Howard Brown (1966-2025):
‘I’ll be there.’
OUR COVER STORY THIS WEEK is devoted to the legacy of our long-time friend and author Howard Brown. This is a special column that Howard wrote himself—then edited with David Crumm in a series of phone calls from hospice—to appear after his death.
.
.
And Here’s Some Great News
Please, Lettuce Delight You—
Meet Christy Berghoef and Douglas Brouwer over at Substack
Two of our most popular authors and columnists—both represented in the new Reformed Journal Books series curated by Editor Jeffrey Munroe—provide frequent doses of joy and inspiration over at Substack. If you’re feeling anxious about our troubled world, take a moment right now to visit them and sign up for their future columns. Substack does ask visitors if they want to pay for the service, but both Christy and Doug provide all of their offerings for free—so it won’t cost you a cent.
CHRISTY’S LATEST features this very photo of lettuce springing up in her garden. And in coming weeks, you’ll hear more about her memoir, Rooted, so “meet” her now on Substack and stay tuned by requesting her future columns. Or, if you prefer to start at Christy’s Substack homepage, here’s a link to that main gateway to Christy’s work.
DOUG’S LATEST SUBSTACK OFFERING is a look at the inspiring Martin Sheen film, The Way, about one of the pilgrimage routes that Doug himself has walked in Europe.
AND THE REFORMED JOURNAL ITSELF is also well worth a couple of clicks of your mouse to subscribe to its free columns, coordinated by Jeffrey Munroe and his editing team. We all can use a little “good news” in our inboxes each morning and these three—Christy, Doug and Jeff—are among the best writers and editors we know who reliably deliver often-surprising rays of light and paths toward resilience.
Finally, if you’re in a “connective” mood, this same “news item” is also the featured column, this week, over in our Front Edge Publishing website. If you’re interested in trends in publishing, click on over to the FEP column and scroll to the bottom of that page where you can sign up for our free weekly FEP columns.
And while you’re doing that—
PLEASE CONSIDER A FEW MORE SUPPORTIVE “CLICKS” to connect with an author we know you’re going to want to meet: Jonathan Grimm, author of the upcoming book The Future Poor.
Here’s a fresh link to the Cover Story about Jonathan that appeared in last week’s issue of ReadTheSpirit.
This week, we want to thank all the readers who contacted our home office about Jonathan’s work. Based on the call-to-action in that Cover Story about Jonathan, we received notes from Seattle and Michigan to Florida. One note said, “We’ve come to trust your recommendations and that’s a very convincing recommendation you’re making about Jonathan’s work in trying to make some moral and ethical sense of the uncertain future for so many of us as we jump into our 60s and 70s and beyond.” Another note said, “I’m in my 30s … and my friends and I talk about this all the time: Can’t we come together to build a better community for everyone? Seems like today we’re hearing too many selfish voices that tell us we shouldn’t care. It’s everyone for themselves. Well, we don’t agree. Glad to hear about this guy who’s trying to do something about it.”
Please, if you missed it last week, read that story about Jonathan, pre-order a copy of his book and get in touch with him.
.
.
Holidays & Festivals
Annual ‘martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev’ shines spotlight on Sikhs
.
U.S. Army celebrates its 250th birthday in the midst of growing concerns
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2025—MSU’s Joe Grimm also reports on the complex issues facing military men, women and their families at this anniversary.
..
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
.
Faith & film
Remembering Walter Brueggemann (1933-2025)
MANY READERS ASKED US TO MARK THE PASSING, this week, of Bible scholar and theologian Walter Brueggemann. Among the online tributes to his life are:
- Presbyterian Church (USA), headlined: Dr. Walter Brueggemann, who published more than 100 books and inspired generations of pastors and scholars, dies at age 92
- Christianity Today, headlined: Walter Brueggemann, Scholar of Prophetic Imagination
- Then, another obituary was published at his personal website.
Our unique contribution to this coverage is to remind readers that Brueggemann produced eight, short, free-to-stream films discussing issues in his 2020 book, Materiality as Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World
This free film series was produced by nonprofit “The Work of the People.” So, if you are among our readers mourning the passing of Dr. Brueggemann this week, then you may enjoy streaming these films either individually or with friends for discussion.
.
Our online magazine has specialized for many years in covering news about religious and cultural diversity as reflected in new books, holidays & festivals and films. In 2024, our long-time film critic Edward McNulty died. In 2025, we continue to publish important reviews—sometimes by drawing on Ed’s considerable body of work and sometimes by welcoming other writers.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.