Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
@poetinbabylon.bsky.social
High-Church Pentecostal. Presbyterian (PCUSA) Minister. UChicago MAPH 16, MA Div 21. 19/20C History of Religions. Great Prairie State Enjoyer (and Loyalist to the Khan of Springfield). Dungeon Master. Yasuki Courtier. On the Spectrum. #MessiaenIsLove
Pinned
Them: The words מלאך and αγγελος don’t really mean ‘angel.’
Me: That’s right.
Them: We must demyth—
Me: There’s a wide variety of spiritual beings in the universe, including, but not limited to, angels, demons, devils, powers, principalities, airish beasts, thrones, heavenly f
Me: That’s right.
Them: We must demyth—
Me: There’s a wide variety of spiritual beings in the universe, including, but not limited to, angels, demons, devils, powers, principalities, airish beasts, thrones, heavenly f
#1 wanted to practice his double-bass this afternoon (he just started this year!), and he inspired me to actually practice my Beethoven (and the one Chopin), and I guess now I'm in a Beethoven funk, cause it got me thinking I've never listened to his piano concertos
December 7, 2025 at 2:47 AM
#1 wanted to practice his double-bass this afternoon (he just started this year!), and he inspired me to actually practice my Beethoven (and the one Chopin), and I guess now I'm in a Beethoven funk, cause it got me thinking I've never listened to his piano concertos
Lana Turner has collapsed!!!
Which lines of poetry live rent-free in your head?
December 6, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Lana Turner has collapsed!!!
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
the thing is Indian Christianity existed before Western Christianity
Local North American Christians surprised to learn of missionary work’s effects on faraway countries for first time
December 6, 2025 at 10:19 PM
the thing is Indian Christianity existed before Western Christianity
this is not surprising to anyone whatsoever, but the combined biblical illiteracy (which is parallel with general illiteracy) and popularized anti-theologies of populist-style churches is a real problem, and precisely how one begins to reverse the trendlines there is a big question
She compares the boat strikes to Jesus breaking the sabbath to heal someone.
December 6, 2025 at 11:01 PM
this is not surprising to anyone whatsoever, but the combined biblical illiteracy (which is parallel with general illiteracy) and popularized anti-theologies of populist-style churches is a real problem, and precisely how one begins to reverse the trendlines there is a big question
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
Our liberal theologian friends reminded us that theology could not merely be a meditation on past events or experiences but must instead be dynamic and assist us in answering questions about our own time.
The era we are in now has reminded me over and over again how right they were on this one.
The era we are in now has reminded me over and over again how right they were on this one.
December 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Our liberal theologian friends reminded us that theology could not merely be a meditation on past events or experiences but must instead be dynamic and assist us in answering questions about our own time.
The era we are in now has reminded me over and over again how right they were on this one.
The era we are in now has reminded me over and over again how right they were on this one.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
ESVue when?
and that is what makes it a weaker translation (in serious academic terms) than the TNIV or NRSVue — but if someone were to make a “gender inclusive ESV” I’d use it, NGL!
December 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
ESVue when?
DJT II is "the Content Creators' Administration"
They are running the government according to the logic of right-wing grievance media. I cannot emphasize that enough. The point is to create content, and they don't see an actual difference between dunking on Sabrina Carpenter, passing legislation, and bombing other countries.
I don't really know what the administration hopes to gain by picking fights with the most well-liked pop artists in the United States. You're just generating backlash for no discernible reason outside of owning the libs.
December 6, 2025 at 6:01 AM
DJT II is "the Content Creators' Administration"
in response to the reality of class warfare, the Muppets proudly present:
HARD TIMES
HARD TIMES
*trailer voice
This Christmas, Disney brings you a new muppets holiday classic from the pen of Charles Dickens, MUPPETS BLEAK HOUSE
This Christmas, Disney brings you a new muppets holiday classic from the pen of Charles Dickens, MUPPETS BLEAK HOUSE
December 6, 2025 at 5:26 AM
in response to the reality of class warfare, the Muppets proudly present:
HARD TIMES
HARD TIMES
I seem to play really great games appx five years late. I was five years late to playing Witcher 3, five years late to RDR2, now five years late to Ghost of Tsushima. I look forward to playing Clair Obscur in five years. 🤣🤣🤣
December 6, 2025 at 5:19 AM
I seem to play really great games appx five years late. I was five years late to playing Witcher 3, five years late to RDR2, now five years late to Ghost of Tsushima. I look forward to playing Clair Obscur in five years. 🤣🤣🤣
there’s only really one “Reformed confessions app” available on the Apple Store, and it’s clearly made by a PCA guy, so I’ve taken the lengths to set all the default to my preferred liberal mainline woke confessions 🥰🥰🥰
(and before you ask: OF COURSE the KJV is more woke than the ESV!!!)
(and before you ask: OF COURSE the KJV is more woke than the ESV!!!)
December 6, 2025 at 1:57 AM
there’s only really one “Reformed confessions app” available on the Apple Store, and it’s clearly made by a PCA guy, so I’ve taken the lengths to set all the default to my preferred liberal mainline woke confessions 🥰🥰🥰
(and before you ask: OF COURSE the KJV is more woke than the ESV!!!)
(and before you ask: OF COURSE the KJV is more woke than the ESV!!!)
I recognize that for all friends who are attracted to men, this video has its own allure, but for the rest of us can I just say…
… that’s a glorious wheel of CHEESE???
