I can tell you from experience, this essay by @profpaulmiddleton.bsky.social teaches *very well* and served as the reading for the capstone session to my martyrdom course this semester. Highly highly recommend.

I was delighted to take part in the #SBLAAR25 panel honouring the work of Elizabeth Castelli, with a paper on the 'martyrdom' of Charlie Kirk.

All this week we are featuring essays from our latest #forum celebrating the work of Elizabeth Castelli. Today we continue with an essay from Paul Middleton @profpaulmiddleton.bsky.social

I'm a bit surprised the post-mortem of Labour's worst Scottish Parliament result focus on the hope the 'surprise' by-election win in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse gave them. In fact, a 2% win in an easy seat was precisely in line with the SNP's 12% national opinion poll lead at the time.

The media don't seem to know how First Ministers are chosen in Scotland and Wales. You can either vote for a candidate or abstain; you don't get a vote against. The only way Labour could "block" Rhun ap Iorwerth is by voting for Reform's nominee with the Tories. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Against John Swinney's target of a majority, the SNP's 58 seats may feel flat. However, the Parliamentary arithmetic remains exactly the same. The SNP has more seats than the combination of *any* four of the other five parties, so as the last session, agreement can be struck with any single party.

A couple of interesting Scottish Election statistics: *In both the 1999 and 2003 Scottish Elections, the Liberal Democrats came *fourth* with 17 seats. In 2026, both second placed parties won 17 seats. *In 2026 Labour and Conservative combined achieved fewer seats than the Conservatives in 2021.

Scottish Election Result Constituency SNP 38.2% (-9.5) Labour 19.2% (-2.4) Reform UK 15.8% (new) Conservative 11.8% (-10.1) Liberal Democrat 11.4% (+4.4) Scottish Green 2.3% (+1) Top up List SNP 27.2% (-13.2) RefUK 16.6% (new) LAB 16% (-1.9) ScotGRN 14% (+5.9) CON 11.8% (-11.7) LibDem 9.4% (+4.3)

So after the election of the Presiding Officer and the First Minister, do Anas Sarwar and Malcolm Offord play a game of rock, paper, scissors to see whether Labour or Reform, both on 17 seats, get to call themselves the 'official opposition' (although the position is convention rather than formal).

Final Scottish Election 2026 result. SNP 58 (-6) Labour 17 (-5) Reform UK 17 (+17) Greens 15 (+7) Conservative 12 (-19) Liberal Democrats 10 (+6) *Best ever Scottish Green result *Worst ever Labour and Conservative results *Largest ever winning seat margin between first and second (41).

Final results in the Highland and Islands finally announced at 1.14am. I underestimated the LibDem vote given the number of constituency seats they'd won. Reform 2 Greens 2 Conservative 1 Liberal Democrat 1 SNP 1

Waiting up for the Highland and Islands List result. Assuming the pattern of constituency and list votes, the SNP could be compensated for some constituency losses (despite picking up Shetland). Probably 2 each for Reform, Greens, Conservatives, and 1 for SNP. But we await the official count.

Been out and see that they are still counting in the Scottish Election. Still 7 regional list seats to come in. On a quick (and given I've had a few drinks perhaps incorrect) calculation on the likely spread of the Highland seats, Labour and Reform may both end up in joint second on 17 seats.

Scottish results going to be several hours for the 56 Regional seats. No doubt SNP has won a fifth consecutive term, but a good few seats short of a majority (although reminder it's a PR voting system). With 69/73 constituency seats declared: SNP 55 LibDem 5 Conservative 4 Labour 3 Greens 2

Final Wales Election result is sensational. Labour and Conservatives only have 16/96 seats between them! Plaid Cymru 43 Reform UK 34 Labour 9 Conservative 7 Green 2 Liberal Democrat 1 Plaid should have no difficulty forming a minority government.

I was on The Ancients podcast last week talking about Judas Iscariot, and plugging my (not yet written) next book, Redeeming Judas Iscariot: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of an Invented Villain. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfff...

