science studies on Pentecostalism in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Russia. “Our goal is to inspire research partnerships around the globe and fund projects that will shape the discussion for years to come,” says Donald Miller, executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture. “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.”