News Analysis: PRRI’s new report on evangelical decline

What Values Could Help Us Bridge the Religious Chasm?

IN SUMMER 2021, many of our colleagues nationwide are asking: What values could help Americans to find common ground, especially with militant groups of evangelicals continuing to throw their weight into national politics? This week, veteran Washington DC-based journalist Martin Davis shares his analysis of recent headlines suggesting evangelical numbers actually may be declining. We know you’ll want to read and share this story with friends across social media and email. Please, help us encourage this important national conversation.

We Are Caregivers

Help Us Save Lives by Sharing this Vaccination Advice

BENJAMIN PRATT sent us this short column from his home in Virginia, a word of encouragement about battling the COVID epidemic that he hopes many of our readers will share with friends. Benjamin’s We Are Caregivers column this week includes the latest advice from his denomination—plus a moving account of Benjamin Franklin’s hard-earned wisdom about vaccines.

Holidays & Milestones

Remembering Martyrs with Assyrian Christians

OUR SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT continues with scholar Kevn Vollrath, who has reported several stories for us about Christians who are part of the ancient churches of the Middle East. In this issue, Kevin reports on the heartfelt connection between martyrs and the remaining members of the Assyrian Church of the East in Iraq. This is a story largely unknown among American Christians.

WANT TO SEE ALL THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just visit InterfaithHolidays.com

Indian Boarding Schools

A SEARCH FOR HEALING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

OUR ONLINE MAGAZINE has been closely following this unfolding story, because our commitment to Native voices was part of our founding principles back in 2007. THIS WEEK, readers recommended that we share two new reports:

From National Public Radio’s Here & Now: A talk with a Canadian leader, Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald
From The New York Times: Lost Lives, Lost Culture: The Forgotten History of Indigenous Boarding Schools
AND, if you have not done so already, jump over to Amazon and order your own copy of Warren Petoskey’s memoir Dancing My Dream, which includes the boarding school legacy.

Videos from our authors

The Challenges of Bridging Divides

TWO OF OUR POPULAR AUTHORS took part in video conversations that now are streaming across social media. In our Front Edge Publishing column this week, we highlight the video-streaming of Col. Clifford Worthy, retired, and Victor Begg. In the videos we are sharing today, both authors agreed to talk about their lives and their published memoirs. They also offer their hard-earned wisdom about navigating the turbulent conflicts we see around us.

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Click this photo to read Ed McNulty’s review of the Netflix series LUPIN.

Faith & Film

Click on this image to learn about the July 2021 issue of Visual Parables Journal.

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:

LUPIN—”The French writer George Kay has created a truly thrilling escapist adventure series with more than a touch of social commentary. He has taken a classic series of French novels revolving around Arsène Lupin as a “Gentleman Thief” and transferred them to a modern day outsider.”
EROICA—Ed McNulty reaches back to 2003 for a wonderful film about the arts, Eroica. In short, it’s a carefully reconstructed drama about Beethoven debuting the piece that people at the time considered a milestone in music history—a unique delight in moviemaking.
AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY—“Written and directed by Eva Gardos, this film is based on the filmmaker’s own experience as a young immigrant Hungary.”
STREET FLOW—”Writer/co-director/star Kery James’ film is set in France, the story of three brothers of African descent who live in one of the huge projects just outside of Paris.”
A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK—Based on its on-screen merits, Ed recommends this Woody Allen story set in New York City.
AWAKE—Another Apocalyptic thriller with some unusual twists.
NINE DAYS—“Director/writer Edson Oda’s film at first seems to be about a busy man conducting interviews over a nine day period. But as it unfolds we realize this is a metaphysical tale about birth and the appreciation of and celebration of life in all its details.”
MR. PIG—”Mexican director/writer Diego Luna tackles both animal rights and father-daughter issues in this 2016 film that NetFlix has picked up.”
FATHERHOOD—“Appropriately this new Kevin Hart film opened during this year’s Father’s Day weekend. Were it not for a brief bedroom shot it would make for ideal family viewing, with its tender depictions of a father-daughter relationship.”
JOE BELL—Ed recommends this film, “based on a true story,” written by the same team that contributed to the 2005 film, Brokeback Mountain, a writing partnership that included the late novelist Larry McMurtry.
ONE NATION, ONE KING—”French writer/director Pierre Schoeller’s epic will enlarge our truncated view of the French Revolution. Schoeller attempts to give us a view of events from the perspective of those at the bottom of society.”