Scholars critical of Donald Trump target the ‘Christian Nationalist’ movement supporting him

COVER STORY—The reason many historians, sociologists and now Christian ethicist Dr. David Gushee are weighing in with dire warnings about the 2024 presidential campaign is that their research shows the re-election of Donald Trump would dramatically alter the course of American democracy.

This is territory that scholars typically shy away from—but the urgency of their warnings is palpable and timely. Please read our Cover Story this week and consider sharing a link to the article with friends. Dr. Gushee’s book is designed for individual reflection and small-group discussion, especially in congregations that want to discuss their relationship to America’s centuries-old democratic values.

and speaking of activists …

… it turns out that book-banning activists are few

IN OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING COLUMN, this week, we thank The Washington Post for reporting that reveals the tiny number of individuals who are carrying out political and verbal attacks on our libraries for allegedly inappropriate books.

And now, please—
meet 3 remarkably wise women

Kalyani Pardeshi’s anti-bullying message

THIS WEEK, resiliency expert and author Howard Brown brings his growing podcast audience an interview with Canada-based anti-bullying educator Kalyani Pardeshi, who grew up in South Africa in an Indian family. Please, enjoy Howard’s conversation with Kalyani in which she describes her unique toolbox of techniques for tackling the roots of bullying.

Meet Ann Bell Worley and her family

A NEW FAMILY WEBSITE RAISES AWARENESS OF ‘PANS’—Our colleague, writer and editor Ann Bell Worley, has just launched a website to raise awareness of families living with PANS. What is that? Well, read our story and share it with friends if you’d like to learn more and help Ann with her effort.

Laura Elizabeth

Transports us to a new part of the world

THAT’S WHAT COZY MYSTERY AUTHOR KATHY MANOS PENN is telling her readers. Kathy writes that Laura Elizabeth has achieved that marvelous ability to transport readers in her own debut mystery, set on historic Daufuskie Island along the Atlantic Coast. Don’t take our word for it—for weeks, we’ve been telling readers about Laura’s wonderful mystery, which is available on Amazon right now.

Click here to read Kathy’s column in the Georgia-based online news magazine sponsored by Appen Media.

Holidays & Festivals

The Feast of St. Francis

INTERESTED IN PET BLESSINGS? Holidays & Festivals columnist Stephanie Fenton points out that the growing number of pet blessings, associated with St. Francis’ feast day, are sprinkled across the autumn calendar. The biggest annual blessing, each year, already took place in New York City on October 1, but others are coming later this week. Please, enjoy Stephanie’s column about St. Francis and share it with friends via social media.

AND HERE’S A ST. FRANCIS MOVIE TIP: Our Faith & Film columnist Ed McNulty suggests we look at a 2007 Italian production that is more than three hours long.

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

Click this movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review of the new film ‘The Swimmers,’ now streaming on Netflix.

Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

THE SWIMMERS—Ed highly recommends this film, based on a true story, about “two teenage girls who were among the Syrians forced to flee their war-torn nation and risk the dangerous waters of the Aegean Sea.”
THE INVENTOR—”The title of the new film by writer Jim Capobianco (and co-director with Pierre-Luc Granjon) refers to the 16th century genius Leonardo da Vinci, voiced in this delightful, animated film by Stephen Fry.”
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER—”André Øvredal’s horror film is based on just one chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel Dracula.”
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST—Ed also suggests we look back this week to the 1991 award-winning film.
WAR SAILOR—”Norwegian director/ writer Gunnar Vikene has given us a grim visual parable about an overlooked group of World War II combatants—Norwegian merchant sailors drafted into the war effort when Germany invaded their country.”
LITTLE BIG VOICE—Looking for a good family film? Ed writes, “Austrian director Wolfgang Murnberger’s 2015 film, set in postwar Vienna, drew me at first because its young hero seeks to become a member of the famed Vienna Boys’ Choir.”
A MILLION MILES AWAY—”Director-cowriter Alejandra Márquez Abella brings us this true story of a Mexican American son of migrants who dreams of rocketing into space as a NASA astronaut.”
SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE—”I love it when a film far exceeds my expectations, as this MGM-Amazon produced film did. What I thought would be an amusing boy-meets-girl flick turned out to be a deeply moving celebration of a friendship between two young woman.”
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3—”Those crazy Greeks are back, even though the one who claimed they invented everything is missing.”