Brett Krutzsch open his editor’s letter with a brief reflection on the significance of Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; he relates the Jewish tradition of seeking out apologies for wrongs perpetrated over the course of the year to the necessity of holding institutions and the people who run them accountable for their harmful actions. Particularly, in the midst of the climate crisis.
In the vein of making apologies, the September issue of the Revealer begins with Kaya Oakes’s “What Makes an Apology Worthwhile.” Oakes reflects on the significance of the apologies offered by the Vatican and the Southern Baptist Convention over decades of abuse, and questions their capacity to truly drive change.
Klaus Yoder’s “Catholic Fascists in the NYPD, 1939-1940,” considers the relationship between religion, right-wing militias, and police departments. Yoder focuses on a disturbing incident from New York City’s police department to ask what these past occurrences can teach us about our current moment.
In “I Want to be Haunted by the Ghost,” Jack Downey shares his obituary of Sinéad O’Connor, reflecting on her relationship with religion and stalwart determination to hold institutions responsible for the sins they commit.
And in “HOMEGOING,” Lynne Gerber interviews Ashon Crawley about Ashon’s exhibit at the National Mall, where he honors the Black, queer musicians with AIDS that churches largely condemned.
Finally, Mari Joerstad’s “Songs of Zion,” attends to the biblical passage, Psalm 137, to help readers consider the links between white supremacy and violence against children.
And Ann W. Duncan investigates pregnant peoples’ pursuit of support from sources beyond traditional medical or religious communities in “Spiritual Reproductive Services,” an excerpt from the book Sacred Pregnancy.
Our September issue also includes the latest Revealer podcast: “The Spiritual Birthing Movement,” in which Ann Duncan joins the Revealer’s editor, Brett Krutzsch, to reflect on the organizations and businesses that imbue pregnancy with a sense of the sacred. While these groups increasingly introduce pregnant individuals to holistic coping rituals, their presence also reveals social inequities among pregnant people throughout the United States. You can listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
