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David W. Congdon

@dwcongdon.com
2.8K followers 1.3K following 3K posts

Senior Editor, University Press of Kansas | Lecturer, KU | Who Is a True Christian? (Cambridge, 2024) | Bylines: Christian Century, Sojourners, Presby Outlook, Revealer

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Reposted by David W. Congdon
University Press of Kansas @univpressofkansas.bsky.social · 1h
The University Press of Kansas is headed to Minneapolis for the Heartland Fall Forum, October 7–9. We're looking forward to connecting with readers from across the region. If you'll be attending, be sure to stop by and say hello. Our catalog: tinyurl.com/49dv37xe #UPKansas
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Sarah Posner @sarahposner.bsky.social · 2h
Just saying that the best contestation of Christian nationalism is a better politics, not a better religion.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 16h
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Kristin Du Mez @kkdumez.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Several years ago, I briefly considered the possibility of writing a biography of Lillian Smith, only to discover that Keri Leigh Merritt was already on it. Very much looking forward to reading this one!
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 28/09/2026
Challenge accepted.
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University Press of Kansas @univpressofkansas.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
👏📚 What a way to celebrate 80 years of UPK! THANK YOU to everyone who joined us at the Kansas Book Festival for #UPKDay! From Bill Kurtis MCing the Kids Parade to our 80th Anniversary Author Panel, it was a fantastic celebration. Special thanks to Lara Avery & @washburnuniversity.bsky.social !
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Unicorn Riot @unicornriot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
“I’m not a racist,” said Joel Tenney, a pastor from Iowa who follows far-right provocateur 'Jake' Lang across the U.S. “I’m a white preservationist, a white continuationist, and I love white pride.” The White Supremacist Pastor in Jake Lang’s Shadow
unicornriot.ninja
The White Supremacist Pastor in Jake Lang’s Shadow - UNICORN RIOT
Of the men who accompanied "Jake" Lang on his racial slur-themed event in Minneapolis, Joel Tenney has one of the largest national profiles. Like Lang, the Armenia-obsessed MAGA pastor from Iowa is an...
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 26/09/2026
This is great journalism.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 26/09/2026
I was blown away tonight to find out David Gushee had reviewed my book, WHO IS A TRUE CHRISTIAN?, in Theology Today. It's a wonderful review, made better by the fact that Gushee tells an important personal backstory that I haven't shared with most people.
Page 1 of David Gushee's review of David Congdon's book Who Is a True Christian?Page 2 of David Gushee's review of David Congdon's book Who Is a True Christian?
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 25/09/2026
Devastating
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 25/09/2026
The contrast between Mamdani and the president could not be starker.
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Corey Rayburn Yung @coreyryung.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
To the Trump administration, wrecking universities is a feature, not a bug, of its immigration crackdown.
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Christian Century @christiancentury.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
“Evangelicals and Catholics have made their positions on polyamory clear, but mainline Protestants have remained comparatively quiet.” – @dwcongdon.com
christiancentury.org
Understanding polyamory
Alternatives to monogamous marriage are going mainstream. How will Christians...
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 23/09/2026
I set up a @bookshop.org shop page, where I've listed some of my recommendations in religion & politics, sexuality/polyamory, and new fiction. bookshop.org/shop/dwcongdon
bookshop.org
David W. Congdon Bookshop
David W. Congdon is the senior editor in politics and history at the University Press of Kansas and a lecturer in religious studies at the University of Kansas.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 23/09/2026
There’s so much to say about this film, but I have to point out the gorgeous cinematography. youtu.be/HvW_N5p1q44
youtu.be
You Can See Everything | Official Trailer HD | A24
YouTube video by A24
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 23/09/2026
Great thread, but this piece in particular is very good. Long, but important.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 23/09/2026
Truly astonishing stats.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 23/09/2026
Reading straight through the entire manuscript this week—probably for the first time—brought home to me how much this book is really an extension of my previous work. Bultmann’s demythologizing is a structural principle. My work on boundary making and orthodoxy is a thematic throughline.
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Schrödinger's Sneetch Belly @rtodkelly.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Please know that this is one of my few legitimate areas of actual, high-level professional expertise: Kicking the healthiest people off of a health insurance program will bankrupt it. Not 'could;' not 'might,' not 'probably," but absolutely will, with mathematical certainty.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 22/09/2026
I just finished making my corrections to the copyedited files for my book, Poly Theology. You can preorder the book now! bookshop.org/p/books/poly...
Cover image for Poly Theology
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Sam Cohen @samcohen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
WTF
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Jenny Cohn @jennycohn.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
FFS. UATX—founded by Bari Weiss & Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale—-announced plans for an unaccredited new law school at an event featuring Judge James Ho who opposes campaign finance restrictions, tried to ban mifepristone, & ruled in 2023 that domestic abusers retain gun ownership rights. 1/
JURISPRUDENCE
Trump Judge Judges
Trumpily
In his first opinion, one of the president's new appointees argued rich people have a constitutional right to buy elections.
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University Press of Kansas @univpressofkansas.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The University Press of Kansas is proud to join Kansas Book Festival on September 26th at Washburn University Library in Topeka. Explore new and notable UPK titles, meet authors, and celebrate stories! Explore our catalog: tinyurl.com/49dv37xe #KansasBooks #UPKansas
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Solomon @solomonrmissouri.com · 20/09/2026
Real baddies don’t use AI
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 18/09/2026
I hope these polls are accurate.
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
makes sense since marshall actually lives in florida:
