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John Heathershaw

@jheathershaw.bsky.social

590 followers 270 following 160 posts

Professor @cais-exeter.bsky.social University of Exeter, UK. Author of "Security After Christendom" (2024) and "Indulging Kleptocracy" (2025). Academic freedom by/for/of academics.

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Feb 4

It's out today! Many years in the making. Our @tenaprelec.bsky.social Tom Mayne @oxunipress.bsky.social book, Indulging Kleptocracy.

The UK’s indulgence of kleptocratic elites from Russia and Eurasia is an acute example of the phenomenon of professional enabling.

global.oup.com/academic/pro...

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 5h

This is helpful and identifies core political causes rather than "religious" ones. But I suspect that there may be some interesting variations by denomination and that certain theologies of "Christendom" feed into Christian nationalism.

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 7h

"People who attend church or identify with a Christian tradition are not systematically more (or less) nativist, authoritarian or populist than their secular counterparts. Conversely, people who hold nativist and authoritarian views are often also Islamophobes, and vice versa." 👏 @kai-arzheimer.com

Islamophobia in Western Europe is not driven by religiosity

Are Christians more likely to be Islamophobic than other citizens in Europe? New research finds European Islamophobia has no link to a person’s religiosity.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Reposted by John Heathershaw, Vaughan S. Roberts

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 7h

Islamophobia in Western Europe is not driven by religiosity

Are Christians more likely to be Islamophobic than other citizens in Europe? New research finds European Islamophobia has no link to a person’s religiosity.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 7h

I tried to write something less triumphalist about Gaza while recognising that this is an important step for the victims of the conflict. I also wanted to look at how "peace" is understood in the Hebrew Bible (Torah) compared to what's going on Gaza.

open.substack.com/pub/johnheat...

Making a Wasteland and Calling It Peace

Genuine and lasting peace prompts lament and repentance, forgiveness and justice. The Gaza ceasefire has elicited triumph and egoism, self-righteousness and impunity.

open.substack.com

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Making a Wasteland and Calling It Peace

Genuine and lasting peace prompts lament and repentance, forgiveness and justice. The Gaza ceasefire has elicited triumph and egoism, self-righteousness and impunity. Donald Trump has his “greatest foreign policy deal”. Global voices and many of Trump’s foes are lining up to praise him and even support his claim to the Nobel prize. (Unfortunately for him, this year’s prize has gone elsewhere [see below] despite the

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 12h

@cais-exeter.bsky.social "public" transport for one of our former students. Check out the Trump-esque marble and gold.

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 12h

Fantastic reporting by @occrp.org

If you scroll down you can see the Boeing 737 which flew Kerimguly Berdimuhamedov into Exeter, apparently to study for his Politics degree.

occrp.org/en/scoop/gol... via
@occrp.org

Gold Taps and Towel Racks: How a Plane Used by Turkmenistan’s Ruling Family Got a Royal Makeover

In authoritarian Turkmenistan, even a single airplane trip abroad is out of reach for most citizens. But the country’s ruling Berdimuhamedov family, which has held power across two generations, recent...

occrp.org

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 1d

In @europe-asia.bsky.social we (@tenaprelec.bsky.social et al) show how Londongrad beat the UK AML regime via the incumbency advantage (political elites being in power or favour at home) & enabler effect (networks of highly-skilled legal & financial professionals)
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The Incumbency Advantage and the Enabler Effect: How Londongrad Beat the UK Anti-Money Laundering Regime

The emergence and survival of ‘Londongrad’, despite the UK anti-money laundering regime, is an intellectual and policy conundrum. We analyse an original dataset of £2 billion of domestic real estat...

www.tandfonline.com

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 7d

Grim reading but powerful analysis. TR has gone global.

Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 7d

I wanted to share some of the sources and inspirations for my new @jodemocracy.bsky.social essay this week on transnational repression. Like with anything, there are citations but then there's also stuff that doesn't make it into the piece

www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the...

The Golden Age of Transnational Repression | Journal of Democracy

Authoritarian regimes are targeting exiles and diaspora communities in more places than ever before. Activists, journalists, and regular people living abroad must watch their backs…

www.journalofdemocracy.org

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Reposted by John Heathershaw, Nikolay Marinov

Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 7d

The Golden Age of Transnational Repression | Journal of Democracy

Authoritarian regimes are targeting exiles and diaspora communities in more places than ever before. Activists, journalists, and regular people living abroad must watch their backs…

www.journalofdemocracy.org

1 10 19

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 7d

I wrote something on one of the urgent political questions of our time: how to respond to Christian nationalism.

open.substack.com/pub/johnheat...

