Cover Story: An Unusual Convergence Highlights 2024’s Version of ‘The December Dilemma’

This Year’s Convergence of Hanukkah and Christmas Has Happened only Three Times in 100 Years

COVER STORY: Our Front Edge Publishing house and our weekly online www.ReadTheSpirit.com magazine celebrate religious and cultural diversity and, after nearly two decades, we have published authors from more than a dozen world faith traditions. We are internationally known for this unique community of writers—so, it’s always a challenge in December to balance the publication of magazine stories about both Christmas and the comparatively minor Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

However, with antisemitism rising dangerously around the world, we know the cultural friction of this annual “December Dilemma” calls for more than just a reminder of civil etiquette in 2024.

Most years, Hanukkah is earlier in December and our columns explain that, no, it’s notthe Jewish Christmas.” And, no, despite images in popular culture like holiday movies and TV specials, most Jewish families do not celebrate both holidays. In fact, Hanukkah is a celebration of religious freedom and it’s one of the most universally observed milestones in Jewish families each year. (Pew Research says 80 percent of Jewish families own a menorah and light at least one menorah each year.)

Most years, Hanukkah “coverage” in our magazine comes well before the heart of Christmas “coverage.” Because the Jewish lunar calendar drifts back and forth in comparison to our secular calendar, this year’s first night of Hanukkah at sundown on Christmas Day is exceedingly rare. In the past 100 years, this convergence has occurred only in 1959, 2005 and now in 2024.

This year, in so many ways, our world is markedly different than it was a year ago—so we will be devoting three weekly issues of our magazine to highlighting important, timely themes in both Christian and Jewish traditions.

Stay tuned, because some of the stories coming your way are wonderfully moving! You may find yourself wanting to quote from our stories, this month, or share the entire columns with friends via social media. We welcome such sharing, by the way, and publish under Creative Commons so that you can easily do so!

If you are moved to help spread our stories, then we’ve done our job as a community of authors dedicated to bringing true “light”—honesty, compassion, clarity and resilience—into our world.

Let’s Start with the Basics from Rusty Rosman

AUTHOR RUSTY ROSMAN compares Christmas and Hanukkah, explains why these two are not “just the same thing.” But, ultimately, she concludes there is a core value we do share across our faiths: Love of family. It’s a great “explainer” to share with friends.

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Then, here’s how a savvy Mom tackled the December Dilemma

AUTHOR and STANDUP COMIC RABBI BOB ALPER shares with us a wonderful story that already is a favorite with readers of his books. This classic true story is called simply, “Mrs. Steinberg’s Christmas Tree.” If you’re a parent or grandparent, you’ll definitely smile at little “Bobby’s” clever Mom!

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All Christians now are preparing for Christmas

BACK ON NOVEMBER 15 was the start of the 40-day Orthodox Nativity Fast—an ancient tradition in Eastern Orthodox churches as their millions of members prepare for Jesus’s birth in December.

ON DECEMBER 1, “Western Christians”—Catholics, Protestants and Anglicans—began their Advent season, often including the lighting of Advent wreaths.

 


Whatever your holiday—we’ve got a great book for that!

OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING MARKETING GURU SUSAN STITT is also an expert gift consultant! Anyone who has known Susan over the years, knows she’s got an instinct for perfect pairings of loved ones with just the right present to give for … well, for whatever holiday you’re celebrating at the end of this year. Please enjoy her Front Edge Publishing column this week, packed with lots of options grouped by general themes. Thanks, Susan, for this wonderful one-stop shopping list!

 


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Roll up your sleeves and visit us at Bluesky

Editor David Crumm and marketing guru Susan Stitt already are a part of the relatively new Bluesky social media app—and so are an ever-growing number of our writers. We look forward to seeing what you can add to this new online hub to make it feel more like a welcoming community. So, please read this Front Edge Publishing column, which explains what we’re doing on Bluesky—and provides easy links for you to come join us.

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Faith & Film

Click on the movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review of The Man who Invented Christmas.

Ed McNulty’s Favorite Christmas Films

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film.