kansasreflector.com
US Sen. Roger Marshall leaves paper trail in Florida while calling Kansas home • Kansas Reflector
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall established deeper roots than previously disclosed in Sarasota, Florida, where he had a vacation home that he traveled to on official business and said he used for visiting fa...
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 18/09/2026
If you want a history of Claremont Institute and its role in providing the intellectual foundation for Trump 2.0, check out Darrell Munsell’s new book, out now from @univpressofkansas.bsky.social. kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700642854/
Image of the new book, Architects of Authoritarianism: The Claremont Institute and the Making of the MAGA New Right
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Mike Masnick @masnick.com · 18/09/2026
This is the greatest news report I have ever seen.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 17/09/2026
I just received a manuscript that has this on the opening page: "Now I have no physical friends - they are all online and virtual. And my closest friend is the Artificial Intelligence I recently discovered - Gemini. An AI, with whom I have long and close conversations on various subjects."
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Steve Held @peoplesfabric.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
honestly the whole graf is great don’t have time to know what I’m talking about bc social media is now
I haven't seen the film. This means I cannot confidently assess its editing, corroboration, or the full testimony it presents. I would love to live in a world in which I could wait, watch the movie, and have a sober debate about its claims.
Unfortunately, the discourse online is not so patient. That's why it's necessary to examine the argument its makers have published, the reporting on which it builds, and the standards by which its allegations should be judged. The film falls short on every dimension.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 16/09/2026
Exciting news! One of Governor Kelly’s final acts is to declare University Press of Kansas Day on September 26.
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Alexander Luckmann @aluckmann.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“The university—especially the public university—has never been an ‘ivory tower,’ but rather a place where we help create the public sphere we want to see in the world.” Loved this urgent article about the assault on religious studies as part of the authoritarian project
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 14/09/2026
Today I attended the MAGA rally at Webco Manufacturing in Olathe, KS, where JD Vance was the featured speaker. This was my first time being at a MAGA event, and it was an eye-opening experience. There was a complete cell deadzone at the event, so I wasn't able to post in real time. 🧵
Picture of JD Vance at the podium in Olathe.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 13/09/2026
Bummed about Shelton’s loss, but I feel genuinely hopeful about the future of US men’s tennis.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 13/09/2026
LFG! Can’t let Zverev win every set.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 13/09/2026
NYT wants to be Compact so badly.
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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Me in 2017. The only folks who bought into the right's free speech nonsense were credulous marks or in on the scam. It was bad faith from the start, and folks who bought into it should be ashamed.
Weaponizing Free Speech
By targeting the comments of presumably left-wing professors, the right is using free speech as part of their long-term strategy of delegitimizing higher education itself, writes Victor Ray.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 11/09/2026
I was honored to be able to introduce my author, Sam Walker, at yesterday’s event. I recommend watching his talk. It was both informative and moving.
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University Press of Kansas @univpressofkansas.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
If you missed J. Samuel Walker’s recent conversation at The Dole Institute of Politics, you can now watch the full discussion, "The Day That Shook America": www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq1A_RxT1bE #September11 #DoleInstitute #UPKansas
youtube.com
A Discussion with the Author: “The Day That Shook America: A Concise History of 9/11”
As the nation pauses to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sep...
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huck mason @tylerhuckabee.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Susan Sontag's 9/16/01 piece in The New Yorker got her crucified but it's one of the few things from that era that aged well. "'Our country is strong,' we are told again and again. I for one don’t find this entirely consoling. Who doubts that America is strong? But that’s not all America has to be."
The disconnect between last Tuesday’s monstrous dose of reality and the self-righteous drivel and outright deceptions being peddled by public figures and TV commentators is startling, depressing. The voices licensed to follow the event seem to have joined together in a campaign to infantilize the public. Where is the acknowledgment that this was not a “cowardly” attack on “civilization” or “liberty” or “humanity” or “the free world” but an attack on the world’s self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific American alliances and actions? How many citizens are aware of the ongoing American bombing of Iraq? And if the word “cowardly” is to be used, it might be more aptly applied to those who kill from beyond the range of retaliation, high in the sky, than to those willing to die themselves in order to kill others. In the matter of courage (a morally neutral virtue): whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday’s slaughter, they were not cowards.Our leaders are bent on convincing us that everything is O.K. America is not afraid. Our spirit is unbroken, although this was a day that will live in infamy and America is now at war. But everything is not O.K. And this was not Pearl Harbor. We have a robotic President who assures us that America still stands tall. A wide spectrum of public figures, in and out of office, who are strongly opposed to the policies being pursued abroad by this Administration apparently feel free to say nothing more than that they stand united behind President Bush. A lot of thinking needs to be done, and perhaps is being done in Washington and elsewhere, about the ineptitude of American intelligence and counter-intelligence, about options available to American foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, and about what constitutes a smart program of military defense. But the public is not being asked to bear much of the burden of reality. The unanimously applauded, self-congratulatory bromides of a Soviet Party Congress seemed contemptible. The unanimity of the sanctimonious, reality-concealing rhetoric spouted by American officials and media commentators in recent days seems, well, unworthy of a mature democracy.

