this is why current attempts to isolate and shame Israel won't have the effect people think. Much better approach is to build coalitions with Israelis who are unhappy with Netanyahu, as I've argued. duckofminerva.substack.com/p/will-recog...

I mostly have my chronic #migraine under control, except for periods where I'm stuck in an attack, and now is one of those periods. Even though I know I'll get out of it, it does weigh on you-you wonder if you'll ever be able to function normally again

I was talking with a Middle East studies expert after Trump was elected, and said that his desire to be a deal-maker may override his base's support for Netanyahu's Israel. The expert basically laughed, bc Trump is apparently too beholden to US evangelicals. I kind of think I was right.

my new post on the @duckofminerva.bsky.social. I looked at IR scholarship on state recognition to see if it tells us anything about whether the wave of Palestine recognitions will have an effect.

this is pure speculation, but an attack on a Mormon church soon after Kirk's assassination in Utah feels like it could be connected. Could a game of telephone have led a Kirk fan to lash out at Mormons in general? www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/u...

this happened in Vermont too- www.sevendaysvt.com/news/winoosk...

a student brought in some apples for me today (it's apple picking season in VT). I feel like a real teacher. #academicsky

UVM Political Science was excited to host @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social of FIRE to discuss authoritarianism in higher education (based on her new book). I failed in my hosting duties and didn't get a picture of her in action but she took a nice pic of our Dewey Lounge www.press.jhu.edu/books/author...

as part of my looming midlife crisis, I want to start going by a nickname. Something like Burt Reynolds as Gator. ChatGPT suggested Razor Colt, Rex and Stingray. I'm also considering Razor Crest, since I play Star Wars Legion and frequently use Din Jarin.

even when I was attending an evangelical church, I was always disturbed by the excitement people had for the Rapture. If you take the Bible seriously, you should be dreading it, both because of the fear and trembling over our own salvation but also bc we should mourn anyone who isn't taken up

“I think 500,000 people need to be arrested, tried, and possibly killed.” www.rawstory.com/ali-alexande...

someone got angry about the work they had to do on a committee I chair and resigned suddenly, leaving the rest of us to pick up their work. I'm always amazed by the behavior some academics think they can get away with/get away with #academicsky

Checked to see what Reason had to say on Kimmel, and remembered why my short-lived flirtation with libertarianism was short-lived. Basically, they don't see it as that big of a deal because Biden also pressured the media and they think his was worth reason.com/2025/09/18/d...

starting a new project (here's a piece on it) and am conducting interviews. So far I've done 6, with more planned. With the write-up of one interview and the intro/theory/methods, the paper is a 5k words. I have a feeling this may end up as book #3. canopyforum.org/2025/07/18/d... #academicsky

IR Profs who teach on foreign aid, what are you doing this semester? I have an aid lecture in my intro class, and think I'll keep it in so students understand the context of what's been cut. #academicsky

does anyone ever pick option #5? Seems unnecessarily Simon Cowell-ish #academicsky

Charlie Kirk created a group calling for progressive Christians to be removed from the pulpit. But the only Christians the Times think are worth talking to about him are conservatives. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...

I play music before class, and today it was The Shins. As soon as "New Slang" came on, one student shouted out, "Oh, slay!" #academicsky

excited to have a chapter in this new monograph by the University of Edinburgh's IASH (where I spent my sabbatical). I discuss my efforts to implement a moderate form of decoloniality in my Intro to IR course, and the mixed results I've run into. #academicsky www.iash.ed.ac.uk/news/essays-...

how do you start writing? Do you just sit down and write? Do you create an outline then fill it in? Other approaches? I tend to do the latter-I write a full intro, then outline the rest and fill it in with prose, then fill in sources later. #academicsky

I wrote something for E-International Relations, based on my talk at the Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics. I argue that quant is a good starting point for projects on religion and IR, as long we you're open to the possibility it won't work out. www.e-ir.info/2025/09/03/r...

A very interesting new article by Miray Philips on issues w/ the (mis)use of quantitative data on Christian persecution. One area quant scholars and more critical scholars (should) align is on raising these types of concerns. academic.oup.com/socrel/advan...

just a reminder that Christian nationalism in the US isn't just about imposing Christianity, it's about imposing a very specific form of Christianity that excludes mainline Protestants and ultimately any liturgical tradition.

I got a R&R on a paper about religion and IR. One of the reviewers wants me to justify why I looked at this topic. I'd love to do a study on who is (and is not) asked this. I suspect works on nuclear weapons or US alliances never have to explain why they studied that. #academicsky

More on this- the Trump Admin cut violence prevention programs in Minnesota before the attack. www.cnn.com/2025/08/30/u...

