The Revealer‘s first issue of 2022 explores the profoundly diverse ways religion influences our world – and the myriad means by which people influence religious institutions. In his editor’s letter, Brett Krutzsch discusses the publication’s commitment to adding new features and contributors so as to offer fresh and important insights about religion’s place in our ever-changing world.
The issue opens with Jessica Johnson’s “Christian Fascism Online and Off,” where she explores how the Proud Boys use the social media platform Telegram to promote Christian fascism to tens of thousands of followers and how, since the January 6 insurrection, their influence has increased.
Next, in “Grief Reconfigured,” Adam Willems profiles a virtual grief network that developed during the pandemic for people in their 20s and 30s that helps them mourn, find community, and develop rituals that offer solace.
In “Sex Workers and Spirituality,” Travis LaCouter interviews sex workers and Catholic leaders to highlight what sex workers – from street prostitutes to OnlyFans stars – can offer the Catholic Church if the Church would welcome them without judgment.
Then, in “Making Marginalized History Mainstream,” Bhakti Mamtora reflects on the absence of South Asians in American history curriculum and investigates new forms of media that are working to showcase South Asians’ historical contributions to the United States.
And, in an excerpt from her new book Movie-Made Jews, Helene Meyers recounts the obstacles actor Zach Braff faced when he pitched a movie that centered Jewish identity and what those hurdles reveal about American culture.
The February issue also features the newest episode of the Revealer podcast: “Hollywood, Movies, and American Jews.” Helene Meyers joins us to discuss the place of Jews in Hollywood and how movies can shape American Jewish identities. We explore the portrayal of Jews on screen, why Barbra Streisand has been a cinematic Jewish icon for decades, whether non-Jewish actors should play Jewish parts today, and how movies can combat antisemitism. You can listen to this insightful episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
