‘Convictions We Can Build Our Lives Around’

COVER STORY—At this historic turning point in the faith of 2.4 billion people worldwide, America’s most influential Christian ethicist Dr. David Gushee is publishing his magnum opus: Introducing Christian Ethics—Core Convictions for Christians Today. In this unique new book, Dr. Gushee gives readers three multi-media options: the text itself, video of Gushee delivering the message of each chapter or audio of Gushee’s voice. Please, read this Cover Story and share it with friends via email and social media. You may find friends who want to discuss the book with you.

 

AS DR. GUSHEE’S BOOK DEBUTS, this week, the importance of his message earned a No. 1 ranking “in Adult Christian Education” that was flashed across Amazon in recent days to herald the release. In our Front Edge Publishing column, this week, we describe how careful planning in book production can contribute to such important early acknowledgments.

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Benjamin Pratt says,
‘Play ball!’

BOCCE THAT IS …

SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, and our columnist Benjamin Pratt already is organizing his bocce team. In this column, he celebrates the flexibility of bocce as a competitive sport for men and women of all ages and physical abilities. Hey, spring is coming! Now, don’t you want to share this column with friends via social media?

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International Association of Religion Journalists

How do Religious Groups Influence National Policies?

SOME OF THE JOURNALISTS who are part of our online magazine also participate in the International Association of Religion Journalists, a global network of reporters who specialize in covering religion and spirituality. The IARJ has been hosting a fascinating series of worldwide conversations between journalists from various countries about the challenges of reporting on the influence of religion today. We are pleased to share this new video about faith-and-public-life issues in Greece, the former Yugoslavia, France, Italy and Israel, which was posted just this week on the IARJ website.

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Larry Buxton and Carole Stizza

How ‘assuming noble intent’ in others can transform relationships

IN THIS WEEK’S ‘LEADING WITH SPIRIT’ VIDEO, author Larry Buxton welcomes leadership coach Carole Stizza to talk about some values we may not often think about in defining leadership: “grace,” “patience” and “compassion.” In particular, Carole and Larry talk about the transformative power of “assuming noble intent” in others. Please, enjoy this video and share it with friends.

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Religious Holidays

Receiving ashes this week?

THE CHRISTIAN SEASON OF LENT begins in early March for more than 2 billion men and women around the world. In this column, Stephanie Fenton explains how this season of prayer and reflection begins both for Western and Eastern Christians.

In earlier columns, Stephanie explains how Orthodox Christians prepare for Great Lent with Meatfare Sunday and Cheesefare Sundays—and how Western Christians traditionally mark ‘Fat Tuesday’ with tantalizing traditions for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras)

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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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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:

• LINCOLN’S DILEMMA—Ed praises the new four-part series about Lincoln and Frederick Douglas that just debuted on Apple TV+
• SUNDOWN—Mexico’s Michel Franco’s new film challenges viewers to figure out their feelings toward its troubled main characters.
• BINTI—Ed McNulty writes, “Tanzanian director and writer Seko Shamte, with fellow writer Angela Ruhinda, decries the plight of four women whose stories are loosely connected by their gender that leaves them almost powerless in a male-dominated society. The title means ‘young woman’ in Swahili.”
• LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM—”The setting of this film is indeed exotic, but the theme of welcoming friendship and the transforming power of love and respect is universal.”
• CASABLANCA—This is the 80th anniversary of the movie classic, so Ed reached back into his own archives and has posted this thoughtful column about the movie.
• THE LAST DUEL—”Director Ridley Scott may have entered his 8th decade, but this film, his best period piece since Gladiator, shows that he has not slowed down artistically. And the screenplay is the result of stars Mat Damon and Ben Affleck (remember Good Will Hunting?) reuniting as writers”
• MY BEST FRIEND ANNE FRANK—”Based on the book Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend by Alison Leslie Gold, the film tells the story of the friendship between Anne and Hanneli Goslar from 1942 to 1945.”
• A HERO—”Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has given us a very different film from his 2012 film, A Separation, the first Iranian film to win the Academy Award for best foreign language film. This new one centers on the divorced father of a stuttering boy whose life is turned upside down by social media. “
• AMEND: THE FIGHT FOR AMERICA—”This is an excellent primer on a US Constitutional amendment that often is overshadowed by debates over the First or the Second Amendment rights. Robe Imbriano, creator and co-writer of this 6-part TV miniseries takes us on a journey into the past that truly illuminates the present.”
• AMERICAN UNDERDOG—”Brothers Andrew and John Erwin, adapting football player Kurt Warner’s same-titled memoir, American Underdog, have given us an underdog story to beat all such unlikely stories.”

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