This is ridiculous- her husband's administration has gutted every office in the federal government that was focused on terrorism prevention. thehill.com/homenews/adm...

glad to see this write-up. I've followed Moore since the early Trump years due to my work on religious freedom, and have been concerned about his influence, although he's a complicated figure. I think he means well, although that doesn't excuse the issues with the aid provision.

as a resident of Vermont I am ashamed, but not surprised. Rhetoric in the state has gotten alarming, and this follows recent vandalism of a Vermont synagogue. Anti-Israel groups need some self-reflection to keep this from happening again.

This morning my kids had their first day back at school, and were so excited. I'm struggling to imagine the pain and horror the attack on children celebrating a back-to-school Mass has caused. I wish we had a better way to discuss evil, because that's what this is.

I was back on contract last week, classes started yesterday, I have multiple papers I need to make progress on, but my kids don't start school until tomorrow so I'm not really able to focus. The beginning of the semester comes in waves. #academicsky

Kilmar “addressed a crowd gathered at ICE’s Baltimore field office in Spanish, telling other immigrants, ‘God is with us, and God will never leave us,’” @jackjenkins.me reports. “God will bring justice to all of the injustice that we are suffering.” religionnews.com/2025/08/25/o... #FreeKilmar

Called "an urgent call to protect dissidents...in higher education" by former ACLU president Nadine Strossen, "Authoritarians in the Academy" by @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social is a revealing exposé on how foreign authoritarian influence undermines American academia. www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/...

Excited my contribution to the Routledge Handbook on Religion and Nationalism is coming out soon. My chapter is "Religious nationalism and terrorism," in which I argue religious nationalism is inherently in tension, which produces terrorism www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...

I can only speak for Christians, but this should be our default position. This isn't just about enforcing immigration laws--they are planning to send someone to a different continent than he's from, an intentionally cruel act.

I am outside in my yard working, and let my phone inside. I tried to sign into my LMS to email students in advance of the first class Monday, but I can't because I need to do 2FA (it signs me out once a week). There's something here on technology making it harder for us to teach. #academicsky

interesting. They didn't mention CGRP-inhibitors for migraines but that seems similar. I'm on one for my chronic migraine, and along with behavioral changes (little alcohol and caffeine, no chocolate, avoiding stress) it's drastically reduced my migraine events.

I remember I once had a MySpace photo (yes, I know) that had the a tiny exposure of the featureless back of my badge when I worked w/ the IC and I got chewed out by the SSO. How is this not a security risk?

last year I chaired my first academic committee, and the year ended with a Prof. resigning in fury. The Dean had my back, and agreed I wasn't the problem, but I'm wondering how this year will go (no one wanted to take over for me as chair) #academicsky

I've had multiple conversations on how to respond to Trump that go nowhere and I think it's because there are three impulses that should be complementary but are often seen as competing: 1. Resistance 2. Self-reflection 3. Alleviating harm (1/5

My mom's 15lb cat is missing and she thinks an eagle grabbed it. Does anyone know if that is possible?

"From the White House, the president sees a lawless wasteland. We beg to differ. We see fellow human beings—neighbors, workers, friends and family—each made in the image of God." www.npr.org/2025/08/14/n...

yes. This is kind of what I was trying to say a few days ago-the question of crime is not primary (so the left shouldn't get distracted by debating it). The issue is the (il)legality of what Trump is doing.

so I'm a Full Professor who studies international conflict and US foreign policy, lived in DC for 11 years, and has multiple family members in the military. But I guess I'm not allowed to weigh on this?

Can we not do this? First, about 20% of the National Guard is women. Second, the Guard is being dragged into this. Let's not treat them as the enemy.

I know this doesn't really matter with the current SCOTUS, as they'll just make something up, but what would Kim Davis' standing be to challenge Obergefell?

there's a fascinating and important story going on in Vermont for anyone who works on indigenous representation issues. VT has recognized an Abenaki tribe that is not federally recognized, and Canadian Abenaki argue the VT tribe is not indigenous. www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/2...

me: can the left focus on the real issue (abuse of power) instead of mocking people worried about crime? the response:

is it possible for the left to denounce an abuse of power (federal takeover of DC) w/o mocking the real concerns people have? Crime is an issue. If you've ever lived in DC, you know that there are serious issues w/ youths rampaging w/ ATVs.

So much for an administration that respects religious freedom and Christian values