The allergy to religion that somehow still persists in various social sciences and humanities is itself a critical data point in understanding how we got into this mess.

"We need to relearn how to sit still with our own thoughts." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/o...

A great opportunity for contingent and independent scholars of religion: $3000 stipend, one-week residency at The Ohio State University (travel and lodging covered), deliver a public lecture and interact OSU community. Deadline: August 15, 2026.

I'm thrilled to say that we are hiring a tenure track Assistant Professor of Religion in the Islam subfield at Denison University! Please share widely among your networks. apply.interfolio.com/188984

Susannah Heschel on women in Jewish Studies www.hadassahmagazine.org/2026/07/06/t...

Delighted that my next book, Empires, Communities, and Loyalty on the Roman-Sasanian Frontier, is forthcoming with Cambridge UP! It explores when, why, & how questions of loyalty became attached to groups as such, esp. Jews & diverse Christian communities, & their political/social/religious effects

Today I begin my tenure as Chair and Associate Professor of Denison University's Religion Department. I made a little promo to help advertise the department. Check it out! www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4M1...

We are pleased to announce this year's Models of Piety lineup at SBL's annual meeting! "Places of Practice, Practices of Place: Two Perspectives on Religious Community in Rural Syria and Palestine during Late Antiquity" With Dina Boero, Ra’anan Boustan, and Karen Britt Mid Afternoon on Nov 20th.

every time I say this, someone didn't know: you can get the NYRB, the New Yorker, the LRB, Paris Review, The Spectator (weirdly not New Statesman), The Week, both French & Italian Vogue & New Scientist among many many other magazines FREE via the Libby app from your local library?

I use our LMS and value it as a repository students can access, but this essay resonates with my experience. Have we removed too many "points of friction"? www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

Sarit Kattan Gribetz begins a review forum engaging Moulie Vidas' The Rise of Talmud.

I am the target audience. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXA3...

Today, Carrie Schroeder reviews Liv Ingeborg Lied and Brent Nongbri's Working with Manuscripts: A Guide for Textual Scholars. www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2026/5/26/working-with-manuscripts-a-guide-for-textual-scholars

On this 26th Day of Jewish American Heritage Month, sharing this amazing resource on the Jews of Charleston. I love how it visualizes the community in 1788, 1833, 1910, and 2020 and gives you a sense of key people in each of these moments in time. Kudos to everyone a the Pearlstine/Lipov Center.

People don't long for "inconvenience." They long for permanence. And though streaming services may be convenient, people are waking up to the fact that we are paying rent-seeking middle men month after month for things we will never actually own.

My book is 50% off through Princeton's Spring Sale if you were looking to snag it at a deal. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

Behind on your #AJR reading? Check out the full forum here: www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2026/4/...

Calling all Association for Jewish Studies members! Today's email includes a link to a very important survey that will directly shape the priorities of the organization. Have you been happy? Frustrated? Let AJS know! The survey results will have a direct impact!

It was such a joy to participate last May in this panel on Virginia Burrus's book Earthquakes and Gardens. You'll be able to read all the papers at the AJR forum this week.

I am helping the Massachusetts Board of Education revise their 6th grade "Abrahamic Religions" unit and was able to direct them to @sblsite.bsky.social's Bible Odyssey resources. Very thankful it exists!

A bit of news! I have accepted a tenured position at Denison University. They recruited me to chair their Religion department, architect a rebuild of its curriculum, and help launch a Jewish studies program. I formally begin July 1st.

Calling all Professors of Religion! Do you teach an intro to the study of religion course? If so, would you be willing to share your syllabus? Collecting for research purposes.

New essay in a forum on Bavli studies from Yitz Landes, who brings Book History to the study of the Talmud's reception. www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2026/3/...

Today is the FINAL day for submissions. Rabbinics would love to feature your work!

The SBL call for papers is open for the 2026 Annual Meeting in Denver. Consider submitting a proposal to the Rabbinic Literature and Culture program unit. @yitzl.bsky.social and I are happy to answer any questions! members.sbl-site.org/cfp-detail?z...

