Nathan S. French
@innesseff.bsky.social
Researching & Teaching -- Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Religion & Law, Jihadi-Salafi Studies, 9/11
Baseball spectator.
Baseball spectator.
When asked to differentiate white and black identities, he immediately pivots to the “white church” and “black church.”
Hire religion reporters, ya’ll. Hire ‘em. And hire religion professors. Stop closing our departments. Hire us.
Hire religion reporters, ya’ll. Hire ‘em. And hire religion professors. Stop closing our departments. Hire us.
Trump nominated a legit white nationalist to a top post at the State Department. I asked him some basic questions about his belief in the “erasure of white culture”. Watch this embarrassing, fumbling answer. Like he has never before been asked to explain his views.
February 13, 2026 at 3:26 PM
When asked to differentiate white and black identities, he immediately pivots to the “white church” and “black church.”
Hire religion reporters, ya’ll. Hire ‘em. And hire religion professors. Stop closing our departments. Hire us.
Hire religion reporters, ya’ll. Hire ‘em. And hire religion professors. Stop closing our departments. Hire us.
"Philosopher working at Anthropic."
"Researchers working for tobacco companies tell us that cigarettes aren't harmful."
"Researchers working for petroleum industries tell us that the contributions of carbon to the changing climate are far over-blown."
"Researchers working for tobacco companies tell us that cigarettes aren't harmful."
"Researchers working for petroleum industries tell us that the contributions of carbon to the changing climate are far over-blown."
Researchers working with the A.I. system Claude have come to understand that the model’s selfhood, like our own, is a matter of both neurons and narratives. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/kEX1vV
February 11, 2026 at 1:55 PM
"Philosopher working at Anthropic."
"Researchers working for tobacco companies tell us that cigarettes aren't harmful."
"Researchers working for petroleum industries tell us that the contributions of carbon to the changing climate are far over-blown."
"Researchers working for tobacco companies tell us that cigarettes aren't harmful."
"Researchers working for petroleum industries tell us that the contributions of carbon to the changing climate are far over-blown."
Reposted by Nathan S. French
US military averaged just under one air strike per day in Somalia in the first month of 2026. The highest or second-highest monthly Somalia strike numbers ever, rivaled only by Dec 2025.
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
Major Somalia strikes update.
Our data now has a fully accounted for and confirmed strike count for Jan 2026 and to date. 26 strikes in Jan and 28 to date.
This includes two strikes w/o press release (1/20 and 1/26) and clarification of all multiple strikes.
www.newamerica.org/future-secur...
Our data now has a fully accounted for and confirmed strike count for Jan 2026 and to date. 26 strikes in Jan and 28 to date.
This includes two strikes w/o press release (1/20 and 1/26) and clarification of all multiple strikes.
www.newamerica.org/future-secur...
February 9, 2026 at 9:07 PM
US military averaged just under one air strike per day in Somalia in the first month of 2026. The highest or second-highest monthly Somalia strike numbers ever, rivaled only by Dec 2025.
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
English-as-an-only-language audiences when Bad Bunny said “San Francisco” during the halftime show at the Super Bowl
February 9, 2026 at 1:52 AM
English-as-an-only-language audiences when Bad Bunny said “San Francisco” during the halftime show at the Super Bowl
Noticed this in the fatwas written by Turki Bin’Ali as well. He would cite text after text in a rapid-fire way — far, far more than even other jurists on Maqdisi’s Minbar. Then, of course he left the Minbar and kept citing his way while a partisan for ISIS
One hallmark of this technique is the copious citation of other extremist sources, which the audience will never bother to track down and verify. Again, both Swift and Awlaki were masters of this technique.
February 4, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Noticed this in the fatwas written by Turki Bin’Ali as well. He would cite text after text in a rapid-fire way — far, far more than even other jurists on Maqdisi’s Minbar. Then, of course he left the Minbar and kept citing his way while a partisan for ISIS
Reposted by Nathan S. French
“Education is for the student’s benefit, not for the benefit of their future employer…students go to school not merely to acquire skills but to develop an entire social and intellectual life: to have something good and to have it forever”
@thepointmag.bsky.social
thepointmag.com/examined-lif...
@thepointmag.bsky.social
thepointmag.com/examined-lif...
February 2, 2026 at 2:59 PM
“Education is for the student’s benefit, not for the benefit of their future employer…students go to school not merely to acquire skills but to develop an entire social and intellectual life: to have something good and to have it forever”
@thepointmag.bsky.social
thepointmag.com/examined-lif...
