Nathan S. French

When unis say “we won’t fire you humanities professors, we’ll just take your majors away and merge your department with two others and rename it all,” what they’re doing is they’re making humanities expertise increasingly invisible and inaccessible…

If you want students studying A.I., you’d better darn well want them studying religion and spirituality alongside it. Cutting your programs now will diminish your curriculum. It will. And you’ll want it back. It did in the early 20th century — one of the reasons my now “dead” department was created

Equally, and much more, they’ll miss out on the chance to dream about explore how religion and spirituality — their own and others’ — might contribute to life around them. I’m waiting for the panic about students not studying religion in 3-5 years as if that’s the fault of faculty

The closures of depts & end of majors — that’s all happening in real time. In a time of politicians agonizing over civic instruction, the sum of cuts to public institutions and “pivots” at pvt institutions sees to it that students will rarely study the central constitutional freedoms of religion

There’s a whole generation of religion scholars — right now — tossing unhoused “great books” in dumpsters while ACTA and others weep over why no one teaches them anymore. The whole field is shuddering in trauma, but quietly. If you’re experiencing this? Know you’re not alone. Religion matters.

Designing units on “religion and AI” into my intro to religion course and intro to Islam course this week. Totally agree.

Over the last year, I’ve had to work with folks to find books new home, some ended up in dumpsters. I worked with my colleagues to archive our department in the university’s special collections. I’ve got one of the departmental signs in my office now. Grad school doesn’t prep you for this one, folks

Seeing @profgabriele.com’s post about Virginia Tech’s excellent religion programs being shuttered — or “transformed” and “reimagined” as they will call it in admin speak — reminds me that departmental closure is like living through a combination of a breakup, divorce, home sale, and move. It’s awful

The crisis in the study of religion continues, worsens.

Just lived through this with our nearly century-old religion department at my institution. Hate to see this happen. Solidarity.

Quote this with a book you read way too young that explains why you are the way you are.

(The summer before 7th grade)

***

Probably wasn't way too young, but have been skeptical of executive power ever since.

harpersmagazine ••• [HARPER'S INDEX] Chance that a recently graduated U.S. computer-engineering major is unemployed : 1 in 13 That an economics major is : 1 in 20 That an art-history major is : 1 in 33 Source: Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

So please shut your mouth about humanities majors.

Poverty and Charity in Middle Eastern Contexts

I'm assuming you've seen it already, but just in case -- given the subject matter of this one -- you might find this of interest, too!

sunypress.edu/Books/P/Pove...

Filing this one under the "War on Terror never ended" phrase that I use from time-to-time.

Also, close viewers of the "Sheridan-verse" know that Taylor Sheridan & CBS plowed a "public approval" road for this with shows like CBS' Lioness in the last few years.

The Violent Far-Right Terrorist Threat to the Republican Party and American Conservatism In addition to minority communities and those on the political left, far-right and white supremacist extremism threatens violence against Republicans as well.

For those who’ve studied the rise of jihadist movements in Egypt in the 1970s-1980s, we also know that domestic terrorist movements pose a thread to the right as well. See, for example — Jacob Ware’s analysis

www.cfr.org/blog/violent...

Senate Republicans Filibuster Durbin's Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Republicans filibustered the House-passed Domestic Terrorism Prevention...

Oh wait! Durbin attempted to pass a “Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act” in 2022 … only to see it filibustered.

www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/dem/re... Senate Republicans Filibuster Durbin's D... | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

“Domestic Violence Extremists” have been planning an attempting raids and thefts like these for years. If only there were laws and studies performed of this threat …

Fantastic for Ryan and a great addition for Wash U.

"Historic rafting district."

Every job posting in the field is to be celebrated. Congrats to our colleagues at DePaul for this announcement of a tenure-track line!

*taps the sign*

Is there a single college or university that has said - “nah, no “AI” right now. Let them prove themselves before we invest millions.”

Finally, back to the screenshot, to quote from a colleague: "Don't weaponize equity."

And, 2nd, this. What AI companies fear is assessment that involves a trained professional removing the "digital" aspect of assessment and focusing on student ability to communicate, collaborate, and exchange info with others using *their own knowledge*

Time to emphasize what we value in learning.

Weekend Reading: From AI prohibition to integration – or why universities must pick up the pace - HEPI Are universities super tankers, drifting slowly through the ocean while students are speedboats, zipping around them? That was one of the most arresting images from the recent Kings x Cadmus Teaching ...

Two things. First, we're not far from the day that universities have an accredited "AI assessor" and compete with one another over its rigor -- leading to US News & World report ranking the AIs of universities. Somehow, the Ivies will *still* win.

www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/07/26/w...

Certainly. And, I think we're too early in the roll-out of A.I. for major religious authorities to have taken those stances. So, I'll add that as a dimension for them to consider -- a "What happens when (this religious authority) suggests that followers must consider AI use idolatry and avoid it?"

So, in short, I can't say specifically *what* the case is because I'm not sure it's taken shape yet. Thanks for responding!

Good question. I've had a few students raise this concern to me already -- with some acknowledging that it may deeply change their approach to learning and their careers because its use might constitute (variously) theft, idolatry, (among others)

Should a student or faculty member --on the grounds of "sincerely held" religious or spiritual practices -- be required by the institution or instructor to use or engage with AI even if it's against their conscience?

@sonjadrimmer.bsky.social -- have you come across anyone engaging with this?

Something I'll discuss with my "Intro to Religion" students in the fall. Given the current US Supreme Court's openness to "religious freedom" arguments -- should Americans be permitted to *refuse* to use AI in their employment, etc., if it's against their sincerely held religious beliefs?