Welcome back to the Best of 2010—as chosen by you, our readers. On Monday, we showcased the year’s two most popular stories involving best-selling author Barbara Brown Taylor and the pagan poet Rafael Jesus Gonzalez. Today and Wednesday, we are sharing two more groups of popular stories—as indicated by our readers.
TODAY, we are saluting animals and the natural world—because you told us those things really matter in your lives. We published lots of stories on these themes in 2010, but these stories drew your best responses:
O When the Dogs Go Marching In
Far and away, the biggest story in terms of readership was “O When the Dogs Go Marching In,” a story about the dog church (or, to be more precise, the church for both dogs and people) in Los Angeles. This story was co-published by The Detroit Free Press and moved over to the Gannett News Service—which then sent the story to hundreds of other publications nationwide. Millions read that story.
Then, in December, we published this recap of the “dog church story,” which continues to influence American culture. For example, the story wound up in the opening pages of a new book in 2010.
Three Prophets in Our Quest to Reconnect with Nature
Since our founding in 2007, we have published occasional stories about the natural world and our spiritual connection with animals. As we explored these important themes in 2010, we are proud to have published interviews with three contemporary prophets—all of them calling humans to rethink and reconnect their lives with the natural world.
In June, we published this interview with Marc Bekoff (at right) on his new “Animal Manifesto.”
In July, Bill Powers talked with us about his radical “Twelve by Twelve” leap off the grid.
In December, we welcomed Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster to share practical ideas for churches.
We want our international conversation to continue
Conversation is far better than the dangerous shouting matches we’ve been witnessing in our global culture. So, please, email us at [email protected] and tell us what you think of our stories—and, please tell a friend to start reading along with you!
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(Originally published at readthespirit.com)
