But Nick Christopher’s Anthem… Jesus Christ I almost cried.
01.03.2026 21:28
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But Nick Christopher’s Anthem… Jesus Christ I almost cried.
Announcement for a lecture called “When Abraham Negotiated Against God…Or Not”
Quick plug: I’ll be presenting at the "New Insights into the Hebrew Bible" conference March 20–22. Join me and 12 other scholars for a deep dive into Genesis. Register by Feb 28 to save up to 25%.
bartehrman.com/nihb
Hi, friends. An FYI for those interested: I've published an article in JSP about Esther as "American scripture." Includes analysis of the Heritage Foundation's "Project Esther" (2024) and its strategies for regulating free speech, higher education, immigration, and foreign policy.
And that’s like the easiest lyric they’ve got!
Solid first post in (checks timeline) ELEVEN MONTHS
My favorite band is New Pornographers and I have no idea what 80% of the lyrics even are.
@joelbaden.bsky.social Just wanted to tell you that I am ADORING your Great Courses series!!!! Bravo!!!!
The goal of the class was to create a productive space for conversation. So that was the main evaluative measure: did you come into that space prepared and willing to participate productively and generously in meaningful conversation?
The class was on the Hebrew Bible and race/racism, fwiw.
I did this last semester: only “assessments” were two 3-5 page written pieces (one of which was a personal reflection) and a final project that was really just a gesture to a project: show me what sort of stuff this class led you to - don’t even have to do the stuff.
No cheating, etc.
Good thing we’re not so picky!
What - and I’m not sure how else to put this - the living fuck is this shit doing in the New York Times?
The Kingdom of God Is Ruled by the Humblest of Men www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/o...
And universalist religions, granted immense power, become, let’s say, oppressive to those religions that would like to just be left alone to do their thing in peace please.
Goddamn envious I love that place so much
Poking through some recipe reviews on the NYT just now and saw multiple people commenting on the irony of using *kosher salt* in a *pork dish* and the fundamental lack of the most basic understanding of what kosher salt is just kills me every so often.
Favorite Courses
1. What Wrote the Bible? (@joelbaden.bsky.social)
2. Understanding Western Art (Dr. Noah Charney)
3. How Science Shapes Science Fiction (Dr. Charles Adler)
4. Archaeological Mysteries of Europe/Mediterranean (Dr. Karen Bellinger)
5. Forgotten America (@phdrachel.bsky.social)
2/3
You’re not supposed to go further down the rabbit hole
I promise I carefully sealed the whole thing in a plastic bag placed in a styrofoam box encased in concrete and dropped to the bottom of the Long Island Sound. After I took the picture.
Ah well - if you really care to look that closely, it’s a little Easter egg for you
Yeah, but so do the ancient aliens people…
Just a completely batshit insane letter from someone who claims their ancient ancestor helped Moses cross the desert.
Like many scholars, especially in the religion space, I get a lot of crazy mail. The one that came today is particularly impressive:
Oh but you know what *is* a decent stocking stuffer? This here interesting and super accessible book:
www.fortresspress.com/store/produc....
You know what makes a great last minute Christmas gift, but doesn’t really work as a stocking stuffer? My “Who Wrote the Bible?” on Great Courses!
www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/who-wrote-th...
Image of the cover of the newly released essay collection “Readings of Trauma,” edited by Alexandra Grund-Wittenberg and Maike Schult.
Happy to receive a copy of this volume (to which I made a small contribution):
And I say this as someone who does dead white men scholarship mostly! I happen to work in a field where that still plays (though blessedly less than before).
“Dead white men” scholarship isn’t the default, and it shouldn’t be treated as such. Everyone has the right to be interested in what they’re interested in, but that doesn’t mean everyone else has to be interested in it too. Being relevant has always mattered in academia. What’s relevant changes.
Good thoughts from Chance here.
To put this another way: people who are complaining that they can’t get jobs because people aren’t interested in dead white men…maybe are forgetting the generations before this (all of them) when anyone *not* interested in dead white men couldn’t get a job.
I work with the very coolest people.
Hey y’all, just a note that my Great Courses course on Who Wrote the Bible is on 20% discount right now with the code X32Z.
www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/who-wrote-th...
I don’t think I’ve binged a 24-lecture course as fast as Who Wrote the Bible by Dr Joel Baden. And his ideas keep prompting new thoughts and questions for me. I love that.