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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · 1d

ATTENTION PLEASE. Open access in current issue of @jssreligion.bsky.social

"...[J]ust like the people we study, how scholars make meaning of religious worlds is dependent on what we learn to bring into focus and what we are taught to ignore. As such, we must learn to pay attention to attention."

Becoming Religious as an Education of Attention

A vast literature in the social scientific study of religion demonstrates that religious people are made not born. More specifically, researchers have shown that becoming religious is something that ...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Daniel Winchester

Lindsey Cormack @dcinbox.bsky.social · 23d

Use of the word "evil" in official congressional e-newsletters, over time, by party

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Reposted by Daniel Winchester

Jaime Lee Kucinskas @jlkucinskas.bsky.social · 7d

Amid the stress of the shutdown and the Trump administration’s ethical transgressions with trying to influence military leaders to be a politicized for force— how does this affect civ servants and their choices to stay, speak up, or go?

ASA Sociology of Religion Section @asareligion.bsky.social · 7d

New in The Conversation: @jlkucinskas.bsky.social & Yvonne Zylan on the exodus of civil servants under Trump and the moral dilemmas of staying, speaking up, or leaving. Based on Kucinskas’s book The Loyalty Trap (@columbiaup.bsky.social)

Civil servant exodus: How employees wrestle with whether to stay, speak up or go

Federal workers face unique challenges. But part of their dilemma is familiar to many Americans who have to wrestle with dramatic changes in the workplace.

theconversation.com

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · 21d

Down the memory hole, comrade...

DOJ Quietly Deletes Study After Charlie Kirk's Death That Says Right-Wing Extremists Engage in 'Far More' Political Violence

The Department of Justice is backtracking on information regarding right-wing violence following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

people.com

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Reposted by Daniel Winchester

Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 22d

1. In the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, his admirers are venerating him as a principled champion of free speech.

Ironically, some of the same people are participating in an organized campaign demanding that anyone with a different view of Kirk's political legacy be fired.

Republicans celebrate Kirk as free speech champion, demand critics be fired

A coordinated pressure campaign has cost dozens of people their jobs.

popular.info

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · 23d

🤖✝️

Nature @nature.com · 23d

The rise of generative AI chatbots has led to the creation of tools that purport to offer people the opportunity to speak directly with religious figures, such as Jesus Christ

go.nature.com/4687Ccg

The chatbots claiming to be Jesus: spreading gospel or heresy?

Jesus chatbots aren't the only AI technologies seeping into religious practice. Some worshippers don't agree with the use of them.

go.nature.com

Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · 25d

Thanks, @jlkucinskas.bsky.social! It was a pleasure to host you and learn more about your fantastic book!

Jaime Lee Kucinskas @jlkucinskas.bsky.social · 25d

Amazing trip to Perdue Sociology. For those interested in studying religion(@asareligion.bsky.social), this is one of the best places to go! Curious & supportive scholars who care about pedagogy & research in a big and growing department. And one of the best places to give talks! A gem for sure.

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · 27d

Looking forward to it!

Jaime Lee Kucinskas @jlkucinskas.bsky.social · 27d

Briefly back at the Indy airport and while it’s comforting to be at a familiar airport that once signaled almost home— some things have changed for the better.

And giving a talk on The Loyalty Trap tomorrow afternoon at Purdue for those nearby!

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Reposted by Daniel Winchester

Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Aug 7

Thread explaining how warped coverage that constantly promotes bad news (e.g. about crime rates) and ignores good news about the same topics, creates a distorted perception of reality — dynamics that make it difficult for a democratic country to identify, diagnose, and address actual problems.

Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · Aug 7

1. This week, the FBI released its comprehensive crime report for 2024, which revealed that both VIOLENT CRIME and PROPERTY CRIME reached their LOWEST LEVELS SINCE THE 1960s

This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.

Here's why.

Why you might not know that 2024 was America's safest year since the 1960s

An overwhelming majority of Americans, 64 percent, believe that crime increased across the country in 2024, according to a Gallup survey conducted late last year.

popular.info

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Aug 19

People make people do things but not always the things they please.
--Karl Merton

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Aug 19

This is a very thoughtful document, Jack. I'm definitely going to adapt some of it. But I'm going to need to make it much shorter b/c most of my students won't read a policy doc this long 🤦‍♂️

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Aug 15

NEW PREPRINT: RELIGION UNBUNDLED
Earlier this week at #ASA2025, @ruthbraunstein.bsky.social, @jlkucinskas.bsky.social, Brian Steensland, and I presented ideas for a new paradigm for the 21st-Century sociology of American religion. Full MS at SocArXiv for all those interested:
osf.io/preprints/so...

OSF

osf.io

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Aug 1

It has come my attention that, thanks to a reddit post on r/science, this article with @drmann.bsky.social on the quasi-religious characteristics of right-wing news media is trending. A temporary open access link from Sage below for anyone interested in digging into the argument and framework.