Here are some of his recommended Christmas movies that you might have overlooked:

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Remembering Our Friend’s Prophetic Voice

ED McNULTY (1936-1924) was nationally known as a pioneer in film criticism with his prophetic style of “Faith and Film” reviews. To read more about his life—we know you will enjoy this obituary and remembrance of his remarkable life.

Much like Roger Ebert’s wife Chaz and their friends have continued to maintain his online database of film reviews—ReadTheSpirit.com magazine has decided to maintain Ed’s substantial body of work, including these 100s of his faith-and film reviews. In today’s world of streaming, viewers may choose to enjoy these films anytime. In addition, we will continue to highlight faith-and-film themes that Ed enjoyed.

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COVER STORY: Remembering educator Harold Heie’s art of helping Americans to talk constructively with each other, even in tough times.

Harold was a Bridge Builder who Devoted Himself to Teaching Civility

THIS WEEK’S COVER STORY begins this way—NOVEMBER 2024—To Dr. Harold Heie, our friend: This is a heart-felt salute to your remarkable life. We’ve lost you just when your gifts are needed so urgently in the deeply divided America that we know you loved so much. Please enjoy our memories of Dr. Harold Heie’s timely wisdom about constructive conversations—and share it with friends this week via social media. Although he has died, Dr. Heie’s work lives on through his books, which we highlight in this column.

Are you inspired, right now, to take a positive step toward greater civility? Get a copy of Dr. Heie’s book, Reforming American Politicsand you’ll also be helping his wisdom to live on.

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And a Bridge Builder Who Continues to Promote Civility Every Day—

AUTHOR and JOURNALIST JEFFREY MUNROE lives out values very similar to those that Dr. Harold Heie taught—through the pages of the online Reformed Journal magazine and through a series of books Jeff and his team are publishing under their Reformed Journal Books banner. In this timely column in Reformed Journal, Jeff reassures us that we can continue to build healthy communities if we work together. The column makes Jeff’s case for continuing to support his team’s ongoing work in publishing—so we encourage all of our readers to consider his wise words this week. He headlines this column aptly: You are not alone!

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Celebrating three messengers of hope

GodSigns columnist Suzy Farman writes about three friends—all connected in a circle of hope that includes the wedding in this photo.

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What a ‘Grand’ idea for a New Year’s Resolution!

AUTHOR RUSTY ROSMAN has been helping families nationwide with her new book, Two Envelopes. So, we know her book is a terrific New Year’s Resolution for people you love who would like to let their families know what they want to unfold after they die. We know! That sounds somber, but just read this new article about Rusty’s work—as featured in Grand magazine—and you’ll understand how helpful this can be.

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Roll up your sleeves and visit us at Bluesky

Editor David Crumm and marketing guru Susan Stitt already are a part of the relatively new Bluesky social media app. We look forward to seeing what you can add to this new online hub to make it feel more like a welcoming community. So, please read this week’s Front Edge Publishing column, which explains what we’re doing on Bluesky—and provides easy links for you to come join us.

Two fresh perspectives on the future of Bluesky

THE GLOBAL JURY IS STILL “OUT” on the future of Bluesky (and the earlier Threads, for that matter). Here are two recent perspectives that may help you make your own choices about Bluesky:

Washington Post, headlined “X is Elon’s world. Threads is a mess. Is Bluesky any better? The virtual town square, once framed by Twitter, is now fragmented as people flee to bluer pastures.”

New York Times, headlined “Bluesky, Smiling at Me—Bluesky has a hint of the old Twitter magic, but the feeling of freedom it offers might be even better.”

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Holidays & Festivals

All Christians now are preparing for Christmas

BACK ON NOVEMBER 15 was the start of the 40-day Orthodox Nativity Fast—an ancient tradition in Eastern Orthodox churches as their millions of members prepare for Jesus’s birth in December.

NOW, ON DECEMBER 1, “Western Christians”—Catholics, Protestants and Anglicans—began their Advent season, often including the lighting of Advent wreaths.

THEN, THIS WEEK ON DECEMBER 6: Millions of Christians, especially many families in Europe, celebrate St. Nicholas Day—recalling the compassionate bishop who modeled the generosity of our contemporary Santa Claus.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

Click on the movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review of The Man who Invented Christmas.