Less well reported as we go into election week are the four April Scottish Independence polls. Should Scotland be an independent country? YES 53% NO 47% (Find out Now/Scotgoespop) YES 52% NO 48% (Survation/Diffley) YES 52% NO 48% (Survation/Ballot Box) YES 55% NO 45% (Norstat/Sunday Times)

Given there is a Scottish Parliament election in a few weeks time, there hasn't been very many polls. One from Survation last week: Constituency: SNP 35% LAB 19% REF 19% CON 11% GRN 8% LD 8% List: SNP 32% REF 18% LAB 17% CON 13% GRN 11% LD 8% Seat estimate SNP 62 REF 19 LAB 18 CON 12 GRN 11 LD 7

It's often said that those who are opposed to Assisted Dying legislation are standing up for and speaking for the most vulnerable in society. This is, of course, important. However, we always need to make sure thinking we're speaking up for folk doesn't mean speaking over them and failing to listen.

While last year's Church of Scotland General Assembly voted very narrowly (4 votes) to retain its opposition to Assisted Dying, it received a significant report outlining the fact and reasons people of faith hold different views on Assisted Dying. www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/our...

A difficult decision for all Scottish Parliamentarians today as the final vote takes place on the Assisted Dying bill. I am personally for this bill, for which the eligibility is restricted to residents of Scotland with a terminal illness, and a 6 month prognosis. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Three Scottish Parliament Election polls this week. (Yougov/Ipsos/Survation) Two months out, the SNP are still well in front, with seat projections from 57-64. Some shuffling in all other positions with Labour and Reform battling for a poor second. Two polls show substantial Green gains. #SP2026

Scottish Election polls showing the SNP significantly down on 2021 performance, but that was a colossal 48% of the vote. Worth bearing in mind, Labour are the only other party which has ever received more than 35% of the vote at a Scottish Election: just once, in the first elections in 1999 (38.8%)

More Scottish Parliament polls out last week. Yougov/Find Out Now. Same basic story: SNP way out in front, Reform leading Labour Constituency SNP 34%/36% REFuk 18%/21% LAB 14%/12% GRN 11%/10% LD 10%/9% CON 10%/7% Regional SNP 28%/29% REFuk 19%/20% LAB 14%/12% GRN 16%/14% LD 10%/9% CON 10%/10%

Norstat Scottish Parliament poll 15 Feb 2026. Constituency: SNP 35% Reform UK 19% Labour 17% Conservative 10% Green 8% LibDem 8% Regional List: SNP 30% Reform UK 19% Labour 17% Conservative 11% Green 11% LibDem 7% Alba 3% Seat estimate (John Curtice) SNP 60 RUK 22 LAB 16 CON 13 GRN 10 LD 8

John Curtice projection on today's Norstat Scottish Parliament election poll. To put this in perspective, the highest number of seats attained by a party other than the SNP in Holyrood is 56 (LAB, 1999). 38 would be (by far) largest lead in seats between winners and second. (33, SNP v CON, 2021)

There's a lot of very silly commentary on this poll, which was almost certainly commissioned by Restore. It does *not* say these are the current voting intentions; It does not suggest there's anything wrong with the polling firm. The question was designed to 'advertise' Restore.

Scottish Election (Holyrood) poll (More in Common, 5 Feb 2026). Constituency: SNP 35% Reform 19% LAB 18% CON: 11% LibDem: 10% GRN: 5% Regional: SNP 25% Reform 20% LAB 19% LibDem 13% CON 12% GRN 9% Seat estimate (John Curtice) SNP 59 LAB 19 Reform 19 LibDem 13 CON 11 GRN 8

Very sad news that the former Scottish Health Secretary, Jeanne Freeman, who served through the Covid19 pandemic, has died. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Scottish Election poll (Yougov 28 January - fieldwork much earlier). #SP2026 Constituency SNP 34% Reform 20% LAB 15% CON 10% Lib Dem 10% GRN 9% Regional SNP 29% Reform 20% LAB 15% GRN 12% CON 11% LD 9% Rough seat projection (electionpolling) SNP 59 Reform 24 Labour 16 CON 12 GRN 10 LD 8

