"American Conversations" with Heather Cox Richardson featuring "A Beautiful Year." A surprising - and thoughtful - discussion faith, history, and politics with a critique of Christian nationalism in unexpected ways. open.substack.com/pub/dianabut...

youtube.com/live/JDysBx_... The Christian Nationalism crusade and crusaders are active in our struggle for a free and fair democracy. I found this conversation timely, informative, and enlightening @hcrichardson.bsky.social

Reading about Advent to a dear friend waiting for her health to return = holy ground @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social

What a deeply interesting conversation between @hcrichardson.bsky.social & @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social. I am not a Christian, but this history and analysis contain so many insights and even provides some hope that all sorts of people are seeing this moment for what it is.

This seems like the most straightforward and also basically accurate message.

Worth remembering that the Christian nationalism that fueled the empires in The Great War seeded Europe's turn away from Christianity for the next century. Historically, Christian nationalism is the enemy of true faith. It is a false gospel whose fruits are known mostly in war.

A little history lesson, with a nod to Frederick Douglass. What to a Christian is the Eleventh of November? open.substack.com/pub/dianabut...

Calm fell. From Heaven distilled a clemency; There was peace on earth, and silence in the sky; Some could, some could not, shake off misery: The Sinister Spirit sneered: ‘It had to be!’ And again the Spirit of Pity whispered, ‘Why?’ — Thomas Hardy, from “And There Was a Great Calm”

Perfect companions! Read the meditation from @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social's gorgeous new book, then bake the traditional bread by Kendall Vanderslice. It's going to be a beautiful (and perhaps fattening) liturgical year. Advent starts in 3 weeks, so get your books now!

In recent years, lots of churches (esp rural ones) saved money by moving clergy, etc off of traditional group health insurance to the ACA exchanges. This controlled budgets. Now, they are getting slammed w/ increases and may be forced to close. Because....GOP. The guys they voted for.

Who is paying for these parties? We all know there’s no way that Trump is. Somehow, I’m pretty sure the money thread will eventually lead back to us, the American taxpayer.

If you can pay the military, you can pay air traffic controllers and feed hungry children.

We can’t stop asking one important question: Who is really running the government?

It has been four years since my last book. One of the things that means is that now an author is treated to AI slop reviews on bookseller sites from fake readers.

This week's NT text feels too close for comfort: The day of the Lord will not come (until) the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes & exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple, declaring himself to be God.

Empire is Not Beautiful open.substack.com/pub/dianabut...

Latest podcast episode just posted! Our take on the meaning of the 2025 election results: the surprising, the practical, and the big picture. @jemartisby.bsky.social @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social @robertpjones.bsky.social @kkdumez.bsky.social convocation.substack.com/p/the-most-i...

Empire is Not Beautiful open.substack.com/pub/dianabut...

Who's Sleepy POTUS now? Looks like low energy to me.

800+ flights cancelled today because Elon took a chainsaw to the federal government and Trump won’t pay the remaining airport personnel. Elon’s on his way to becoming a trillionaire. Trump’s net worth has more than doubled inside a year. Glad everything worked out for them. How about you?

Trump and Musk took away food and medical aid for Africa. Now they are taking away food and medical aid for Americans. See the pattern?

Trump has turned the White House into a bordello for billionaires.

And then he gets a trillion $ check…

Is there any way that we - voters and citizens - can stop Congress’s paychecks? They won’t work. They shutdown Congress. They are cutting our services. They are taking food from children. Why should they be paid?

Indeed, he was allowed to to kill all those children because he is so rich

He fell asleep during his own press event. Is anyone up for the 25th Amendment yet?

Loving this... (Also, I think Bookshop was surprised!)

Here’s an idea for Democrats to run on.

My local B&N. Flowers to match!

I ordered the new book by @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social and bookshop.org has it listed as backordered. I hope this means it's selling really well. We all need a little hope right now and DBB is someone I trust for that.

Justice still exists in America. Sandwich guy is free!

He’s completely emotionally vacant. Not a sign of awareness, concern, or empathy. Something we already knew, of course.

My local B&N. Flowers to match!

Local B&N has me with some interesting company.

I'll believe those who say they want to "put Christ back in Christmas" when 1) they practice Advent as a season of waiting, anticipation, and silence, 2) celebrate the full 12 days of Christmas following December 25, and 3) hold off the Wise Men story until January 6.

by @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social 1/2 “in nearly every house on my street, Elon Musk, Russell Vought, Mike Johnson, & Donald Trump came calling — and destroyed their family’s sense of vocation, purpose, and well-being. These nice, middle-class families, committed to things like patriotism & service..

Who ever could have guessed that an administration full of failed reality show contestants, loser tv hosts, podcasters, wanna be models, grifters, conmen, and sh*tposters couldn't run a nation?

Notes on the State of Virginia

"Nice, middle-class families, committed to things like patriotism and service and the common good, had their work and incomes ripped from them in a fury of gleeful destruction. And the very government that once benefited from their labor, now laughs at their trauma." - @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social

"So many Christians feel like their identity has just been stolen away from them by Christian Nationalism, by this absolute corruption of the Christian faith that's going on by MAGA and the whole of Trump world." - @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social

Notes on the State of Virginia, a post-election reflection from the leafy suburbs. Not written by a pundit. Just a neighbor. open.substack.com/pub/dianabut...

serious note: they're gonna try 5x harder to sabotage the midterms after tonight and we're gonna have to organize on a literally historic scale to stop them

@dianabutlerbass.bsky.social 12th book After Taylor Swift‘s 12th album A Beautiful Year of a Show Girl 😂 This is what we all need

Having a new book release and voting in Virginia on the same day feels a bit like winning the lottery twice. This a good November 4. Maybe it really will be A Beautiful Year.

BREAKING: PROP 50 HAS PASSED IN CALIFORNIA

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL @daveweigel.bsky.social

Can we call tonight the Ballroom Blowout?

This is HUGE news. The VA House rarely sees a party win this many seats. It is typically closer, often a razor's edge win.

Dems in ARRAY