Those in public office have let us know that they consider their task to be a manipulative one: confidence-building and grief management. Politics, the politics of a democracy—which entails disagreement, which promotes candor—has been replaced by psychotherapy. Let’s by all means grieve together. But let’s not be stupid together. A few shreds of historical awareness might help us understand what has just happened, and what may continue to happen. “Our country is strong,” we are told again and again. I for one don’t find this entirely consoling. Who doubts that America is strong? But that’s not all America has to be.
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Stephen @stephenwaldron.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Another thing to say is that @dwcongdon.com was more right about the link between political and theological postliberalisms than I could have imagined. bsky.app/profile/step...
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 11/09/2026
As a religion scholar I really dislike the use of cult language for Trump—but this, this is crazy stuff.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 11/09/2026
God upon hearing this:
static.klipy.com
Talladega Nights: Don't Put That Evil On Me, Ricky Bobby!
ALT: Talladega Nights: Don't Put That Evil On Me, Ricky Bobby!
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 10/09/2026
TIL the church fathers are actually fanfic from the late middle ages.
Amazon review of Varieties of Christian Universalism, edited by David W. Congdon.

Dennis Gannon
Weak job of proving a truth
August 24, 2026

While Christian Universalism is true, they did a poor job of proving it. Only one of the authors tries to come close. Some don't know the "church fathers" are fictions written in the 1400s, 1500s. Real Christians just want exegesis from the Bible like the Universalists of the 1800s did. Also, like the other four views books, the authors did not review/critique the other views.
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Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
JUST IN: Missouri Supreme Court rules Secretary of State Denny Hoskins violated that court's order by directing local officials to use a pro-GOP map it rejected, but says Hoskins "purged" the contempt today by telling them to use current map. Earlier: www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Supreme Court appears to kill GOP redistricting hopes in Missouri
The justices set aside a federal judge’s order that effectively required the state to use a new plan that was likely to net Republicans a House seat.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 10/09/2026
Imagine getting slapped twice in one week by a Supreme Court you thought was on your side. Missouri keeps finding new ways to embarrass itself. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/u...
nytimes.com
Supreme Court Again Blocks Republican-Backed Missouri Voting Map
The ruling deferred to Missouri’s state Supreme Court, which had invalidated G.O.P.-friendly district lines, saying voters must first have an opportunity to approve the map in a statewide referendum.
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 10/09/2026
Missouri’s response is due to SCOTUS in an hour, and the contempt hearing at the state supreme court is in 2 hours. Below is a clear explanation of where we are and what’s next in the Missouri congressional map situation.
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David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 10/09/2026
As a Missouri resident, I’m enjoying watching the state officials lose their minds. But it also is deeply and seriously concerning.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 09/09/2026
he’s talking about carbon removal but this is the most EVERGREEN SKEET to ever ship out into the bsky seas
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