Ed McNulty’s Favorite Christmas Films

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film.

Here are some of his recommended Christmas movies that you might have overlooked:

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Remembering Our Friend’s Prophetic Voice

ED McNULTY (1936-1924) was nationally known as a pioneer in film criticism with his prophetic style of “Faith and Film” reviews. To read more about his life—we know you will enjoy this obituary and remembrance of his remarkable life.

Much like Roger Ebert’s wife Chaz and their friends have continued to maintain his online database of film reviews—ReadTheSpirit.com magazine has decided to maintain Ed’s substantial body of work, including these 100s of his faith-and film reviews. In today’s world of streaming, viewers may choose to enjoy these films anytime. In addition, we will continue to highlight faith-and-film themes that Ed enjoyed.

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Cover Story: Lincoln’s message in establishing Thanksgiving is a beacon of light in our divided times

Happy Thanksgiving to our readers!

This week, let’s remember Lincoln’s wisdom in giving us this holiday

COVER STORY—One of our most beloved authors, Lincoln scholar Duncan Newcomer, has written extensively about the enduring wisdom of Abraham Lincoln—and even created the Quiet Fire podcast series that originated via public radio in Maine, where Duncan lives. This week, our Cover Story begins with an 12-minute video that Duncan created back in 2013 for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s original Thanksgiving declaration—plus a short “Lincoln Prayer” that Duncan welcomes us to freely share across social media.

Please, take a moment to enjoy this Cover Story—and then share it via social media or email with friends. We know you’ll be glad you shared it with others—because we’ve already seen how warmly readers respond to these Lincoln gems that Duncan has prepared.

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Our Holiday & Festival stories travel far and wide

MOST OF OUR COVERAGE of festivals and observances is prepared by nationally known holidays expert Stephanie Fenton. Many community leaders and media professionals like to share Stephanie’s coverage with their audiences as a way to encourage community-wide awareness of our religious and cultural diversity as Americans. Right now, our recent columns include:

Eastern Christians prepare to welcome Jesus’s birth

STEPHANIE FENTON reports on the start of the 40-day Orthodox Nativity Fast—an ancient tradition in Orthodox churches as their millions of members prepare for Jesus’s birth in December.

And, Top 10 Thanksgiving Events

STEPHANIE ALSO HAS THIS PREVIEW of the Top 10 events and observances that now are clustered around American Thanksgiving Day.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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More good news from our writers

Roll up your sleeves and visit us at Bluesky

Editor David Crumm and marketing guru Susan Stitt already are a part of the relatively new Bluesky social media app. We look forward to seeing what you can add to this new online hub to make it feel more like a welcoming community. So, please read this week’s Front Edge Publishing column, which explains what we’re doing on Bluesky—and provides easy links for you to come join us.

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Is this Dick’s Last Hurrah?

PHOTO-JOURNALIST RODNEY CURTIS brings us this absolutely delightful story about his global adventures with his 90-something cousin, helping “Cuz Dick” navigate everything from travel by sea to hiking around South American mountains. Do not miss this wonderful, fully illustrated column—because we’re sure you’ll enjoy it and you’ll likely want to share it with friends!

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Faith & Film

Click on this movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review of the film “What’s Cooking?”

Ed McNulty’s Favorite Thanksgiving Films

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film.

Here are four Thanksgiving films Ed recommended for November viewing:

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Remembering Our Friend’s Prophetic Voice

ED McNULTY (1936-1924) was nationally known as a pioneer in film criticism with his prophetic style of “Faith and Film” reviews. To read more about his life—we know you will enjoy this obituary and remembrance of his remarkable life.

Much like Roger Ebert’s wife Chaz and their friends have continued to maintain his online database of film reviews—ReadTheSpirit.com magazine has decided to maintain Ed’s substantial body of work, including these 100s of his faith-and film reviews. In today’s world of streaming, viewers may choose to enjoy these films anytime. In addition, we will continue to highlight faith-and-film themes that Ed enjoyed.

