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Nathaniel Metz

@nmetz.bsky.social

PhD student in theology at Baylor. MTS from Duke Div. Passionate about theology, philosophy, atmospheric aesthetics, re-enchanting Christianity, and almost anything in the realm of “weird studies.” Opinion expressed are my own. Reposts not an endorsement

120 Followers  |  150 Following  |  27 Posts  |  Joined: 14.12.2024
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Posts by Nathaniel Metz (@nmetz.bsky.social)

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Utopian Scholastic Aesthetic: Where Learning Meets Wonder A reflection on how beauty, curiosity, and imagination make learning a sacred act.

substack.com/home/post/p-...

#theosky #theology #art #aesthetics

21.10.2025 16:35 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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I wrote a new blog post talking about #superman, #missionimpossible, and #jurassicworld as it pertains to developing a new moral perception of the world.

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

13.08.2025 18:15 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Why I Hate Box Restaurants (and other spaces like it) Against the nihilism of "corporate blandism" and the necessity of beautiful spaces

It's an aesthetic trend that many have noticed, and I felt like I'd give my two cents about it as well.

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

08.07.2025 16:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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nathanielmetz.substack.com/publish/post...

#film #scripture #theology #theosky

17.06.2025 15:49 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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I just wrote an analysis of the 2014 film "Whiplash," using a Jungian framework. I hope you enjoy! The full post is free to read.
open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

#filmanalysis #film #Jung #art #pyschology #esotericism

04.06.2025 21:21 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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“If you behold the earth and the rocks you will acknowledge that there is a life in them; for if this were not so, there would be in them neither gold nor silver, and neither herbs nor grasses."
JAKOB BOEHME (1575-1624)
(Aurora, xix. 57.)

09.01.2025 03:15 — 👍 33    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 1
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The three Marys at the empty tomb being greeted by an angel.
#EasterSunday
BL Add 49598; Benedictional of Æthelwold; 963 CE-984 CE; England, S; f.51v

19.04.2025 12:33 — 👍 37    🔁 6    💬 1    📌 0
long-eared bat flying over a churchyard

long-eared bat flying over a churchyard

bat flying over ruined church

bat flying over ruined church

For #BatAppreciationDay
Long-eared bat flying over churchyard, J.W. Whimper
Bat flying over ruined church
wellcomecollection.org/works/th8k67se
British Library
#TheVictorianBookoftheDead

17.04.2025 12:49 — 👍 26    🔁 6    💬 1    📌 1
The Philosophers: Portrait of Sergei Bulgakov and Pavel Florenskiy

The Philosophers: Portrait of Sergei Bulgakov and Pavel Florenskiy

The Philosophers: Portrait of Sergei Bulgakov and Pavel Florenskiy https://www.wikiart.org/en/mikhail-nesterov/the-philosophers-portrait-of-sergei-bulgakov-and-pavel-florenskiy-1917

15.04.2025 13:49 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

They are not. I am the creator behind Vacation Bible School, though I don’t have an account on Bluesky for my music (in most part because I am on an extended hiatus currently).

02.04.2025 15:21 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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I wrote a new short blog post about how G.I. Gurdjieff’s “fourth way” can relate to the atmospheres of built environment. The combination helps us foster a deeper sense of religious and sacred attention while we navigate the everyday world

#vibes #gurdjieff #art

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

28.03.2025 15:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Interestingly enough, those who most liked the “trendy” or “worship concert” atmospheres were either a worship leader or one of the production designers. Though I did not meet or talk to anyone else who matched their enthusiasm.
Take that with a grain of salt, but this survey resonates what I saw

20.03.2025 14:21 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Back when I did a master’s thesis on church atmospheres, I interviewed lots of people. Most said they liked traditional spaces. Even those who attended a “trendy” church would shrug their shoulders and say, “It’s fine I guess,” but the real reason they attended was the community (and preaching)

20.03.2025 14:17 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Americans Think Church Should Look Churchy - Christianity Today People want traditional worship spaces, not modern, trendy buildings.

Very true in my slightly-more-than-anecdotal experience. So glad that @christianitytoday.com is mentioning it
www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/best...

20.03.2025 14:17 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

I’m reading “The Whole Mystery of Christ” right now for class (and really liking). I saw this and thought to myself, “Oh that would probably be a good supplemental material because Wood mentions NCC a lot.”

