Ryan Collman

Just finished this episode about an hour ago. Definitely need another season.

The cover for the T&T Clark handbook of sexualities in the bile and its reception. It has an open pomegranate on it.

An image of the first page of my chapter in the volume: the ideal penis in the Bible and its reception. Here is the first paragraph: INTRODUCTION "I was in the pool! I was in the pool!" So goes the famous line from Seinfeld as George Costanza is grected with laughter by a woman who walks in on him changing. In his mind, the present size of his penis fails to meet up to its typical ideal state due to his body's physiological response to the cold water - what he and Jerry refer to as 'shrinkage'. For George, presenting as though he does not possess the ideal penis speaks negatively to his masculinity, virility and ability to satisfy a woman sexually: While modern discussions about the ideal penis often revolve around size (Gül et al. 2023) - both length and girth - what constitutes the ideal penis shifts over time and from culture to culture. For this present chapter, 1 examine the construction of the ideal penis in the Bible and its reception, with specific attention being given to how circumcision and foreskin are factored into conceptualizing the ideal penis. The main questions this chapter seeks to explore are as follows: how is the ideal penis constructed? Is it circumcised or does it have a foreskin? What wider values and ideas do these constructions convey?

My contributor copy arrived the other day. This was a fun chapter to write. I wish I could have made it longer, but the word-limit led to some textual shrinkage.

@tandtclark.bsky.social

An image of a bottle of fruit punch all sport, the greatest sports beverage of the 90s.

The things I would do for a Fruit Punch All Sport right about now…

#bodyquencher

Contemplating a giveaway if people are interested.

A picture of a book: Paul within Paganism

Contributor copies arrived just in time for me to miss SBL

All welcome to join our panel discussion of this significant scholarly book about Paul's theology of divine desire! I'll be reflecting on Christ's heartset against rape culture and other abuses of power, with implications for the academy and the church www.catholicbiblical.org/meetings/ubr...

Not sure if I’d call my work ‘serious’ but I’ll take it.

A screenshot of the proofs for my forthcoming chapter called ‘the ideal penis in the Bible and its reception’

Proofs.

Cool. I’ll give it a try. Thanks.

The .bib data is coming from a BetterBibTex file generated by Zotero.

I use betterbibtex already. The only thing Obsidian does it run the markdown file with citekeys through Pandoc (I think).

Do you have any tips on how I do this? I’m capable with tech, but not a coder.

The issue in the images is with the latest SBLHS2 file updated earlier this month. I was using an older version from 2022 (I think) and that isn’t working either, albeit nothing is being shortened or replaced by the collection-title-short modifier (so a slightly different issue).

I have no idea what it is doing. The only solution I have right now is to just replace the "series" name with the short form and delete the "collection-title-short" variable in the "extras" field. I guess that will work for now since most publishers/formats use the abbreviations anyway.

This is how it looks in Zotero. Note the extras field.

This is how it looks in the Zotero preview. Note that it has the BZNW abbreviation.

This is how it is showing up in a Pandoc generated bibliography.

This is how it is showing up in a footnote via a Pandoc generated word file (from a markdown file in Obsidian, using the obsidian pandoc plugin).

Any pandoc and zotero wizards out there? I'm not sure when this changed as I haven't exported any writing with pandoc in a while, but now my "collection-title-short" entries in Zotero aren't properly rendering in Pandoc with the SBLHS2 csl file from Zotero. #SBL
Check alt-text on pics for details.

A picture of a pint of beer at Bundobust brewery. Brewing equipment is in the background.

First beer of #BNTS2025

A bottle of irn Bru on a table on a train.

Off to #BNTS2025 and channeling my inner @profpaulmiddleton.bsky.social.

My hand holding a bottle of Jever in a green, sunny garden

First Jever of garden-beer season.

Had this discussion with a student the other day. It's such a slippery term.

Just stumbled upon two recent reviews of my book. One by Zachary McNeal in Religious Studies Review and one by Haley Gabrielle in Body and Religion:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

journal.equinoxpub.com/BAR/article/...

My hand holding a beer in a sunny Scottish garden

First garden beer of 2025

Obviously not if you count Jenn’s response.

CONTENTS Introduction Alexander Chantziantoniou, Paula Fredriksen, and Stephen L. Young Part I: The Mediterranean Matrix 1. What Does It Mean to See Paul's Judaism "within Paganism"? Alexander Chantziantoniou 2. Jews in a Pagan World Erich S. Gruen 3. Paul and Roman Freelance Expertise Heidi Wendt Part II: A World Full of Gods 4. The Universal Polytheism and the Case of the Apostle Paul Matthew V. Novenson 5. Pauline Polytheism and the Triumph of the Davidic Messiah Paula Fredriksen Part III: Deification and Spirit Possession 6. Paul among the Sons of God Matthew Thiessen 7. Paul on Becoming (a) God M. David Litwa 8. Paul among the Other Possessed Giovanni B. Bazzana

Part IV: Divination, Magic, and Astrology 9. Paul among the Pagan Prophets Matthew T. Sharp 10. Curses in the Pauline Letters Laura Salah Nasrallah 11. Paul, the Moon, and Cosmic Philosophy Robyn Faith Walsh Part V: Authorizing Paul's Gospel 12. Paul, Epiphanies, and Social Formation Sarah E. Rollens 13. Paul, Martial Imagery, and Adjuring Gentile Loyalty Jennifer Eyl 14. Paul among Pagan Penises Ryan D. Collman 15. Gendering Sin and Salvation in Paul Stephen L. Young Response From Paul Beyond the Judaism/"Paganism" Divide to Paul as an Ancient Eastern Mediterranean Jew in the Early Roman Imperial Period Troels Engberg-Pedersen Contributors Bibliography Index

The volume has a stellar lineup of ECRs, mid-career scholars, senior scholars, and retired professors. Together they represent a new approach to Paul come of age.

Take a peek at the ToC below:

Paul within Paganism: Restoring the Mediterranean Context to the Apostle Leading and rising scholars introduce a burgeoning new approach to the study of Paul, which situates the Jewish apostle to gentiles within the wider world of ancient Mediterranean religion.

𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 has a cover and a website!

Conceived as a companion to PwJ (Fortress, 2015), this is the first go-to introductory resource on PwP (Fortress, 2025). The publication date is set for 4 Nov 2025, just in time for SBL.

www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...

Paul within Paganism: Restoring the Mediterranean Context to the Apostle Leading and rising scholars introduce a burgeoning new approach to the study of Paul, which situates the Jewish apostle to gentiles within the wider world of ancient Mediterranean religion.

ON THE WAY! The volume @alexichantz.bsky.social, Paula Fredriksen, & I edited is @fortresspress.bsky.social for pre-order. TOC Below. Truly awesome contributors. Big thanks to all involved. Feels like we've been having a party and finally get to invite everyone! www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...

Paul within Paganism: Restoring the Mediterranean Context to the Apostle Leading and rising scholars introduce a burgeoning new approach to the study of Paul, which situates the Jewish apostle to gentiles within the wider world of ancient Mediterranean religion.

Coming out just in time for SBL in November… *Paul within Paganism.*

My chapter is titled, “Paul among Pagan Penises.”

www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...

Wake up, kids! New Sam Perry article just dropped.

There’s one week left to get your proposals in!

Quick reminder to get your proposals in!

YouTube video by Congressman Jared Moskowitz Moskowitz Mocks Signal Chat Between Administration Officials

Wish I was still registered to vote in @repmoskowitz.bsky.social’s district.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Modc...