‘Any Myth that Denies a Person’s Humanity Has to be Excavated and Repented’
THAT’S A COMMITMENT made by scholar and author Greg Garrett in his newest book, which we are featuring as our Cover Story to mark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024. Please read this interview with Greg about the prophetic value of encountering James Baldwin’s body of work in a fresh way—including new research Greg has undertaken on Baldwin’s final, unfinished play The Welcome Table.
As you read this Cover Story, please also take a moment to share a link to this story via your social media or email contacts. That simple act helps to spread good news in our troubled world at a time when we need resources like this one.
About the MLK Day Holiday
OUR HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST Stephanie Fenton reports on the King holiday, which this year falls on King’s actual birthday. Of course, she includes a helpful link to the national website for this day of service, as well.
SINCE 2007, we have been pleased to bring Stephanie’s coverage of the world’s major observances to readers far and wide. As we launched this new year, we recently unveiled Stephanie’s 2024 calendar—and we invited readers to contact us if they have questions: Have you spotted a “missing” observance that you would like us to include? Found a typo or an issue to clarify? Please email us at [email protected] (And we’re sending a sincere “Thank you!” to the readers who did email us with suggestions and also words of appreciation for this wonderful service.)
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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From Our Authors—
Howard Brown:
Each week, he makes a daring promise to ‘Inspire!’ his podcast audience
Does he succeed? Now you can test that claim yourself with a “Top Stories” roundup Howard has prepared for us, highlighting some of the very best of his 61 podcasts produced so far. This is a story you’ll want to share with friends who will thank you for recommending this unique, weekly podcast.
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Victor Begg:
The sustaining power of faith in the midst of grief
VICTOR BEGG is the author of Our Muslim Neighbors: Achieving the American Dream—which also features stories about his late wife, the remarkable interfaith peacemaker Shahina Begg.
In this recent column, Victor writes about his own reliance on faith in the midst of loss. While friends, family and caring neighbors are vital ingredients in finding a path forward after a life-long partner passes, Victor writes that faith also is an essential part of his journey.
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Jeffrey Munroe:
Our 1st Book Launch in 2024 is Telling Secrets in the Dark
VISIT OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING website for a brief preview and links to pre-order our first new book of 2024—Telling Secrets in the Dark by Jeffrey Munroe.
Our regular readers also may recall our big November 2023 announcement of this new publishing imprint with The Reformed Journal—which has has been, for many decades, one of the leading Christian magazines published in America.
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TO MARK MLK DAY, we know readers may want to see the new feature film Rustin, about the man behind the March on Washington. Clicking on this Netflix poster for the film takes you to Edward McNulty’s full review of that film.
Faith & Film
Click on this image from the front cover of the January 2024 issue of Visual Parables Journal to learn more about this resource enjoyed by individuals and small groups nationwide.
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 film reviews and discussion guides. This resource is used nationwide 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:
- A CALL TO SPY—Ed reaches back this week to a 2020 film, which is available to stream, calling it a “thrilling true story.”
- THE PERSIAN VERSION—Ed also recommends this film by Iranian-American Maryam Keshavarz.
- THE COLOR PURPLE—”Ghanaian filmmaker Samuel Bazawule brings to the screen this new version of Alice Walker’s classic novel of female empowerment.”
- MAESTRO—Ed gives Maestro 5 stars and writes, “Don’t let the silly controversy over Bradley Cooper’s nose sour you on this magnificent depiction of an unusual marriage between two brilliant people.”
- THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS and SNAKES—Ed praises this film for having “plenty of action” and also “a strong female protagonist.“
- RUSTIN—Ed writes, “The overlooked civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), often called the architect of the 1963 March on Washington, is finally getting his due, thanks to the new film directed by George C. Wolfe.”
- LAKAWANA BLUES—This week, Ed also recommends another film (this one from 2005) that he says fans of Rustin are sure to enjoy. (This HBO film is still streaming online.)
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