Then I realized it’s all the same author haha. Fun stuff!

16.02.2025 04:48 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
the Green Knight neither falls nor falters, but instead reaches out, picks up his severed head, and mounts his horse. The Green Knight shows his bleeding head to Queen Guinevere, while it reminds Gawain that the two must meet again at the Green Chapel in a year and a day,

the Green Knight neither falls nor falters, but instead reaches out, picks up his severed head, and mounts his horse. The Green Knight shows his bleeding head to Queen Guinevere, while it reminds Gawain that the two must meet again at the Green Chapel in a year and a day,

‘Said Gawain, gay of cheer, ‘Whether fate be foul or fair, Why falter I or fear? What should man do but dare?’’ ~ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. #BookWormSat

15.02.2025 13:18 — 👍 100    🔁 15    💬 1    📌 0
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Some of my rumination on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the story of David choosing not to kill Saul

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

#theosky

25.01.2025 00:45 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

To be clear: I unironically agree with Hart here. I also look forward to the redeemed Spinosaurus because he was my favorite as a kid.

24.01.2025 16:31 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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"Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful!" #SaintFrancisOfAssisi #Maine

19.01.2025 12:41 — 👍 42    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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Creation is not a static hierarchy in which the non-human has no value, but it is also not a chaotic flux of pure immanence. I parse a third theological path— “cybernetic animism”— between those positions in my latest blog post

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

#theosky

18.01.2025 19:42 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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A new student @fullerseminary.bsky.social had the BEST responses to Week #1 readings:

"Don't go into theological texts looking for a fight!"

"How can these big ideas change how I live?"

"Western theology isn't the only voice."

"Reading about church history felt like theological time travel!"

16.01.2025 22:05 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0
An icon of Holy Wisdom with text that says: the noumenal interconnection of self and creation, a blog post

An icon of Holy Wisdom with text that says: the noumenal interconnection of self and creation, a blog post

Noumenal-phenomenal. Apophatic-cataphatic. Personal selfhood and collective selfhood. Kant and Bulgakov. I muse on the connection of these topics in my latest blog post to talk about the noumenal self and its relationship to all Creation.

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

#theosky #theology

09.01.2025 16:17 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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A fascinating Christmas tale with intriguing themes and archetypes. I wrote some theological reflections on the Arthurian story, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

#theosky

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

31.12.2024 02:02 — 👍 5    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
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“The shepherds had to overcome their fear, for man was called to respond to this Theophany not with fear and trepidation due to the incommensurability between the Creator and creation, but with that which transcends such fear and is superior to it: with the joy of love.” Lk 2,10

24.12.2024 08:04 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
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The Nutcracker and Integration: A Jungian Interpretation A brief analysis on one of my favorite Christmas stories

Merry Christmas Eve!!

This night always makes me think of my favorite Christmas story, The Nutcracker. And the ballet music ballet is gorgeous! I find the themes and characters quite inspiring—a beautiful Christmas fairy tale❤️

#christmas #magic #theology #Jung

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

24.12.2024 17:24 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
The vision to Ivan Susanin Michael's image

The vision to Ivan Susanin Michael's image

The vision to Ivan Susanin Michael's image https://www.wikiart.org/en/mikhail-nesterov/the-vision-to-ivan-susanin-michael-s-image-1906

24.12.2024 17:14 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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Santa Claus is real! He’s a hyperobject of enchantment. (Aka, I don’t want coal again this year 😅).
#christmas #advent #enchantment

open.substack.com/pub/nathanie...

23.12.2024 00:10 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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This one made me laugh out loud.

22.12.2024 19:00 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Interesting Christmas synchronicity with the godfather in the Nutcracker, who, in the original story, is talked about as an owl. The children even wonder if he transforms into an owl at night. Similar energy

22.12.2024 03:35 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Have Yourself an Enchanted Little Advent - Christianity Today Angels are everywhere in the Bible. The Christmas season reminds us to take them seriously.

Something about the qualities of advent have traditionally been thought of as a time in which reality is quite liminal—where our world is more thin and the spiritual bleeds through.

On that note, I enjoyed this article from @christianitytoday.com

www.christianitytoday.com/2024/12/nati...

20.12.2024 20:43 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0