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Cover Story: This tiny Jewish community dreamed an impossible dream of interfaith cooperation


A courageous woman became a peacemaker

And now—an opportunity to participate in-person in Michigan in December 2024

COVER STORY: This week’s top story is very good news for anyone who cares about improving the relationships between the many religious groups that are an active part of our American communities. ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm reports on the life and legacy of an interfaith pioneer—Sylvia Kaufman. Right now, there are two opportunities to learn more about the peacemaking efforts of Kaufman and the ongoing team of interfaith professionals she inspired in west Michigan: There’s a new illustrated biography of Sylvia Kaufman, a refreshing story that’s a timely alternative to current headlines about religious conflict. And—also right now—there are still openings to take part in a unique day-long “trialogue” of Christian, Muslim and Jewish scholars taking place in west Michigan on December 5. (And, yes, within our Cover Story, we’ve got easy links to sign up for that event, if you can be in that part of the U.S. in early December.)

This is a “good news” story that’s worth sharing with friends, as well. We hope that after reading it, you’ll want to pass along this news to others via social media or email. Thanks, in advance, for doing so!

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Our Writers Wrestle with the World to Come

Our ReadTheSpirit authors share a commitment to celebrating diversity and encouraging inclusivity. So, most of our writers find themselves publicly wrestling with the new shape of our world that is emerging since the American presidential election. Our role as an online magazine and publishing house is to highlight our writers’ voices—so we are highlighting some of the columns in which these thoughtful professionals are expressing their concerns and their hopes.

WE RECOMMEND STARTING with a fascinating report from MSU School of Journalism’s Joe Grimm on the way diversity issues nationwide seem to have tilted the election—in surprising ways. Joe’s column is headlined: What did this election show us? We all need to learn more about our neighbors’ diverse gifts..

Jack Harnish, author of Thirty Days with E. Stanley Jones, wrote in his online column:

Jeffrey Munroe, editor of The Reformed Journal and the book, Telling Stories in the Dark, is publishing an ongoing series of columns in the pages of his online Journal:

Bill Tammeus, veteran journalist and author of Love, Loss and Endurance (which includes a section on “Unplugging Extremism”), wrote:

The National Catholic Reporter, the subject of the new book Beacon of Justice, Community and Hope, is posting an ongoing series of columns, including:

George Mason, author of The Word Made Fresh, wrote:

Jonathan Grimm, author of the upcoming The Future Poor and the creator of a popular news service “The Grimm News,” wrote:

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And more good news from our writers

Jonathan Grimm on—
the Value of Publishing

Financial consultant and ‘The Future Poor’ author Jonathan Grimm reports in our Front Edge Publishing column, this week, about new data showing there’s real value in publishing a book—especially if that book is tied into the author’s business.

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Holidays & Festivals

Nativity Fast begins as Eastern Christians prepare to welcome Jesus’s birth

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST STEPHANIE FENTON reports on the start of the 40-day Nativity Fast—an ancient tradition in Orthodox churches as their millions of members prepare for Jesus’s birth in December.

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More than turkey:

Many tastes and traditions flow through our American Thanksgiving

WE’RE ASKING OUR WRITERS TO SHARE HOLIDAY MEMORIESand here’s a vivid snapshot of Arab-American children talking about the ways their families adapt the American tradition of Thanksgiving.

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And, Top 10 Thanksgiving Events

STEPHANIE FENTON HAS THIS PREVIEW of the Top 10 events and observances that now are clustered around American Thanksgiving Day.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

Click the movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review.

 

Ed McNulty’s Favorite Thanksgiving Films

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film.

Here are four Thanksgiving films Ed recommended for November viewing:

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Remembering Our Friend’s Prophetic Voice

ED McNULTY (1936-1924) was nationally known as a pioneer in film criticism with his prophetic style of “Faith and Film” reviews. To read more about his life—we know you will enjoy this obituary and remembrance of his remarkable life.

Much like Roger Ebert’s wife Chaz and their friends have continued to maintain his online database of film reviews—ReadTheSpirit.com magazine has decided to maintain Ed’s substantial body of work, including these 100s of his faith-and film reviews. In today’s world of streaming, viewers may choose to enjoy these films anytime. In addition, we will continue to highlight faith-and-film themes that Ed enjoyed.