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

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Reposted by Daniel Winchester

First Publics @firstpublics.bsky.social · Jul 21

As a part of our Teaching Theory Special Series, First Publics invited Drs. Wesley Longhofer and Daniel Winchester to talk about their theory reader, Social Theory Re-Wired.

Check it out via the link 🔗 in our bio or by visiting:

First Publics

The Society Pages (TSP) is an open-access social science project headquartered in the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota

thesocietypages.org

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Jun 26

"There's no greater proof of the elasticity of American identity than the fact that the descendants of immigrants...have wormed their way into the heart of nativist politics to the point they can pretend they have belonged here all along and now they get to judge who should and shouldn't belong."

The Not-So-Great Replacement Theory, Revisited

The success of Zohran Mamdani in the mayoral primary in New York City has predictably set off the worst possible takes from the worst possible people. And while I'm generally loathe to drag out any po...

campaign-trails.ghost.io

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Jun 23

NEW ARTICLE/OPEN ACCESS
Proud to share my PhD advisee, @akotanko.bsky.social's, recent publication in Qualitative Soc. Adam and I worked on this one together, which was a great collaborative experience, but he is very much the lead author.

The first of many to come from the future Dr. Kotanko!

Making a Martyr?: Scandal, Symbolic Power, and the Controversial Death of Evangelical Missionary John Chau - Qualitative Sociology

How do groups respond to accusations of scandal? Because scandals pose significant risks of moral stigma and loss of status to those associated with them, sociologists have analyzed how actors within ...

link.springer.com

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Jun 13

Co-signed. I'm currently serving on the SSSR Committee leading this search, so if you have any questions or want additional info about the position, please drop me a line.

Ruth Braunstein @ruthbraunstein.bsky.social · Jun 10

Are you a social scientist who studies religion, looking for a way to make a big impact on both the field and the public's understanding of religion? I hope you'll consider applying to become the next editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion @jssreligion.bsky.social

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Jun 12

Good insights from @ruthbraunstein.bsky.social here.

What are many MAGA believers getting from the movement?

"...[A] feeling of belonging, purpose, pride. In a community where those goods are in scant supply, even cheap versions of them are likely viewed as better than nothing."

"MAGA plays to a social desert"

Plus, the new faces of survivalism and some political ephemera from my vaults.

ruthbraunstein.substack.com

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Jun 5

Purdue University has decided to suppress its own student newspaper under the cover of "institutional neutrality". Great look here, Big Boiler.

Purdue refuses to distribute The Exponent after 50 years of doing so

Purdue University told The Purdue Exponent last Friday they will no longer assist in the distribution of newspapers. Purdue has aided in the circulation of The Exponent for the past 50 years.

www.purdueexponent.org

Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · Jun 2

NERDY PODCAST ALERT
@drmann.bsky.social and I explain what we mean when we say right-wing news is a quasi-religious phenomenon. In short: massive #s of Americans turn to the RW news system to express moral solidarity, make meaning, and cultivate and share sacred beliefs.
sagesociology.libsyn.com

Sage Sociology

Welcome to the official free Podcast from Sage for Sociology. Sage is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets wi...

sagesociology.libsyn.com

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Reposted by Daniel Winchester

Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · May 27

The solution to the Democrats messaging problem isn’t to replicate the rw media ecosystem, but to recognize what makes it powerful, including the participatory storytelling and sense of agency it provides to its audiences, and to adapt those dynamics in ways that align w/ Dem/progressive values.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · May 20

Democratic strategists are pushing the party's megadonors to invest in an army of left-leaning online influencers, pushing to “find the next Joe Rogan,” to help the party capture the digital mojo that helped President Trump win, documents show.

Democrats Throw Money at a Problem: Countering G.O.P. Clout Online

www.nytimes.com

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · May 14

Ha, yes! Back in the 90s, my friend Mark got sent home from 10th grade for repeatedly wearing a Butthole Surfers tee.

Anyway, sign me up for the FOTM Fan Club.

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · May 14

Good point and all, @profsamperry.bsky.social. But "Faces of the Masturbator" is a 🔥 band name.

Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · May 13

Illustration from a medical text book in 1875 showing the physical difference between "the masturbator" and "the abstainer." I share this with my students to illustrate how moral culture shapes the medicalization of particular practices, even in ways obviously inconsistent with reality.

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · May 14

Opinion | Trump's absurd fight to control the Library of Congress exposes a key weakness

In naming Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting Librarian of Congress, Trump showed that his top loyalists are spread thin.

www.msnbc.com

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Daniel Winchester @bishopofwestsaxons.bsky.social · May 9

Federal judge in Vermont orders Tufts University Student Rümeysa Öztürk released on bail after six weeks in detention | CNN

A federal judge in Vermont ordered the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student from Turkey, who was detained by federal immigration officers near her Massachusetts home on March...

www.cnn.com