ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
EXPLORING THE REFORMATION—Many of our readers are community leaders, teachers, writers and parents who want to accurately understand the influence of religion in today’s world—including holidays and milestones. There’s no bigger anniversary in our lifetime than the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. A year-long commemoration of that revolution begins on October 31, 2016. Editor David Crumm collaborates with Berlin-based correspondent Maria-Paz Lopez this week in a Cover Story about six important tips for accurately exploring this milestone in world history. For example: Did you know that 2016-17 is the first time in history that Europe’s Catholic and Protestant leaders have planned such a major anniversary together? That’s a startling development in interfaith relations.
Want a movie with that? Faith-and-film reviewer Ed McNulty reminds us that the 2003 film about Luther is quite good. (4.5 out of 5 stars)
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HOLIDAYS and FESTIVALS
Check out all the holidays! Tell friends about the simply Web address: www.InterfaithHolidays.com
DIWALI
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS—Across India and in Indian communities around the world, families are preparing for the festival of lights known as Diwali. Holidays columnist Stephanie Fenton gives us an overview of the holiday.
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HALLOWEEN
(AND MORE)
SAMHAIN / DIA DE LOS MUERTOS—Yes, these festivals have ancient roots. But the modern expressions show how much traditional ideas can be transformed by popular culture. Holidays specialist Stephanie Fenton sorts the facts from the phantasms in these super-popular festivals.
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BULLYING
PREVENTION
MONTH
SHARE THE NEWS—Our column on Bullying Prevention Month is a one-stop web page for quickly gathering the information you’ll need to get friends involved in combatting bigotry and predatory behavior.
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SCAPEGOATING?
THIRD WAY—The Third Way Newsletter brings us fascinating reflections from Christian writers who are committed to overcoming destructive religious differences. This week, Caroline Kittle recalls the pioneering work on the problem of skapegoating by the late French historian and philosopher Rene Girard.
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REMEMBERING CHURCHILL
SILENCE LED TO CLARITY—Suzy Farbman brings us weekly columns guaranteed to inspire and surprise. This week, she reaches back to the early life of Winston Churchill for a story about his daring escape from a prisoner of war camp.
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FILM, FAITH
& POPULAR CULTURE
ED McNULTY—Enjoy all of the free resources from Ed McNulty’s faith-and-film website: VisualParables.org.
Among Ed’s latest movie reviews are:
- A MAN NAMED OVE—Writer/director Hannes Holm’s tragicomedy, based on the best-selling novel by Fredrik Backman, is Sweden’s official Oscar nomination for 2016. (5 out of 5 stars)
- BIRTH OF A NATION—Ed says this provocative film will spark lots of positive dialogue and gives it 5 stars.
- BULLWORTH—Given some of the angry rhetoric in the presidential campaign, Ed suggests we look back at this 1998 satire. (4.5 stars)
- THE ACCOUNTANT—This action thriller only rates 3.5 stars.
- QUEEN OF KATWE—Look for this film. It’s a terrific movie set in Uganda. (5 stars)
- BEATLES—EIGHT DAYS—Ed McNulty says this Ron Howard documentary warmed his heart. He gives the film 5 stars—and it’s already available for pre-order before its November 18 release for home viewers. Sounds like a great holiday present for a Beatles fan in your life, doesn’t it?
- SNOWDEN—Is Edward Snowden a patriotic prophet or the worst kind of traitor? Ed says the Oliver Stone movie raises those questions in a powerful way. (4.5 stars)
- DEEP WATER HORIZON—It’s a Hollywood thriller that also works as a social justice film. (4 stars)
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