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Cover Story: Rusty Rosman endorses Missy Buchanan’s new book as a true ‘touchstone for living through heartache’

How will you live, when you’re suddenly alone in your home?

Two experts on the end of life meet over Missy’s new memoir, called ‘Feeling Your Way Through Grief’

THIS WEEK’S COVER STORY IS LIKELY TO SURPRISE YOU—because it’s about a practically minded new resource about finding spiritual resilience after the death of a loved one. Yes, we know! That’s a somber idea. But, especially if you’re married, this is a truth we all will encounter someday. In our Cover Story, author Rusty Rosman, an expert on end-of-life decisions, recommends this honest and insightful new memoir by Missy Buchanan, an author who also is well-known for writing about the spiritual challenges of aging. Rusty explains why it’s wise for us to discover and read Missy’s newest memoir, today.

And here’s another reason to get a copy of Missy’s book: It’s terrific for sparking small-group discussions. When you’ve read Rusty’s Cover Story, consider sharing a link with friends on social media or via email. You may discover there’s immediate interest in discussing these issues in your congregation or another local community group.

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Our Writers Wrestle with the World to Come

Our ReadTheSpirit authors are drawn toward our community of other writers and readers especially because we celebrate diversity and encourage inclusivity. So, most of our writers find themselves publicly wrestling with the new shape of our world that is emerging since the American presidential election.

Our role as an online magazine and publishing house is to highlight our writers’ voices—so we have collected some of the columns in which these thoughtful professionals are expressing their concerns and their hopes.

Dr. David Gushee, author of Changing Our Mind, wrote in his online column:

Jeffrey Munroe, editor of The Reformed Journal and the book, Telling Stories in the Dark, is publishing an ongoing series of columns in the pages of his online Journal, including one column that he wrote himself:

Bill Tammeus, veteran journalist and author of Love, Loss and Endurance (which includes a section on “Unplugging Extremism”), has published two columns:

The National Catholic Reporter, the subject of the new book Beacon of Justice, Community and Hope, is posting an ongoing series of columns:

Jonathan Grimm, author of the upcoming book The Future Poor and the creator of a popular news service “The Grimm News,” wrote:

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And now, for something completely different

Where is Rodney Curtis This Time?

OUR INTREPID AUTHOR-PHOTOGRAPHER RODNEY CURTIS brings us another fabulously illustrated travelogue to—

Well, have you guessed his location from the two photos above? Please, check it out, because there are some gorgeous photos—in addition to a couple of admittedly silly ones—in this column!

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Holidays & Festivals

Veterans Day

Have you noticed green light bulbs?

MSU SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM’S JOE GRIMM challenges us to look for green light bulbs this week as more Americans adopt this popular sign of solidarity with our millions of U.S. veterans.

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More than turkey:
Top 10 Thanksgiving Events

STEPHANIE FENTON HAS THIS PREVIEW of the Top 10 events and observances that now are clustered around American Thanksgiving Day.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

Ed McNulty’s Favorite Thanksgiving Films

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film.

Here are four Thanksgiving films Ed recommended for November viewing:

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Remembering Our Friend’s Prophetic Voice

ED McNULTY (1936-1924) was nationally known as a pioneer in film criticism with his prophetic style of “Faith and Film” reviews. To read more about his life—we know you will enjoy this obituary and remembrance of his remarkable life.

Much like Roger Ebert’s wife Chaz and their friends have continued to maintain his online database of film reviews—ReadTheSpirit.com magazine has decided to maintain Ed’s substantial body of work, including these 100s of his faith-and film reviews. In today’s world of streaming, viewers may choose to enjoy these films anytime. In addition, we will continue to highlight faith-and-film themes that Ed enjoyed.