The Right Response to Christian Nationalism

The “Unite the Kingdom” rally was a dangerous post-Christendom moment. UK Christians are caught between shunning Christian nationalism and salvaging an acceptable version. Neither option will do.

open.substack.com

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How Do We Respond to Christian Nationalism?

The “Unite the Kingdom” rally was a dangerous post-Christendom moment. UK Christians are caught between shunning Christian nationalism and salvaging an acceptable version. Neither option will do. On 13th September 2025, the “Unite the Kingdom” rally brought up to 150,000 supporters of Far Right activist Tommy Robinson to London for a march which was exuberant, menacing, and at times violent. Many marchers were carrying crucifixes or flags emblazoned with Christian imagery. The coming together of nationalism and Christianity was undeniable. This …

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 9d

"Even [the] ugly and dehumanising fusions of religion and militarism cannot obscure our ineradicable sense that human life is a gift of God, that we are created imago Dei, in his image."

johnheathershaw.substack.com/p/an-extraor...

An Extraordinary Peace

A guest post by Nick Megoran on the 80th anniversary of an extraordinary peace which shows that true peace does not conform to the patterns of this world.

johnheathershaw.substack.com

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An Extraordinary Peace

A guest post by Nick Megoran on the 80th anniversary of an extraordinary peace which shows that true peace does not conform to the patterns of this world. World War II ended 80 years ago this month, on September 2nd, 1945, when the Japanese government formally surrendered. A virtually unknown but extraordinary event that occurred late in the conflict tells us some important things about how we as Christians can pursue peace in the world today.

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What would Martin Luther say about kleptocracy?

Medieval priests indulged sin for payment. Today's "pastoral" financial and legal professionals indulge kleptocracy. We remain bad at recognising our corruption and the structural reality of sin. I’ve taken a break from Security After Christendom in the past few weeks as I’ve desperately been trying to cram in some research and public engagement activities before the new academic year begins.

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · 26d

It’s not clear to me how Peter Mandelson’s “singular talents” differ from his elite network connections that meant he had a relationship with Epstein (and Trump). Isn’t that why they put him in place?

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Peter Mandelson seen as ‘worth the risk’ as US ambassador, minister says

Peter Kyle says ‘singular talents’ were balanced against warnings as Epstein accuser’s family criticise appointment

www.theguardian.com

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Sep 8

👏😅

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · Sep 8

So much weird in here, but hard to disagree that the average Saxon would have recognised policies of sinking vessels you don't like the look of, and imprisoning people who look different.

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Steve Peers, Tim Bale , and 3 more Dorothy Bishop, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, John L. Cotter, John Heathershaw, Graham Dutfield

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · Sep 8

So much weird in here, but hard to disagree that the average Saxon would have recognised policies of sinking vessels you don't like the look of, and imprisoning people who look different.

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Reposted by John Heathershaw

Tena Prelec @tenaprelec.bsky.social · Sep 5

*New & open access*
We draw on our book Indulging Kleptocracy, reflecting on the importance of networks - even more than states, we argue - in today’s global order.

@oxfordacademic.bsky.social
@jheathershaw.bsky.social
@britishacademy.bsky.social

journal.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/articles/13/...

Professional indulgences: the kleptocracy problem and the transformation of global politics

This article discusses the phenomenon of transnational kleptocracy and explains how kleptocrats and oligarchs have been welcomed in rule-of-law settings The paper summarises a large body of research,...

journal.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Sep 3

I’m looking forward to chairing this event at the Appledore Literary Festival. I’ll speak with the journalist Michael Sheridan about his book on China, the Red Emperor. If you’re in Devon, join us!

appledorebookfestival.littleboxoffice.com/events/123175

MICHAEL SHERIDAN: THE RED EMPEROR – XI JINPING

An eye-opening portrait of Xi Jinping, the man who presides over 1.4 billion people and the second largest economy on earth. In a compulsively readable narrativ

appledorebookfestival.littleboxoffice.com

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Sep 1

@tenaprelec.bsky.social Tom and I wrote this paper based on @oxunipress.bsky.social Indulging Kleptocracy for @britishacademy.bsky.social journal.

