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Joe Blankholm

@joeblankholm.bsky.social

Associate Professor of Religious Studies at UC-Santa Barbara. Author of The Secular Paradox (NYU 2022). Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project. Book under contract with W. W. Norton.

170 Followers  |  356 Following  |  9 Posts  |  Joined: 04.02.2025  |  1.8247

Latest posts by joeblankholm.bsky.social on Bluesky

We’re cutting faculty, raising class sizes, pushing tech on profs & Ss that few people want and helping these grifters become billionaires. Ridiculous www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is...

02.10.2025 17:00 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Wrote this for @nytimes.com two weeks after J6:

www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/o...

15.08.2025 04:20 β€” πŸ‘ 51    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1
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The Beliefs of Nonbelievers: Exclusive Empiricism and Mortal Finitude Among Atheists and Agnostics Abstract. This essay argues that β€œatheist” and β€œagnostic” are not merely negative labels that indicate a person lacks belief in God or is not religious. Re

It's not just voting that makes atheists and agnostics different. They're far more likely be exclusive empiricists who believe death is the final end. We show the receipts and explain what this means in an essay that relies on the General Social Survey. academic.oup.com/socrel/artic...

13.08.2025 20:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Just a reminder that atheists (82%) and agnostics (80%) supported Kamala Harris at almost the same rate that white evangelicals supported Trump (85%) in the last presidential election. The secular vote matters, and it's growing.

13.08.2025 20:10 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Home - The Secular Vote The Go-To Resource on Secular Voters Providing accurate representation a insightful analysis of secular voters to foster a deeper understanding. Explore more Latest Articles View More Meet Our Experts...

Glad to be part of a new project, @thesecularvote.bsky.social cularvote.bsky.social, started by @juhemnr.bsky.social and Sarah Levin. The site connects secular voters and the media with resources about Americans (more than a third!) who are nonreligious in one sense or another.

thesecularvote.com

13.08.2025 20:07 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Looking forward to participating in this event tomorrow. It's a great edited volume. Worth attending if you're interested and haven't read it yet.

22.07.2025 18:14 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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19th-century Catholic teachings, 21st-century tech: How concerns about AI guided Pope Leo’s choice of name The most recent Pope Leo’s writings about workers’ rights amid the Industrial Revolution form the foundation of modern Catholic social teachings.

New inΒ @theconversation.com, I explain the radical lessons from Pope Leo XIII that suggest how Leo XIV might approach AI: theconversation.com/19th-century...

21.05.2025 13:37 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Call for Papers: Biographies and the Secular

The Secular Studies Association Brussels announces its call for proposals for an upcoming conference entitled, "Biographies and the Secular." The CFP will be open through 30 June.

06.05.2025 17:52 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Our special issue "Biography and Secularism" is now out with Secular Studies! It is edited by Jeffrey Tyssens and me, departs from a workshop I hosted last year on biography and the history of atheism, secularism, and humanism, and includes 1+7 articles. Summary πŸ‘‡
brill.com/view/journal...
1/9

15.04.2025 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Today is publication day! πŸŽ‰

Martyrs and Migrants: Coptic Christians and the Persecution Politics of US Empire, is now available @nyupress.bsky.social.

Use code NYUAU30 for 30% off:
nyupress.org/978147983322...

25.03.2025 13:48 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Progressives Have Religious Freedom Too At the end of March, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case about religious freedom. In late April, it heard two more. By summer, the Court could decide to give religious employers another tax br...

Agreed! thefulcrum.us/governance-l...

06.05.2025 19:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

"That same year, @lawrightsreligion.bsky.social published a report that described examples of religious freedom supporting progressive causes. The report failed to make waves in part because progressives weren’t ready to embrace their religious freedom. Now...the calculus has changed."

05.05.2025 18:57 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Progressives Have Religious Freedom Too At the end of March, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case about religious freedom. In late April, it heard two more. By summer, the Court could decide to give religious employers another tax br...

"Progressives Have Religious Freedom Too." My OpEd at @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social builds on my research on the variety among the nonreligious, including nonbelievers and spiritual people. Thanks to the Op Ed Project and @neiljyoung.bsky.social for their support. thefulcrum.us/governance-l...

05.05.2025 18:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

Looks like Angel’s!

19.04.2025 21:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Crackdown implies universities are doing illegal things. Why are you wording it this way? If it’s his claim, it’s false propaganda. At least use quotes

11.04.2025 14:25 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Book cover, Moved by the Dead, by Michael Amoruso

Book cover, Moved by the Dead, by Michael Amoruso

I'm excited to announce that my book is out with @uncpress.bsky.social!

uncpress.org/book/9781469... (use discount code 01SOCIAL30)

26.03.2025 20:01 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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If American religion were 100 people

63 Christians:
23 Evangelicals
19 Catholics
11 Mainline
5 Black Protestants
3 Other Christians
2 LDS

7 Other World Religions:
2 Jews
2 Other
1 Buddhist
1 Hindu
1 Muslim

30 Unaffiliated:
19 Nothing in particular
6 Agnostics
5 Atheists

29.03.2025 16:34 β€” πŸ‘ 29    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4

Grateful to Niels de Nutte for organizing this special issue of Secular Studies about my book, The Secular Paradox. My response to the forum will be in the next issue, along with the first emoticon I've managed to slide into an academic essay Β―\_(ツ)_/Β―
brill.com/view/journal...

19.03.2025 16:54 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

@joeblankholm is following 19 prominent accounts