… that’s a glorious wheel of CHEESE???
December 5, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I recognize that for all friends who are attracted to men, this video has its own allure, but for the rest of us can I just say…
… that’s a glorious wheel of CHEESE???
… that’s a glorious wheel of CHEESE???
NGL, when Father Christmas arrives in Narnia and hands swords, bows, daggers, and horns to the children, that’s when I fell in love with Narnia.
What's a fictional holiday party you would love to attend?
My answers:
--the Christmas party from Fanny and Alexander
--the Yule feast in Nicola Griffith's Hild
--the Baileys' "welcome home" party for Harry in It's a Wonderful Life
--the office party in Die Hard; I'm sure nothing will go wrong
My answers:
--the Christmas party from Fanny and Alexander
--the Yule feast in Nicola Griffith's Hild
--the Baileys' "welcome home" party for Harry in It's a Wonderful Life
--the office party in Die Hard; I'm sure nothing will go wrong
December 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
NGL, when Father Christmas arrives in Narnia and hands swords, bows, daggers, and horns to the children, that’s when I fell in love with Narnia.
it’s wild because this is now the second “hey, there’s a shadowy cartel running the town” story regarding KCMO from the past few years (the other one was IHOPKC)
insane local news just dropped. i've lived in a part of KC for ~decade and it's been an inside joke with friends and service workers that the local biz/party district is ran by a cartel of biz owners who bully out new ventures and replace them with generic dive bars for white suburbanites.
Well UH
Well UH
December 5, 2025 at 7:17 PM
it’s wild because this is now the second “hey, there’s a shadowy cartel running the town” story regarding KCMO from the past few years (the other one was IHOPKC)
this is where I post from, if you even care 🥰🥰🥰
December 5, 2025 at 3:32 AM
this is where I post from, if you even care 🥰🥰🥰
as a note, I make (through one FT job and one PT adjunct job) roughly the median family income in my community — we live in a nice house in a subdivision (nicer, in my view, than either the houses I grew up with), and we don’t have much in terms of discretionary spending —
If your wage leads to a "tight" budget that still allows you to live in a "well-off Boston suburb" it is not poverty.
December 5, 2025 at 2:29 AM
as a note, I make (through one FT job and one PT adjunct job) roughly the median family income in my community — we live in a nice house in a subdivision (nicer, in my view, than either the houses I grew up with), and we don’t have much in terms of discretionary spending —
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
Imagine setting out to save the world from Antichrist whilst being totally unacquainted with Christ.
December 5, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Imagine setting out to save the world from Antichrist whilst being totally unacquainted with Christ.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
If your wage leads to a "tight" budget that still allows you to live in a "well-off Boston suburb" it is not poverty.
December 4, 2025 at 10:35 PM
If your wage leads to a "tight" budget that still allows you to live in a "well-off Boston suburb" it is not poverty.
I do love /s how many leading figures in our current situation like to take inspiration from Left Behind.
Hey guys, it's Mr. Beast here, with Mark of the Beast Financial Services!
So many zoomers are going to get fucked over
December 4, 2025 at 11:18 PM
I do love /s how many leading figures in our current situation like to take inspiration from Left Behind.
TBQH, this is why I talk about Virtue with my college students.
One of my most conservative-coded opinions is that one of the reasons we're in this mess is because of the profound decadence, solipsism, moral rot, and general lack of personal virtue afflicting much of the upper PMC / bourgeoisie.
December 4, 2025 at 7:41 PM
TBQH, this is why I talk about Virtue with my college students.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
Love your God with all your heart, but don't make it weird, you weirdos.
December 4, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Love your God with all your heart, but don't make it weird, you weirdos.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
These numbskulls have more blind faith in the spicy autocorrect than I do in the actual divine God at the center of my deeply held and sincerely practiced religion.
December 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
These numbskulls have more blind faith in the spicy autocorrect than I do in the actual divine God at the center of my deeply held and sincerely practiced religion.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
Politics never should have become a form of consumerism where we simply "buy" our favorite branded politicians with our votes every 2 to 4 years and are content to just yell at them when we are upset. When citizens become consumers like this, the Republic dies.
December 4, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Politics never should have become a form of consumerism where we simply "buy" our favorite branded politicians with our votes every 2 to 4 years and are content to just yell at them when we are upset. When citizens become consumers like this, the Republic dies.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
This is great. One of the things we should be teaching is "taste" and "discernment." This used to not be unusual. I have an experience in The Writer's Practice that's a "passion argument" where students have to convince the audience to do something (like read a particular book). I used it often.
Had a lot of fun writing this review of @tomcomitta.bsky.social’s strange, moving, and hilarious book. Gets us to think, as I argue here, about the value of an aesthetic education—something we all should aim for as we teach our kids.
mid-theory.com/2025/12/04/u...
mid-theory.com/2025/12/04/u...
Unwanted Reading: A Review of Tom Comitta’s ‘People’s Choice Literature’
The Sunday before I taught Beloved last spring, I sat on my couch wondering how I was going to convince a room full of second semester seniors that, before they left high school that June, they sho…
mid-theory.com
December 4, 2025 at 6:52 PM
This is great. One of the things we should be teaching is "taste" and "discernment." This used to not be unusual. I have an experience in The Writer's Practice that's a "passion argument" where students have to convince the audience to do something (like read a particular book). I used it often.
Reposted by Ian is the Priest-King of the Sacred Grove at Nemi