@thepointmag.bsky.social
thepointmag.com/examined-lif...
Every professor preparing to teach John Locke and private property rights is very excited right now.
After the snowstorm this weekend dumped snow across large parts of the country, a key debate is raging on the streets: Can you save a public parking spot after you've dug your car out of it? n.pr/4kinBtx
Can you save a public parking spot after a snowstorm? The debate rages on
After the snowstorm this weekend dumped snow across large parts of the country, a key debate is raging on the streets: Can you save a public parking spot after you've dug your car out of it?
n.pr
January 30, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Every professor preparing to teach John Locke and private property rights is very excited right now.
Reposted by Nathan S. French
Along with everything else happening in the world, today is the National March for Life and because I've become obsessed with the consistent life ethic, I decided to write about American public opinion across several "pro-life" policies:
prri.org/spotlight/un...
prri.org/spotlight/un...
Unpacking Americans’ Opinions on ‘Pro-Life’ Policies: Abortion, Capital Punishment, and Assisted Suicide
Every January, thousands of Americans descend on Washington, D.C., for the National March for Life, an event first held to remember the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
prri.org
January 23, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Along with everything else happening in the world, today is the National March for Life and because I've become obsessed with the consistent life ethic, I decided to write about American public opinion across several "pro-life" policies:
prri.org/spotlight/un...
prri.org/spotlight/un...
Reposted by Nathan S. French
Have a larger story on this coming, but I’ve been embedded with this group, and this story from yesterday is part of what they’ve been doing in the city: religionnews.com/2026/01/22/h...
January 23, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Have a larger story on this coming, but I’ve been embedded with this group, and this story from yesterday is part of what they’ve been doing in the city: religionnews.com/2026/01/22/h...
More and more, scholars are saying it.
EBSCO is so bad that it is easier just to download a book from a lib gen rip-off than it is find the actual book in my actual library.
January 22, 2026 at 12:43 PM
More and more, scholars are saying it.
Just spotted a typo in an assignment, spelling Emile Durkheim's name as "Drunkenhime."
First, a great way to ensure I know that A.I. usage was a probably kept to a minimum.
Second, that's immediately going into the REL 101 course notes. Fantastic stuff.
First, a great way to ensure I know that A.I. usage was a probably kept to a minimum.
Second, that's immediately going into the REL 101 course notes. Fantastic stuff.
January 15, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Just spotted a typo in an assignment, spelling Emile Durkheim's name as "Drunkenhime."
First, a great way to ensure I know that A.I. usage was a probably kept to a minimum.
Second, that's immediately going into the REL 101 course notes. Fantastic stuff.
First, a great way to ensure I know that A.I. usage was a probably kept to a minimum.
Second, that's immediately going into the REL 101 course notes. Fantastic stuff.
Reposted by Nathan S. French
Want to report on everything?
Report on religion.
Trust me: It's a wild ride.
Report on religion.
Trust me: It's a wild ride.
January 15, 2026 at 1:44 AM
Want to report on everything?
Report on religion.
Trust me: It's a wild ride.
Report on religion.
Trust me: It's a wild ride.
Reposted by Nathan S. French
🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7
January 8, 2026 at 9:13 PM
🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7
Reposted by Nathan S. French
Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).
January 8, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).
Reposted by Nathan S. French
“He described (Renee Good) as a devoted Christian who took part in youth mission trips to Northern Ireland when she was younger.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Woman killed by ICE agent in Minneapolis was a mother of 3, poet and new to the city
The woman shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis was a U.S. citizen and mother of a 6-year-old. In social media accounts, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin...
www.mprnews.org
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
“He described (Renee Good) as a devoted Christian who took part in youth mission trips to Northern Ireland when she was younger.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Nathan S. French
Semester ended.
ChatGPT's growth plateaued and appears to have started to collapse, this chart is kinda hard to read so it's hard to tell if it's down 22% week over week, or whether on a three month basis traffic is down. Either way, this is not good
www.similarweb.com/corp/wp-cont...
www.similarweb.com/corp/wp-cont...
January 8, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Semester ended.
Somehow it’s completely wrong and yet carefully calculated to infuriate both the “Deus Vult” crowd AND jihadists.
Helping The Kid with some research for a school project, and read this in one of his books. 🫠
January 6, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Somehow it’s completely wrong and yet carefully calculated to infuriate both the “Deus Vult” crowd AND jihadists.
