John Penniman
@historiographos.bsky.social
Religious Studies Prof | Historian of Christianity in the Ancient Mediterranean World | Project Director of Bucknell's Health Humanities Initiative | Would rather be eating souvlaki
Pinned
Send us your work. We are excited to read it!
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
fordhampress.com/theoria
November 13, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Send us your work. We are excited to read it!
It has been an energizing day in the Davis Colloquium on Christianity and healing at the Center for the Study of Religion at Ohio State. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this discussion and learn from the other panelists: religion.osu.edu/events/davis...
Davis Colloquium: Christianity and Healing
We invite you to join us for the annual Don and Barbara Davis Colloquium on Christianity on Friday, October 24 in the OSU Thompson Library. This year's topic is "Christianity and Healing."Six speakers...
religion.osu.edu
October 24, 2025 at 6:58 PM
It has been an energizing day in the Davis Colloquium on Christianity and healing at the Center for the Study of Religion at Ohio State. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this discussion and learn from the other panelists: religion.osu.edu/events/davis...
Check out the @ancientjewreview.bsky.social podcast!
New pod! Mike interviews Tina Shepardson about A Memory of Violence: Syriac Christianity and the Radicalization of Religious Difference in Late Antiquity.
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0HyD...
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0HyD...
September 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Check out the @ancientjewreview.bsky.social podcast!
AJR is kicking off its new leadership of Models of Piety with a happy hour meetup in Boston. Hope to see you there!
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:
MOP — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
Announcement Bar
www.ancientjewreview.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM
AJR is kicking off its new leadership of Models of Piety with a happy hour meetup in Boston. Hope to see you there!
Entering my Bartleby, the Scrivener era.
August 6, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Entering my Bartleby, the Scrivener era.
My friend @thejeremybjones.bsky.social has a new memoir about an ancestor's encrypted diary and what he learned when he cracked the code. CIPHER offers an unflinching reckoning with a complex, hidden family history and how that history shapes Jeremy's own self-understanding. Highly recommend!
"William is the history: a key to what’s inside me, to where I’m from. My cipher." New on @Longreads.com: An excerpt from @thejeremybjones.bsky.social's forthcoming memoir about his ancestor's encrypted diaries, and how the secrets we carry are revealed longreads.com/2025/07/31/c...
Cracking the Family Codes - Longreads
A stash of encrypted diaries raises questions about the secrets we carry, and how they are revealed.
longreads.com
August 5, 2025 at 9:45 PM
My friend @thejeremybjones.bsky.social has a new memoir about an ancestor's encrypted diary and what he learned when he cracked the code. CIPHER offers an unflinching reckoning with a complex, hidden family history and how that history shapes Jeremy's own self-understanding. Highly recommend!
Send Ancient Jew Review your pedagogy pitches! Or, really, any of your pitches!
Before we know it the Fall semester will be here. Did you try something new in the classroom? Consider sharing it with colleagues in Ancient Jew Review's August pedagogy series. Short essays that share activities, assignments, or philosophies that enhance teaching about the ancient world.
July 14, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Send Ancient Jew Review your pedagogy pitches! Or, really, any of your pitches!
Attempting to channel the energy of this cafe placemat today.
June 25, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Attempting to channel the energy of this cafe placemat today.
Reposted by John Penniman
My review of Fredriksen's Ancient Christianities out now in @commonweal.bsky.social
More important topics covered in the issue: US deportation violences, the natural-birth movement, environmental justice
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2025-...
More important topics covered in the issue: US deportation violences, the natural-birth movement, environmental justice
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2025-...
May 2025
www.commonwealmagazine.org
May 16, 2025 at 8:06 PM
My review of Fredriksen's Ancient Christianities out now in @commonweal.bsky.social
More important topics covered in the issue: US deportation violences, the natural-birth movement, environmental justice
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2025-...
More important topics covered in the issue: US deportation violences, the natural-birth movement, environmental justice
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2025-...
