RENEWING OUR COMMITMENT
COVER STORY—Dr. David Gushee, one of our nation’s leading Christian ethicists, returns this week as our nation reflects on the one-year anniversary of the Charleston church shootings—and on the tragic legacy of the shootings in Orlando. A busy scholar whose time is needed by organizations nationwide, Gushee tells us why nothing—not even a busy life—can sway us from a commitment to compassion and social justice.
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MEDIA TRANSFORMATION:
‘PAPERS’ TUMBLE
(BUT PAPER RISES?)
STAY TUNED! Our team at ReadTheSpirit is committed to sharing the latest news about the transformation of American media—because our writers, editors and publishers are on the creative Front Edge of that change. As summer 2016 begins, a number of new studies are charting the scope of this historic change. One major report by Pew concludes that newspapers “are looking shakier than ever.” Print advertising revenue, the life’s blood of newspapers, continues to drop at an alarming rate. And, since this decline began, Pew says 20,000 newspaper journalists have lost their jobs! (And that’s ironic, because another major report on book publishing says that Americans are returning from their e-readers to a preference for paper books! Stay tuned for more on that news in coming weeks.) Today, our intrepid columnist Rodney Curtis—who walked away from newspapers a while ago—writes about his Seven-Year Itch.
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PICTURES OF HOPE
GOD SIGNS—GodSigns columnist Suzy Farbman also has an inspiring story this week about the power of media to give voice to Americans who are often voiceless and invisible.
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HOLIDAYS & MILESTONES
Don’t miss a date! Remember www.InterfaithHolidays.org, our master calendar.
MIDSUMMER / SOLSTICE
THE LONGEST DAY—It’s relatively early this year on Monday June 20, reports Holidays expert Stephanie Fenton. Learn about festivities around the world. And Stephanie also has links to help you with flower crowns, timely recipes and even drying herbs.
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4th of JULY
GET READY! It’s not too early to plan for the big weekend. Stephanie’s column is packed with intriguing ideas, including a website with fun polls and quizzes about our nation’s early history.
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FILM, FAITH & CULTURE
LOVE MOVIES? Enjoy all of the free resources from Ed McNulty’s faith-and-film website: www.VisualParables.org.
PECHA KUCHA—Recently, Ed presented a PechaKucha (a popular multi-media lecture format that began in Japan) to a crowd in Dayton, called “6 Social Justice Films for Your Bucket List.” Now, you can see a video of the presentation along with a column by Ed explaining the event.
Among Ed’s other recent movie reviews are:
- FINDING DORY—Ed says it’s a 5 star treat for the whole family.
- POP STAR—If you’re a fan of Spinal Tap and Mighty Wind, then you’ll probably enjoy this musical mockumentary. (4 stars)
- MAGGIE’S PLAN—A film about the craziness and humor in love, marriage, parenthood and divorce. (4.5 stars)
- THE MEDDLER—Susan Sarandon is delightful, says Ed McNulty. (4.5 stars)
- THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY—You’ll have to search for this unusual biographical drama about mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. (4 stars)
- THE LOBSTER—You’ll also have to look for this unusual, dystopian film—but it’s worth the effort, says Ed. (4.5 stars)
- ROSEWOOD—This week, Ed reaches back to 1997 to recommend the terrific (5 star) film about a racial tragedy in the 1920s.
- LOVE & FRIENDSHIP—It’s a Jane Austin story directed by Whit Stillman, who hasn’t made many movies but has a very loyal following for films like Metropolitan and The Last Days of Disco. (4 stars)
- ANGRY BIRDS—Ed hasn’t overlooked this pop-culture hit. And, he finds it—well, good fun. (4 stars)
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