A Fresh View
TAKING A NEW LOOK
AT THE HOLY FAMILY
Early Christian documents describe Jesus and his relatives very differently from our modern Christmas card image of the Holy Family.
In a special episode of Free Expression, Antony Barone Kolenc, host of The Shepherd’s Pie podcast, interviews me about how my award-winning novel, My Brother’s Keeper, adapts details from these ancient “deuterocanonical gospels” to tell the Christian story from a fresh point of view.
LISTEN AT:
https://billkassel.podbean.com/e/free-expression-episode-168/
Influence vs Inspiration
CHATBOTS, NOVELS
& SACRED IMAGES
This week on “Free Expression with Bill Kassel” we explore how ideas and images touch our hearts and minds…
(1) Nick Kangadis of the Media Research Center discusses how Artificial Intelligence is turning chatbots into tools of propaganda to manipulate opinion on controversial issues.
(2) Notre Dame Literature Professor Abigail Favale explores how Christian fiction can bring us to deeper spiritual understanding, and introduces her new novel, “Our Lady of the Signs.”
(3) Religious educator Derek Rotty shows how contemplating great works of art can enrich our prayer lives, as demonstrated in his new book, “Praying with Sacred Art.”
It’s an interesting set of insights from some thoughtful people. Give it a listen…
https://billkassel.podbean.com/e/free-expression-episode-167/
The Ongoing Battle
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
AND A GREAT FIGHTER
The latest episode of “Free Expression” — my show on Good Shepherd Catholic Radio — features a look at the disturbing topic of spiritual warfare by Franciscan University Professor Dan Schneider. Then, Fr. Bill Miscamble of Notre Dame reflects on the life of the late Cardinal George Pell.
Give it a listen at…
https://billkassel.podbean.com/e/free-expression-episode-166/
The Minneapolis Incident
CHURCHES NEED PRUDENCE,
VIGILANCE & PREPAREDNESS
A recent episode of my radio show, “Free Expression,” featured an interview with Rob Chadwick, former FBI agent and now Director of Training and Education for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. We spoke about the need for churches — in particular, Catholic parishes — to have plans in place to guard against violent attacks.
Our discussion occurred a few weeks after an attack on an Evangelical church in Wayne, Michigan, during which a security team killed the attacker. That team, all members of the congregation, had just attended a church security seminar conducted by USCCA.
This week’s suicide attack on Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, during which two children were killed and 17 other people wounded, underscores the need for church security even more dramatically. And the shock which this incident has engendered demonstrates a truth about most Christians…
A Great Review
CRISIS MAGAZINE
LOVES MY NOVEL
Eric Sammons, editor of the prestigious journal, CRISIS, notes that he was pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoyed my novel about the family of Jesus, My Brother’s Keeper.
I had interviewed Eric about his own book, Moral Money, which examines both the practical and moral dimensions of the online exchange medium, Bitcoin.
Afterward, I mentioned my novel, My Brother’s Keeper, and then sent him a copy…
My Brother’s Keeper
NEW EDITION OF MY NOVEL
ABOUT THE FAMILY OF JESUS
My Brother’s Keeper, the historical novel I self-published in 2017, is being republished by Red Penguin Books of New York.
Winner of the Catholic Arts and Letters Award for Best Adult Fiction, this is a somewhat different take on the Christian story, of interest to readers of all religious persuasions.
The novel recounts Jesus’ ministry — its background, its political and social context, and all the conflict surrounding it — as viewed by his relatives. In particular it reflects the perspective of James, a key figure in the early Christian movement, whom Scripture identifies as “the brother of the Lord.”
My story draws on the ancient Church tradition that Joseph was an older, widowed man with children at the time he took Mary as his (much younger) wife. So James, in my telling, is Jesus’ foster brother.
As the Bible notes, James was leader of the Jerusalem “mother church.” And he played a key role in the council that set ground rules for evangelizing the world.
As you might assume, my presentation veers significantly from the usual, Christmas card portrait of the Holy Family. It’s an imaginative and unconventional take on the Gospel account.
But it’s inspired by early Christian writings. It’s not in conflict with Church teaching. And it doesn’t contradict the Bible.
My Brother’s Keeper follows James’ quest to become a rabbi and doctor of the law. Central to my plot is the promise to protect Jesus made by James to his dying father, Joseph, who sees trouble ahead for Mary’s strangely gifted child. [Read more…] about My Brother’s Keeper
Bumpy Ride Ahead
TRUMP HAS BEEN ELECTED
BUT THE LEFT ISN’T DONE
It’s fascinating to observe the change in atmosphere now that Trump’s victory is confirmed and he’s headed for his historic non-consecutive second term.
The sense of gloom which, before the election, had been pervasive, has lifted — if not entirely, at least markedly so.
Where talk of a new Cold War, of basement fallout shelters, and of stockpiling food had made it seem like the duck-and-cover 1950s were coming back, now we have foreign leaders heaping their congratulations on The Donald and consulting him as if he were already in office.
Silicon Valley tech wizards are sitting down with him for lunch at Mar-a-Lago. Mark Zuckerberg has promised an overhaul of Facebook censorship policies and recruited a Trump supporter for his board.
Major media outlets are reevaluating their left-leaning editorial policies.
Democrat strategists are admitting their party has lost touch with its base.
Even Progressive poster girl, Rep. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is striking a (modestly) conciliatory pose. AOC recently told Punchbowl News…
“The reason why I think oftentimes Democrats occasionally lose elections is because we’re too reflexively anti-Republican, and that we don’t lean into an ambitious vision for working-class Americans strongly enough.”
MAGA influence has even been felt north of the border. The government of Canada is in collapse, as the annoyingly lefty Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as prime minister and Liberal Party head.
America is back, Baby!
Sort of.