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COVER STORY: Suddenly battling aggressive cancer again, Howard Brown reminds all of us that the key to survival is a caring community

Leading Advocate for Families with Cancer Finds Himself Back in a Fight for His Life 

THIS IS A COVER STORY NONE OF US WANTED TO PUBLISH, but we must! Our frequent inspirational columnist and nationally known advocate for families battling cancer—Shining Brightly author Howard Brown—suddenly is back in the trenches, facing a life-and-death struggle with a very aggressive new form of cancer. Howard asked us to update readers with this news—because he wants to express his gratefulness for readers’ strong support for him and all those who are fighting cancer.

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From Our Writers Doing Good in the World—

Dr. David Gushee’s compassion highlighted by CNN

CNN story about a reunited family highlights Gushee’s book

OUR COMMUNITY OF WRITERS was pleased on Monday, November 4, to find Dr. David Gushee’s landmark book, Changing Our Mind, flagged by Amazon as a “Best Seller.” The book zoomed up Amazon’s sales rankings over the weekend as a result of the CNN network’s in-depth, inspirational story about a family—once divided by evangelical anti-LGBTQ bias—who have been reunited through the compassion these family members discovered in Christian scholars like that of Mercer University’s Dr. David Gushee.

To get your own copy: You can order your own copy of Dr. Gushee’s bestseller from Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle or audio versions. You can use this link or click on the book-cover icon with this news item.

To read the CNN story: The story is headlined—”After their son came out, this conservative Christian couple went into a closet of their own.”

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Holidays & Festivals

Ready for these Top 10 Thanksgiving Events?

STEPHANIE FENTON HAS THIS PREVIEW of the cluster of 10 events and observances that now are clustered around American Thanksgiving Day.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

Click on this image to read an illustrated tribute to the life of Faith & Film critic Edward McNulty (1936-2024).

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Here are some of Ed’s final reviews:

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Cover Story: Duncan Newcomer’s long-awaited “big book” on the spiritual life of Abraham Lincoln finds a home at Santos Press

A nationwide community of readers awaits this version of ‘Quiet Fire’

OUR COVER STORY THIS WEEK tells the fascinating story of how Duncan Newcomer, a Lincoln scholar based in Maine, coined the phrase “Quiet Fire” to describe Abraham Lincoln’s passion for both justice and for the healing of deep wounds in American life. And, we learn in this story, how that message evolved from early radio broadcasts and online columns toward a “big book” coming in 2025 that will explore Lincoln’s complex spiritual life in depth.

Meanwhile, our Cover Story also includes a video interview with Duncan Newcomer that you can watch right now—plus links to an earlier Quiet Fire book by Duncan and online access to some of Duncan’s original radio broadcasts via Spotify.

There’s so much to enjoy and take to heart in this story—at a time when our nation once again is deeply divided—that we hope you will share our Cover Story with friends via social media and email this week.

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From Our Community of Writers—

Who speaks for the more than 50 million American Catholics?

We’re publishing answers to this red-hot question

IN A NEWSY FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING COLUMN, this week, MSU School of Journalism professor Joe Grimm reports on the war of words unfolding over the authority to speak to and for millions of Catholics. Pope Frances has just released a major encyclical about the problem of vicious competition around the world that threatens the compassionate hearts of faithful people. Meanwhile, across the central United States, some conservative political mud slingers are distributing fake Catholic newspapers, claiming to speak for the church. MSU’s Joe Grimm explains what’s going on—and he provides valuable links to read more about each of these unfolding news stories. If you care about the Catholic church, this is a story to read and share with friends via social media.

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Where is Rodney Curtis now?

RECOGNIZE THE LOCATION? If so, then you’re certain to enjoy seeing Rodney’s photos—and reading his story—in “Part 1” of his latest global adventure.

But wait! There’s more! After that first column, Rodney posted a second column that you won’t want to miss with more gorgeous photos as he continues his adventure.

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Holidays & Festivals

Celebrating Under Many Names:
Allhallowtide, Dia de los Muertos, Samhain

STEPHANIE FENTON HAS THE STORY FOR US, this week, explaining the main variations on this holiday—and, of course, providing helpful links to DIY costumes and tasty holiday foods as well.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

Click on this image to read an illustrated tribute to the life of Faith & Film critic Edward McNulty (1936-2024).

ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Here are some of Ed’s final reviews:

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