Hard part about this is that increasingly universities don’t value peer review in workload calculations. It’s often unrecognized work now that we’ll do as some sort of beneficent contribution to the field. I mean, yes do them — I do! — but that’s a real problem moving forward.
Unless I’m literally already doing others, I always say yes to peer review. Please, do it. Especially if you’re stably employed (come onnnnnn).
Oof, what a time to do what I’ve just done: taking on the editorship of an academic journal. Dear everyone, please say yes to my peer review requests and get them done expeditiously. Please and thank you in advance :)
January 6, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Hard part about this is that increasingly universities don’t value peer review in workload calculations. It’s often unrecognized work now that we’ll do as some sort of beneficent contribution to the field. I mean, yes do them — I do! — but that’s a real problem moving forward.
Rather stunned at the noticeable lack of the Melian Dialogue in the Discourse (tm) right now. Did they all just give up on Thucydides?
January 6, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Rather stunned at the noticeable lack of the Melian Dialogue in the Discourse (tm) right now. Did they all just give up on Thucydides?
There’s probably a Foreign Affairs or Atlantic essay to be written comparing the destruction of the White House’s East Wing and Trump’s hypothetical billionaire-funded ballroom and the destruction of Maduro’s presidency and Trump’s hypothetical billionaire-funded New Venezuela.
January 4, 2026 at 5:15 PM
There’s probably a Foreign Affairs or Atlantic essay to be written comparing the destruction of the White House’s East Wing and Trump’s hypothetical billionaire-funded ballroom and the destruction of Maduro’s presidency and Trump’s hypothetical billionaire-funded New Venezuela.
Reposted by Nathan S. French
Disappointed to read on LinkedIn that the Library of Arabic Literature (@libraryarablit.bsky.social) is ceasing publication with the new year due to the end of grant funding from NYUAD
January 1, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Disappointed to read on LinkedIn that the Library of Arabic Literature (@libraryarablit.bsky.social) is ceasing publication with the new year due to the end of grant funding from NYUAD
Each year in my Religion 101 course, I ask students a few conversational questions. Since before the pandemic, the overwhelming majority of students will report having *no* problems dating someone of another religion but will *not* date someone of differing political views.
Everyone has a list of so-called "red flags" when they're dating. And for some, especially younger Americans, different political views is a relationship deal breaker.
Majority of Gen Z swipe left on dating people with opposite political views
Everyone has a list of so-called "red flags" when they're dating. And for some, especially younger Americans, different political views is a relationship deal breaker.
n.pr
December 31, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Each year in my Religion 101 course, I ask students a few conversational questions. Since before the pandemic, the overwhelming majority of students will report having *no* problems dating someone of another religion but will *not* date someone of differing political views.
Are there any essays that look at how user experiences with LLMs like ChatGPT change if they interact with it as “it” or as an object rather than a “you”?
Why, yes, I have been reading Martin Buber, why do you ask?
Why, yes, I have been reading Martin Buber, why do you ask?
December 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Are there any essays that look at how user experiences with LLMs like ChatGPT change if they interact with it as “it” or as an object rather than a “you”?
Why, yes, I have been reading Martin Buber, why do you ask?
Why, yes, I have been reading Martin Buber, why do you ask?
Make a Bond movie academic:
“Dean No”
“Dean No”
make a Bond movie academic:
A View to a Shill: Tech Boosterism and the Invention of the Crisis of Higher Education
A View to a Shill: Tech Boosterism and the Invention of the Crisis of Higher Education
make a Bond movie academic:
Publish or Perish Another Day
Publish or Perish Another Day
December 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Make a Bond movie academic:
“Dean No”
“Dean No”
This will end with him “discovering” something strangely close to the Umayyad client (mawla) system, won’t it?
Probably should just go ahead and take a *quick* glance at how that went for the Umayyads.
Probably should just go ahead and take a *quick* glance at how that went for the Umayyads.
I had missed this latest delirium by Adrian Vermeule on birthright citizenship
'Common law?! NAH, it's the Roman law of adoption that should govern the interpretation of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution!'
thenewdigest.substack.com/p/immigratio...
'Common law?! NAH, it's the Roman law of adoption that should govern the interpretation of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution!'
thenewdigest.substack.com/p/immigratio...
December 27, 2025 at 12:41 AM
This will end with him “discovering” something strangely close to the Umayyad client (mawla) system, won’t it?
Probably should just go ahead and take a *quick* glance at how that went for the Umayyads.
Probably should just go ahead and take a *quick* glance at how that went for the Umayyads.