Jstor's collection of the King's Business is pretty amazing. The magazines can be so elaborate and aesthetic. There are dramatic stories and images that neatly illustrate them. And then there's this.

Late 70s/early 80s rock had some cringe moments, but I don’t think much can compete with 38 Special’s Caught Up In You. Where do you even start with this? youtu.be/zg21Rkew874

One of the most influential programs in American Studies in Europe needs your support. Sign the petition to save it here: c.org/RFHWp8HyTN

I introduced my students to Up with People today. Minds were blown.

I found a way to include some the lyrics from Carman and Petra's Our Turn Now to this article on religion in schools. The ball got dropped in 62 They wouldn’t let children pray in schools Violent crimes begin to rise The grades went low and the kids got high It sums it all up so well.

This is irresponsible.

In all seriousness, I'd love to see a reporter try to get comments from all of these people about their initial impulse to declare a literal war on half of their fellow citizens and to see if any of them regret it, apologized for it or learned anything at all from it.

Wow! Listen to this list of acts of political violence. It’s not even complete, but sobering AF. Now, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in front of a crowd, and the video is all over social media. This needs to stop.

Kirk died, per the NYT. This is so bad, in so many ways.

Breaking news: Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot at a Utah Valley University event. A suspect is in custody, according to parents whose children received an email from the university. Follow live updates:

Let’s kick off a new semester & season with my 240th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

When I was 16, we learned about Australia in school. Here is the extent of the notes I took one day.

I did a little interview about the problems with students using AI in the humanities and the limits to our response.

This was a great experience! Glad to get a chance to talk about Dobson and his legacy. Thanks @kellyjbaker.bsky.social and @johnbrooks.bsky.social for inviting me.

CFP: American Studies Association of Norway's 2026 conference "Constituting the US in the 21st Century." Deadline Oct. 15, 2025. asanor.org/2026-confere...

I just learned that NAR-preacher Cindy Jacobs will be in Oslo next week visiitng a pentecostal church in central Oslo. I am hoping for some solid reporting about the event, if possible. dayandnight.no/2025/05/05/l...

I did an interview with Chris Stevenson on the Religion in American Experience podcast. We talked about religion and the roots of rock ‘n’ roll, the Beatles, Explo ‘72 in Dallas, pentecostalism, and more.

So this happened today. The man whose work I’ve spent years stdying is gone. He was so influential ans powerful at the height of his career. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/u....

Here’s last night’s story about the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, what they have and haven’t accomplished so far, and a fun new idea for doctors who are looking to quit in style. youtu.be/3lzfH86avIc

A brand new article out by Uni of Oslo's very own @samuelklee.bsky.social!

I just ordered what looks like a really important book by @hollybfletcher.bsky.social. MKs are such an understudied part of American (and other) evangelicalism. www.broadleafbooks.com/store/produc...

Norwegian low-church aesthetics. I don’t know how many gatherings I’ve been here for over the years. Confirmations. Funerals. Birthday parties. Christmas parties. And more. It’s such an important place for small, rural communities like the one where I grew up.

Great piece on the fallout of the Sold a Story podcast and Lucy Calkins' legacy. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

I am pretty happy with the new artwork for my office. Purchased at a suburban antique mall in Kansas this summer. I just love the artwork in magazines from back then.

Fun piece about a teen trying to disprove his English teacher. The Paris Review, Dec. 2011 shorturl.at/xsL5z

My latest piece about Sanger in an exchange with a medical doctor who has offered some now so nuanced takes on her legacy with little evidence to back up his claims. (I’ve also read the footnotes in his book, and I am not so convinced he has read up on things.) www.vl.no/meninger/uli...

The feeling of getting ready for a long flight and then see that the piece you wrote last week about exaggetated claims (read: conspiracy theory) made by a prominent public intellectual about Margaret Sanger is finally up… www.vl.no/meninger/sau...

In a 1984 letter, R. J. Rushdoony commented on the dangers of eugenics and how Mankind Quarterly mainstreamed such ideas in academic circles. At least R. was right about this stuff. From: blumenfeld.campconstitution.net/Other/Rev%20...

We are hiring! Fully tenured associate professorship in environmental history! We are looking for someone who can be a strong contributor to the history group, to a new #envhum related MA program (if all goes well), and to @greenhouseuis.net. #envhist

Random find: how conservatives in 1960 viewed trade unions. The Springfield (Missouri) Leader and Press, March 30, 1960, 16.

“Billy Graham was almost eaten by a crocodile.” I think I have found a way to start this article I’ve been battling with this spring.

Up to 7 fully-funded, salaried PhD positions in the humanities open for proposals by 15 Oct. #academicsky #phdsky I'm especially keen to hear from applicants interested in the nexus media-data-museums: www.ntnu.edu/ikm/research... www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

This is so ugly. Can’t believe it could go on for so long.

Michael Tait posted a confession on Instagram today, admitting that the accusations were mostly true.

Bill Bramhall in today’s Dallas Morning News.

TW: sexual assault. Tait is one of the biggest name in Christian music and MAGA-evangelicalism.

WHISTLEBLOWER REPORT ON SEAN FEUCHT This is wild! A full-blown website written & sourced from ex-employees & ex-leaders in Sean Feucht's various ministries detailing his abuses, financial misconduct, & general scumball-ery. Let me detail why this is important... 1/ truthandfreedomstories.com

A story to follow.

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’ve never respected a Harvard student more than right now www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

My transatlantic take on the postwar pentecostal healing movement is now available from American Studies in Scandinavia. It started as a Covid-era project and fell through the cracks, but it is finally done and published!

I can’t get over this picture of Billy Graham in shorts and black socks in front of a statue of David Livingstone near Victoria Falls, recording an episode of The Hour of Decision in 1960. From Tom McMahan’s Safari for Souls (1960), which narrated Graham’s 1960 tour of Africa.

A memory from another life in another job. I still can't quite figure out what was going on in this model.

Hipp hipp hooray for the division of powers, rule of law, and habeas corpus! Happy Constitution Day!

The National Parks and their mascots are killing the social media game over on TikTok.

Director of Fulbright Norway: “We have recently been informed that over 40 percent of the applications from American researchers we had recommended to receive Fulbright grants have been stopped for political reasons...” www.khrono.no/curt-rice-sl...

I haven’t had a chance to read the entire thing, but Norway’s leading evangelical newspaper (Dagen) seems to embrace breeding babies for church growth.

This looks super interesting. Anyone interested in fundamentalism and its ties to other right-wing groups should check it out too.

When you read an interesting article and look to see what's listed as "Related content," it's really not always so related after all. But this is a great piece by @paul-a-anthony.bsky.social!

When you watch Last Week Tonight and keep thinking there is a chance your book will be quoted… But no. m.youtube.com/watch?v=sCAu...

The charismatic/evangelical penchant for MLM pyramids is international. This is the son and daughter-in-law of a power-couple of the Norwegian Christian Right. F.Ø. and H. Sæle have reportedly made 250 million NOK each month this year on selling supplements worldwide.