Cover Story: How do we speak to each other? Creative Connection

3 Fresh Ideas about Creative Connection

COVER STORY—For nearly a decade, ReadTheSpirit has covered the rise and fall of new media about religion and cross-cultural diversity. Our online magazine has published thousands of articles and our bookstore now is packed with great books on these themes. In keeping with that mission, this week’s Cover Story features three ideas about the constantly changing nature of our creative connections:

1.) PICTURE A CONVERSATION—Two of our authors, Suzy Farbman and Debra Darvick, collaborated on this week’s first creative story—all about a quest by Debra and her photographer husband Martin to kick-start grassroots conversations nationwide. This story is sure to get you thinking about fresh ways to start talking with friends.

2.) GET NEWS FROM THE WHOLE WORLD—Two veteran journalists in Europe are trying to change the way we all “see” religion news around the world. In fact, ReadTheSpirit is actively helping them in this quest. Their first new project is a Twitter feed that will let you glimpse religion and cross-cultural stories that you would never see without their help. Here’s the story—and you can help them get this project rolling.

3.) WHY WE DON’T DO APPS—The final column about Creative Connections, this week, relates to the latter half of the “rise and fall of new media.” The publishing industry is abuzz in early 2016 about the endangered status of the individually developed content-based App. Here’s that story.

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HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS AND FOOD

DON’T MISS A HOLIDAY! Just remember this simple Web address www.InterfaithHolidays.com to find all of the upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries.

LENT AROUND THE WORLD

EAST AND WEST WILL MEET—The majority of the world’s 2 billion  Christians follow the Western liturgical calendar; they already have started the Lenten season that leads toward Easter. Stephanie Fenton has that story in our Holidays column. Then, in March, the calendar followed by most Eastern Orthodox Christians also will reach what is known as Great Lent. During this traditional season of reflection, we also recommend Our Lent: Things We Carry, an inspirational book by ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm.

SYMBOL OF THE PRETZEL—The food and drink that we consume, each day, has been woven since ancient times into the world’s great religious traditions. GodSigns columnist Suzy Farbman recently rediscovered the faith-and-food connection with the common pretzel—and shares it with readers.

A New Year

BAHA’I NEW  YEAR AND … Baha’is around the world update their religious calendar so that holidays fall roughly in the appropriate seasons. Stephanie Fenton reports both on the upcoming Baha’i New Year as well as the way this religious group adapts its calendar.

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Black History

CONFRONTING RACISM WITH … INFORMATION—The highly respected Bias Busters team at the Michigan State University School of Journalism is marking this year’s Black History Month by adding a new cross-cultural guide to the growing series. MSU’s Joe Grimm has the story of how this new book was created. ANDYou’ll find all of the MSU guides displayed in our bookstore.

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TASTE OF GREEK-JEWISH CULTURE

FEED THE SPIRIT—Columnist Bobbie Lewis tells the fascinating, tragic and enduring story of Greece’s Jewish community. She also shares an easy-to-prepare and very tasty bean soup recipe from this ancient corner of the world.

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FILM, FAITH
& POPULAR CULTURE

ENJOY DISCUSSING MOVIES? Get a copy of faith-and-film writer Edward McNulty’s new book Jesus Christ, Movie Starit’s full of thought-provoking reading and questionsAND—enjoy all of the free resources from Ed’s website: www.VisualParables.org

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