Just a reminder, the greatest living American historian filmmaker, Ken Burns, released a 720 min exploration of every facet of the American revolution using zero generative AI and paying for all of its assets instead of cobbling it from stolen data, then he gave it away for free on PBS this year.

The more things change… here’s the VP proving that paganism remains a useful foil for a certain vision of American “civilization”: “it is about whether we will remain a civilization under God, or whether we ultimately return to the paganism that dominated the past” religionnews.com/2026/01/23/m...

Very pleased to be able to finally announce "The Critical Edition in the Infrastructure of Philology," a special issue of Philological Encounters edited by me and @danielpicus.bsky.social out this Spring.

The study of rabbinic literature today lost a giant: Prof. Menahem Kahana of the Hebrew University. I have much to say abt Kahana, my teacher, & I hope to do so in the coming weeks. Right now I remember his friendship with my father z”l, to whom he recently dedicated an article. חבל על דאבדין

If you're attending AJS in two weeks, I would love to meet and hear about your projects!

Jordan Penkower passed away in September & barely a day goes by without his name coming up in my conversations with other scholars. This tribute by Yosef Ofer does an excellent job at summarizing Penkower’s main contributions to the study of the text of the Hebrew Bible. brill.com/view/journal...

BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university Full statement from NU below:

…to the SBL book hall, where an increasing proportion of the leading publishers in our field are cranking out glued-binding, printed-paper-hardcover, absolute bargain basement print-on-demand-style books at price points just as eye-watering as ever /2

It’s our last day at #AARSBL25, hosted by @aarweb.bsky.social & @sblsite.bsky.social, but you’ve still got time to stop by our booth (704)! Not only do we have fascinating new religion titles for you to check out, but we’re also giving out code EXH30 for 30% off (in the US & Canada) through 12/15!

This is a late ancient (5-7th c.?) Greek account of the life of a rich woman who was raised Jewish, converted to Christianity when her parents died, lived for 20 years as a male monk named John, was discovered & made head of a woman's monastery, & was later martyred

I was asked what my dissertation was on every single day of SBL. Next year I'm dying my hair gray.

I would love to connect with you at SBL if you have a book project.

Looking forward to chatting with lovely people today. Come join us?

This is today!!

Hey SBL! Come see a panel of folks thinking about expertise in late antiquity on Sunday, Nov 23rd at 4pm.

I am pleased to announce that John Penniman, Emanuel Fiano, and I are launching a new book series for the study of religion in late antiquity with Fordham University Press. If you have a book-in-progress looking for a home, please reach out to discuss your project! fordhampress.com/theoria

Are you planning your SBL 2025 schedule? Check out the lineup of panels from the Rabbinic Literature and Culture section.

Next week, Nov 4 at 7:30pm EST, @kristadalton.bsky.social will speak about her book, How Rabbis Became Experts, and how the practice of eating together shaped rabbinic culture at the University of Minnesota's Center for Jewish Studies Lecture Series 25-26. Don't miss this free event! buff.ly/WUJZ3lk

Calling all Minnesota friends. I'm giving a book talk at the St. Paul JCC next Tuesday (Nov 4th) and would love to see you! cla.umn.edu/jewish-studi...

Announcement! Ancient Jew Review is the new host of Models of Piety (MOP), the annual meeting of scholars of religion in late antiquity. If you regularly attend SBL/AAR, come join us at this year's cocktail hour. More info here:

We are pleased to announce a dedicated podcast feed for "New Books in Late Antiquity," sponsored by Ancient Jew Review. Follow on Apple (podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n... ) or Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/6uGXkAl...) now!

New podcast! Mike Motia interviews Walter Scheidel about his book, What Is Ancient History? @princetonupress.bsky.social newbooksnetwork.com/what-is-anci...

Don't forget! You can follow Ancient Jew Review on Substack and receive every post automatically in your feed: substack.com/@ancientjewr....