The local and the global

Our fall books issue is continuing to roll out on our website. This week we have an interview with Will Evans, who is working to cultivate a literary community in Dallas, TX. His nonprofit publishing house has two primary aims: publishing local authors and translating books from other countries into English. For Evans, the two are related: “international literature matters locally and local literature matters internationally.”

Speaking of global issues that matter locally, I am excited to share with you a double feature about the tense religiopolitical situation in Hungary. Marc Roscoe Loustau has a new article about Viktor Orbán’s persecution of Methodist leader Gábor Iványi. I had the chance to chat with Loustau recently about updates to this story and some haunting parallels between Orbán’s regime and the Project 2025 agenda here in the US.

Plus scroll down for more great books issue content, including a review of a book about the oft-forgotten Romani genocide, another of an illustrated and scholarly companion to Ecclesiastes, and more.

Email me: Do you have a favorite local bookstore?

Cultivating literary Dallas

“It was not enough to publish books. We needed a place to invite people in, to put literature at the core of the cultural community.”

Amy Frykholm interviews Will Evans

The most dangerous preacher in Hungary

“As I talked with Gábor Iványi, I began to understand a central truth in what he was saying about American churches who might otherwise have been inclined to support him but have so far shown little solidarity with the church’s struggle.”

by Marc Roscoe Loustau

Marc Roscoe Loustau on Hungary’s persecution of Christians

Jon chats with Loustau about Gábor Iványi, Viktor Orbán, Project 2025, and solidarity.

In the Lectionary for October 6 (Ordinary 27B)

The primary biblical text that addresses human suffering is a comedic folktale. How are we meant to process this?

by Clint Schnekloth

Ordinary 27B archives

The forgotten victims of Nazi genocide

“The Nazi regime arrived at policies toward Jews and Roma via different paths, involving different German agencies for a long time, but in the end both groups ended up at killing sites like Auschwitz and Treblinka.”

David Gushee reviews Ari Joskowicz

Illuminating Qohelet through art and philosophy

“The coauthors invoke a kaleidoscope of references in their interpretations of Ecclesiastes.”

Lisa Wolfe reviews Debra Band and Menachem Fisch