RECLAIMING DR. KING’S VISION OF A BELOVED COMMUNITY

LOVE CAN WIN, writes evangelical Christian theologian and activist Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove in his new book, Revolution of Values. Please, read our Cover Story interview with Wilson-Hartgrove this week, which draws from the deep well of Dr. King’s wisdom about how American hearts and minds can change.

Wilson-Hartgrove also is a historian steeped in America’s religious history. He understands what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated in the 1960s: Americans will change their minds when they see the faces of their neighbors at the heart of an issue. That’s the same foundation on which Dr. Gushee built his work on LGBT inclusion, the story he tells in Changing Our Mind. That’s also the core message of a widely cited Pew Research Center report this week.

We’ve got this inspiring story for you to honor and continue Dr. King’s message, this week.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON KING’S LEGACY

THE VIEW FROM UTAH—AND ITALY—The photo above shows the Rev. Dr. France A. Davis preaching at Utah’s largest African-American church. As a young man, Dr. Davis marched twice with King and has played a major role in groundbreaking relations with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which dominates life in Utah. Recently, two founding members of the International Association of Religion Journalists were involved in lifting up Dr. Davis’s prophetic voice to a global audience. This week to honor Dr. King’s legacy, Italian journalist Elisa di Benedetto brings us this story, a convergence of two journalists from two continents.
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And Speaking of Global Conversations

PART I—In our Front Edge Publishing column this week, Editor David Crumm shows readers some of the new resources we are developing to promote books, given the latest marketing trends we are seeing. The latest is a Religion News Service press release for 30 Days with Abraham Lincoln. Take a look at how we are trying to work with authors—and our readers—to foster a global conversation.

PART II—Another way many of our authors build an audience is by actively responding to opportunities to write for newspapers, magazines and other websites. Our marketing director Susan Stitt sometimes sends suggestions to authors. In other cases, authors develop their own media contacts. That’s the case with Victor Begg, author of Our Muslim Neighbors. Victor recently wrote an inspiring column, posted by a Florida newspaper, headlined: The Quran, the Bible and our Founding Fathers offer lessons to carry into 2020.

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Holidays & Festivals 2020

HOW WILL YOU HONOR DR. KING?

The holiday’s official name is “Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.,” but many people also refer to this annual milestone as: National Day of Service. Many adults alive today recall the long and bumpy journey to establishing this milestone to honor the civil rights leader. Holidays & Festivals expert Stephanie Fenton has the story for us, a column that also includes valuable links to the everything from lesson plans for teachers—to an inspiring overview of King’s life by global peacemaker Daniel Buttry.

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Care to see all the holidays? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances—just remember the address InterfaithHolidays.com

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GOD-SIGNS STORY OF A SURVIVOR

SUZY FARBMAN concludes her three-part story about the resilient Michelle Gault, who has faced many challenges in life but has managed to hold her loved ones together through everything that has befallen her. In Suzy’s weekly columns, she points us toward the “God-Signs” that can renew our hopes, even in the face of tragedy.

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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.

Among Ed’s free reviews and columns are:

• 1917—Ed writes, “The action in most WWI  films is confined to the trenches, but Sam Mendes epic is a journey film—one of just 9 miles, but given the obstacles, the trek couldn’t be more difficult and harrowing if it were 900. It is a race against time, and the stakes are high.” He gives the film 5 out of 5 stars.
• JUST MERCY—”Within ten minutes into the film I knew it belonged near the top of my annual 10 Best Films list,” Ed writes. (5 stars)
• LITTLE WOMEN—Ed urges all of us to see this Greta Gerwig version of the classic story before it leaves theaters, giving the film 5 stars.
• STAR WARS EPISODE IX—The action never lets up and Ed gives the latest chapter in the Star Wars saga 4 stars.
• WAG THE DOG—Ed reaches way back to 1997 to suggest that we all take a fresh look at this satire co-starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. The movie could be a commentary on what’s happening right now in Washington, Ed writes. (4 stars)
• UNCUT GEMS—Ed writes, “The main character’s life is such a wreck, and yet so compelling, that it is like a highway accident for which everyone slows down in order to gawk at the carnage.” (4 stars)
• BOMBSHELL—”This is not a film to enjoy, but it is a fascinating one, filled with so many real-life characters that viewers could play the game Name that Celebrity as it unfolds.” (4 stars)
• THE TWO POPES—”Brazilian director Fernando Merilles (City of God and The Constant Gardener) makes theological discourse exciting in this speculative film about the encounters between Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) and Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins).” (4.5 stars)
• RICHARD JEWELL—”The story of security guard Richard Jewell could be the prime example for that cynical adage: No good deed goes unpunished. Director Clint Eastwood brings us the dramatic story of a hero suddenly under FBI scrutiny and media attack as a villain guilty of a heinous crime.” (4 stars)

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