Very sorry to hear about the death of Jim Wallace. As well as the first Deputy First Minister in the Scottish Parliament, he was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2021-2022 (the first male elder to hold the role in 400 years!). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Two Scottish Independence polls published this week. Should Scotland be an independent country? (Survation) YES 50% NO 50% (Norstat) YES 51% NO 49%

Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) seat projection on Norstat/Sunday Times poll (16/1/26) (electionpolling: other models have different outcome) #SP2026 SNP 59 (-5) Reform UK 19 (+19) Labour 18 (-4) Conservative 14 (-17) Green 10 (+2) LibDem 9 (+5) SNP 6 short of a majority Independence majority +9

Second Scottish Election poll out (Norstat, 16/1/26). Consistent with last few polls. SNP well in front with Labour and Reform UK jostling for second. #SP2026 Constituency: SNP 35% LAB 19% Reform 17% CON 11% LibDem 9% GRN 7% Regional List: SNP 29% LAB 17% Reform 16% CON 12% GRN 11% LibDem 9%

Holyrood seat projection from first Scottish Election poll of 2026. (Survation/True North, 15/1/26). #SP2026 SNP 61 (-3) Lab 18 (-4) Ref 18 (+18) Con 12 (-19) LD 11 (+7) Grn 9 (+1) Independence majority +11 43 seats would be the largest winning distance in devolution history.

First full Scottish Parliament poll of the year (Survation/True North, 15/1/26). Constituency SNP 34% Reform 19% Labour 16% Conservative 13% LibDem 9% Green 8% Regional List SNP 28% Labour 18% Reform 18% Conservative 13% LibDem 11% Green 9% Seat Projection SNP 61 Lab 18 Ref 18 Con 12 LD 11 Grn 9

#sblaar25 meant getting up at 4.30am, drinking gin on the plane, going to the hotel gym (and messing up my selfie), but at 8.30pm Boston time, I'm seriously flagging!

There was a lot of intetest in my B&M shopping trolley this afternoon!!

My 'expert' view as unofficial Professor of Biblical and Irn Bru Studies is that this ungodly mixture is covered by Leviticus 19:19. It is, therefore, an abomination. To be honest, I'd need a lot of persuading cinnamon belongs in anything (other than cinnamon buns, and even then at a push)!

"One of the greatest acts of pick-pocketry!" I agree with the commentator, but who cares! 😀 Scotland 3 Greece 1 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #SCOvGRE

Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus Vol. 23, No. 2-3 (2025) brill.com/view/journal... @dgb-relbibtheo.bsky.social They Suffered Under Pontius Pilate: Jewish Anti-Roman Resistance and the Crosses at Golgotha @robertjmyles.bsky.social @profpaulmiddleton.bsky.social

The British New Testament Society conference is taking place in Manchester. Tonight, we have a panel on decolonising New Testament Studies. #bnts25 @bntsoc.bsky.social

The way to challenge the racist, far-right, anti-immigration, anti-asylum seeker rhetoric is not to say extreme plans won't work, but pander to the sentiment and offer a 'softer' version; it's to declare that it is wrong. www.thenational.scot/politics/254...

My most controversial (but correct) view is the moment racism became mainstream in British (English) politics (under the circumlocution "concerned about immigration") was during the 2010 Election Campaign, when Gordon Brown did not say: "I called her a bigoted woman because she was a bigoted woman!"

It's hot here in the South of France, but there are wasps floating in the pool!!

The new Archbishop of Wales is The Rt Rev Cheery Vann, who was the first woman ordained priest by the Church of England, is the first woman Archbishop of Wales, and is (I think) the first LGBTQ+ primus of an Anglican Province. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Assisted Dying is often seen as a clash between religious and secular world views. The Church of Scotland's report argues there is theological integrity in a range of positions. Assembly narrowly voted to remain opposed, but commends the report for study. www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/asset...

General Assembly of the Church of Scotland service about to get underway. #GA2025

The Rt Rev Rosie Frew becomes Moderator of tge General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the King has affirmed his Coronation Oath to uphold Presbyterian government in Scotland. #GA2025

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland gets underway. #ga2025