Our global future will be increasingly kleptocratic unless govts enforce their own laws.
journal.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/articles/13/...

Professional indulgences: the kleptocracy problem and the transformation of global politics

journal.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Substack

Postscript

Jonathan Chaplin, Jodok Troy, Vassillios Paipais, and Andrew Bolton each generously engaged with my work. They highlight that Security After Christendom (2024) is a work of apocalyptic thought. Over the last year, I have been summarizing my book Security after Christendom. By reading the fifteen posts on this blog, you can consume the argument for free in about two hours at your leisure. Or you can go to this single post for a talk which made the argument in Washington DC. The alternative is to pay US$44 (UK£36) for two whole days of reading w…

Reposts 0 Aug 29

Substack

Towards Better Judgment [Book Conclusion]

Security After Christendom (2024) was written over six years and completed as the war in Ukraine, a neo-Christendom war, began. Does it offer a better way to political judgment? Judge for yourself. Russia’s impending and then enacted invasion of Ukraine dominated the months in which Security After Christendom was completed. Although published in early 2024, the manuscript was completed in the summer of 2022. This shattering war within the heartland of what was once Eastern Christendom has led to vociferous debate about how and why it happened, aga…

Reposts 0 Aug 22

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Aug 21

An excellent book on a topic that many of us have worked on for years. The problem of authoritarianism for academic freedom isn’t purely external (as some on the Right claim) or purely internal (as some on the Left claim). It is both, intertwined.

www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-p...

How to protect your university against authoritarianism

US institutions are facing threats to academic freedom from the Trump administration, yet they must also stay vigilant to authoritarianism from abroad. Here is what university leaders and academics ca...

www.timeshighereducation.com

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Aug 21

This is an excellent blog on how working politically in aid is hampered by large disbursements.

“As one staff member put it: 'generally, [aid] money disrupts change, it does not promote it'.”

Ergo: don’t scale up.

Small disbursements via small often faith based agents.✅

odi.org/en/insights/...

Surviving the aid cuts: working politically to deliver value at lower cost

As aid cuts begin to hit hard, these rich lessons on how to achieve impact by taking politics seriously and focusing on issues that galvanize people are some of the best tools we have.

odi.org

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Aug 15

Thank you!

Substack

Abundant Provision [Book chapter 12]

In an apocalyptic world of politically generated scarcity, abundant provision is based on an economy of sharing within & between small communities. In such practice, we bear witness to the state. In an apocalyptic world of politically generated scarcity, abundant provision is based on an economy of sharing within & between small communities. In such practice, we bear witness to the state.

Reposts 0 Aug 15

Reposted by John Heathershaw

Alex Prichard @profalexp.bsky.social · Aug 11

A cracker from my colleague John Heathershaw and his co-author
Ricardo Soares de Oliveira. #Capitalismisthecrisis

@jheathershaw.bsky.social

‘Come meet us in Dubai’: the new offshoring of grand corruption

Sensitive business is moving towards more permissive jurisdictions in response to tighter regulations and greater media attention.

theconversation.com

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John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Aug 10

Darwin says “unfinished” in the sense of contradictory processes which were not resolved. I’d want to emphasise legacies especially the offshore system created under English common law including some extant colonies and expanding well the time (including to Astana and Baku)!

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Aug 8

Again, right out of the authoritarian playbook. All very familar to me from living in West Africa and Central Asia.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Aug 8

Breaking News: The Justice Department is said to have subpoenaed New York Attorney General Letitia James. One of the subpoenas relates to her office's civil fraud case against President Trump, the other to a case against the National Rifle Association.

Justice Department Subpoenas Office of Letitia James, a Trump Nemesis

Ms. James, New York’s attorney general, won a civil fraud case against President Trump that is on appeal. One of the two subpoenas is related to that case.

nyti.ms

John Heathershaw @jheathershaw.bsky.social · Aug 8

In war, even the victors and their supporters who are physically unharmed can be morally injured. What else explains lack of due regard for the killing of children (including by those who claim to be humanitarians and Christians)?

open.substack.com/pub/johnheat...

The killing of Gazan children, moral injury, and the church

Most Western Christians expect Hamas to kill innocents but when Israel does so, many try to justify these deaths. The idea of "moral injury" helps explain IDF war crimes and Christian justifications.

open.substack.com