Reposted by John Penniman
People love Israel and its Heirs in Late Antiquity. They especially love Heirs.
ISRAEL AND ITS HEIRDS IN LATE ANTIQUITY (by @andytobo.bsky.social) has shot past 1000 downloads! get your ⚡free⚡ PDF for one more week!
www.cambridge.org/core/element...
www.cambridge.org/core/element...
Israel and its Heirs in Late Antiquity
Cambridge Core - Religion: General Interest - Israel and its Heirs in Late Antiquity
www.cambridge.org
April 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
People love Israel and its Heirs in Late Antiquity. They especially love Heirs.
Is your university suddenly talking A LOT about "talent optimization"? Asking for a colleague.
April 16, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Is your university suddenly talking A LOT about "talent optimization"? Asking for a colleague.
The NEH grant I am PI on got cancelled effective immediately as of yesterday. The letter was found in the spam box of our Office of Sponsored Projects email account. We were in the final 2 months, with four summer curriculum development grants just awarded last week. What an end to 4 years of work.
DOGE has targeted the NEH and as of this morning has begun terminating PREVIOUSLY-AWARDED grants. Contact your Congresspeople today.
URGENT: Save the NEH
p2a.co
April 3, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The NEH grant I am PI on got cancelled effective immediately as of yesterday. The letter was found in the spam box of our Office of Sponsored Projects email account. We were in the final 2 months, with four summer curriculum development grants just awarded last week. What an end to 4 years of work.
It was such a pleasure to host @ashleyshoo.bsky.social this week at Bucknell. She engaged with a lit studies course, a computer science course, and gave a fantastic talk about Cyborgs in Corporate Care. The students and faculty of the Health Humanities program were grateful to engage with her!
March 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
It was such a pleasure to host @ashleyshoo.bsky.social this week at Bucknell. She engaged with a lit studies course, a computer science course, and gave a fantastic talk about Cyborgs in Corporate Care. The students and faculty of the Health Humanities program were grateful to engage with her!
Last night, I happened to catch a screening of Frank Capra's MEET JOHN DOE (1941) at a local theatre. The movie is about how fascism uses populism to destroy democratic institutions. It's really well done, worth watching, but unsettlingly relevant in 2025.
February 26, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Last night, I happened to catch a screening of Frank Capra's MEET JOHN DOE (1941) at a local theatre. The movie is about how fascism uses populism to destroy democratic institutions. It's really well done, worth watching, but unsettlingly relevant in 2025.
My review of Virginia Burrus's Earthquakes and Gardens is now up at SLA. I always find Burrus's writing generates new and unexpected modes of thinking about the past, and this book is certainly a perfect example of her creative-critical work.
New issue of New issue of Studies in Late Antiquity Vol. 9, No. 1 (2025) online.ucpress.edu/SLA/issue/9/1 @ucpress.bsky.social
Volume 9 Issue 1 | Studies in Late Antiquity | University of California Press
online.ucpress.edu
February 26, 2025 at 6:14 PM
My review of Virginia Burrus's Earthquakes and Gardens is now up at SLA. I always find Burrus's writing generates new and unexpected modes of thinking about the past, and this book is certainly a perfect example of her creative-critical work.
Reposted by John Penniman
🚨Job Alert | Please Share🚨
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
Visiting Assistant Professor in Religion and Ethics
Position Title: Visiting Assistant Professor in Religion and Ethics Position Type: Full time Location: Coleman Hall Categories: Faculty Exempt Job Summary: Job Duties: The Department of Religious Stud...
bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
February 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM
🚨Job Alert | Please Share🚨
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
Reposted by John Penniman
🚨Job Alert | Please Share🚨
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
Visiting Assistant Professor in Religion and Ethics
Position Title: Visiting Assistant Professor in Religion and Ethics Position Type: Full time Location: Coleman Hall Categories: Faculty Exempt Job Summary: Job Duties: The Department of Religious Stud...
bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
February 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM
🚨Job Alert | Please Share🚨
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
The Bucknell Department of Religious Studies is seeking a 1-year VAP focused on Religion & Ethics. I'm happy to answer any questions. The job description and the application portal can be found here: bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
I appreciated this analogy from Timothy Snyder's substack today (@timothysnyder.bsky.social). America, the chop-shop.
February 2, 2025 at 3:25 PM
I appreciated this analogy from Timothy Snyder's substack today (@timothysnyder.bsky.social). America, the chop-shop.
Reposted by John Penniman
An anecdote: this year at UMass, the College of Humanities & Fine Arts slashed our funding to attend domestic conferences to $300, & if we apply to the union for funds first. But if we want to collaborate with the College of Computer and Information Science, then we are eligible for a $20k grant.
December 28, 2024 at 1:37 PM
An anecdote: this year at UMass, the College of Humanities & Fine Arts slashed our funding to attend domestic conferences to $300, & if we apply to the union for funds first. But if we want to collaborate with the College of Computer and Information Science, then we are eligible for a $20k grant.
Reposted by John Penniman
Hello fellow travelers. Nice to meet you here. I work on early Christianity, ancient medicine, and ritual. Thinking a lot rn about drugs in antiquity. In my spare time, I’m a hype-man for Ancient Jew Review. You might also know me from that one viral thing.
September 20, 2024 at 1:29 PM
Hello fellow travelers. Nice to meet you here. I work on early Christianity, ancient medicine, and ritual. Thinking a lot rn about drugs in antiquity. In my spare time, I’m a hype-man for Ancient Jew Review. You might also know me from that one viral thing.
I would like to see the return of pneumatic tubes in the work place. Think of the whimsy, the charm, the enchantment of everyday life.
November 14, 2024 at 1:41 PM
I would like to see the return of pneumatic tubes in the work place. Think of the whimsy, the charm, the enchantment of everyday life.
The student paper at Bucknell covered the launch of the Health Humanities minor, which I help to run. We've also had our first students declaring the minor. Two hopeful signs that student engagement with the program is growing steadily.
bucknellian.net/127260/featu...
bucknellian.net/127260/featu...
New to campus: Health Humanities and Community Engaged Leadership minors
This year, Bucknell introduced several exciting new academic offerings, expanding opportunities for students to pursue their diverse interests. Among these additions are majors in Japanese and Chinese...
bucknellian.net
October 10, 2024 at 2:01 PM
The student paper at Bucknell covered the launch of the Health Humanities minor, which I help to run. We've also had our first students declaring the minor. Two hopeful signs that student engagement with the program is growing steadily.
bucknellian.net/127260/featu...
bucknellian.net/127260/featu...
Are you keeping up with the AJR Pod, New Books in Late Antiquity? Hosted by the Ira Glass of Late Ancient studies @mikemotia.bsky.social
New podcast! Michael Motia interviews Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom about Desert Ascetics of Egypt.
Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom, "Desert Ascetics of Egypt" (ARC Humanities Press, 2020) - New Books Network
Support H-Net | Buy Books Here | Help Support the NBN and NBN en Español on Patreon | Visit New Books Network en Español!
buff.ly
October 4, 2024 at 2:49 PM
Are you keeping up with the AJR Pod, New Books in Late Antiquity? Hosted by the Ira Glass of Late Ancient studies @mikemotia.bsky.social
Lesson I should've learned years ago: I really do have to commit to not opening anything else on the desktop but the ms as soon as I get to work. One email, one minor task, whatever it may be, and all of a sudden an hour is gone. Being dept chair makes this incredibly challenging.
October 4, 2024 at 2:48 PM
Lesson I should've learned years ago: I really do have to commit to not opening anything else on the desktop but the ms as soon as I get to work. One email, one minor task, whatever it may be, and all of a sudden an hour is gone. Being dept chair makes this incredibly challenging.