iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

If the press wants to respond to the White House ban of MSNOW, CNN, and Politico, a good first step would be to stop reporting on Truth Social posts or tarmac claims.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Thought on @robertpjones.bsky.social’s Backslide: Christianity’s failure to meet the current moment substack.com/@johnhawthor...

substack.com

Backslide: Christianity’s failure to meet the current moment

Robert P. Jones’ new book on Religion and Democracy

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Great to see @kkdumez.bsky.social tonight talk about her new book: Live, Laugh, Love. Spent a few minutes catching up (and then the woman running the book signing line started getting impatient!).

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

My copy of Backslide by @robertpjones.bsky.social arrived in today’s mail!

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Yes. Despite everything, there will still probably be 800,000-1,000,000 people who get green cards this year. This is part because backlogs in many categories are so long that even if the Trump admin blocked 50% of applicants, there are enough people in line that total numbers wouldn’t drop.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Thanks MSNOW for taking a commercial break during Marsha Blackburn’s questions.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I hope @kylec.bsky.social gets to ask Marx how they “found” all those ballots for him overnight!

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

At Mountain Sky Conference UMC annual meeting, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the ordination of women. (Throwing some well deserved shade at the SBC)

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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Colbert is both a mensch and an actual genius. One of one. He and @maddow.bsky.social are the two best broadcasters of our time; truly in their own category. I'm angry and sad the president and the feckless suits cancelled the show but also know it's not the end.

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Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Too be clear, the empirical definition of Christian nationalism is not “loving Jesus and being patriotic.” CN is a desire to fuse a particular expression of Christianity with American civic life, with the gov’t at all levels preserving and enforcing that fusion.

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Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Trump’s “complicated relationship with the Bible” is a lot like my complicated relationship with Charlize Theron

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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Claiming to value "intellecutal freedom" while shutting down African American and Women's Studies reinforces the fact that the center is an authoritarian project, not a sincere attempt to expand intellectual life.

Iowa recently shuttered it program in African American Studies, during Black History Month, no less, and the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. A university interested in intellectual freedom doesn’t shutter the very departments that emerged in response to movements for broader inclusion in mainstream American life.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Our Anti-Empathy Administration open.substack.com/pub/johnhawt... One of the things that separates Trump 2.0 from Trump 1.0 is that in the former, there were people with some measure of empathy. Trump 2.0 is led by people who share Trump’s aversion to empathy.

open.substack.com

Our Anti-Empathy Administration

It's the through-line that binds them all together

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

religionnews.com/2026/04/01/u... About that so-called “youth revival” — Looks like the pollsters didn’t screen for bots. Not that this fact won’t keep evangelical leaders from claiming that young people are attending church at record rates. Feel free to share this story widely.

religionnews.com

UK's Bible Society on the defensive after retracting report on revival

LONDON (RNS) — The society shifted blame for the report to YouGov and insisted its general thesis — that there is a resurgence in Christianity in Britain — still stands.

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Indivisible Central Michigan @indivcentralmi.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The number one rule for No Kings 3 tomorrow is DO NOT INTERACT WITH COUNTER PROTESTERS! Do not talk, do not argue, do not react to their words, their single-finger salute, or their rolling coal. DO NOT ENGAGE!!!! You safety team is ready to deal with any negative people.

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ArtButMakeItSports @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Reaching for the Moon, by Edward Mason Eggleston, 1933 (flipped), 📸 by @godovasquez

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I refuse to read an article whose headline begins with “Trump says…”. Where is the reporting on the actual negotiations?

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Save Us From the SAVE ACT open.substack.com/pub/johnhawt... Right off the bat, it makes clear that this process is ONLY for US citizens. It’s very clear — if you aren’t a citizen, don’t fill out the form.

open.substack.com

Save Us From the SAVE ACT

A Solution in Search of a Problem

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

@nbcnews.com — What is the news value of having Graham on MTP? He’s been saying exactly the same thing for over two decades.

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Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

The Trump administration is like a Frankenstein government made from scraps of Dick Cheney, Bernie Madoff, and Jeffrey Epstein.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Not the main point, but the Dow isn’t measured in “dollars”

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WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · 10/02/2026

we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Reading all the sociology comments here made me repost something I wrote last week.

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 06/02/2026

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com “Playing politics with the idea of fraudulent voters and stolen elections comes at a real cost to American confidence in our elections,” Stephen Richer says in a guest essay. “It’s an affront to our democracy and to all those who work to deliver free and fair elections.”

nyti.ms

Opinion | What’s Really Driving These Bogus Claims of Voter Fraud

Mr. Trump’s recent justification for unconstitutionally nationalizing elections is false, illegal and dangerous to democracy.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 03/02/2026

KAITLAN COLLINS: What would say to Epstein survivo--- TRUMP: You are so bad. You are the worst report. No wonder CNN has no ratings. She's a young woman. I don't think I've ever seen you smile. They should be ashamed of you.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

When is Sociology no longer Sociology? open.substack.com/pub/johnhawt... I titled this piece “When is sociology no longer sociology?” Answer: When it is indistinguishable from Social Darwinism. Herbert Spencer would be thrilled. @insidehighered.com

open.substack.com

When is Sociology no longer Sociology?

Taking out the troublesome stuff

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dr. thrasher, an american writer in ex(archia)(xile) @thrasherxy.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This is such an interesting idea. The “ridealong” is such an established genre binding journalism to law enforcement. Great to see @zeteo.com flip this on its head and bind journalism to mutual aid and community care, real “news you can use.”

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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 09/01/2026

Had some quick thoughts about the extent to which the administration seems to be using "going on the internet" as a synonym for "engaging in an anti-government movement." www.pbump.net/o/using-the-...

pbump.net

Using the internet is not a RICO predicate

Vice President Vance joined the daily White House press briefing on Thursday in order to talk about a new Justice Department position focused on fraud. But the details of that announcement (think Rona...

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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Editorial in the National Catholic Reporter: "The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel."

ncronline.org

Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good

After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

The way to combat a mendacious administration is to share better stories early and often open.substack.com/pub/johnhawt...

open.substack.com

Our Mendacious Government

How can Democracy work when they lie so easily?

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Prof. Anthea Butler @antheabutler.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

yes, there is a whole ass list of us which is why I am mad Worthen is acting like she is the one to tell us what's happening. WE HAVE BEEN ON THIS BEAT.

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Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

There was revolution in the air in New Orleans when the Border Patrol invaded their city - as brave citizens blew whistles, chased convoys, and confronted masked agents of a tyrannical government From Minneapolis to Manhattan, an uprising has begun. A special report www.inquirer.com/opinion/immi...

inquirer.com

In New Orleans and across U.S., anger over ICE raids sparks a 2nd American Revolution | Will Bunch

Everyday folks are rising up to resist immigration raids with whistles, car chases, and noisy protests. Revolution is in the air.

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The Englewood Review of Books @erbks.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Happy to see our friend John's book on this list! @jwhawthorne.bsky.social

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Just finished @elienyc.bsky.social’s “Bad Law”. An interesting treatment of laws inhibiting our democracy and what to do about them. Don’t have to agree with all of his arguments, but I’m glad someone is raising the options.

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

open.substack.com/pub/johnhawt... But the real story here is the high degree of acceptance for clergy regularly addressing social issues with the congregation.

open.substack.com

Mainline Clergy Preaching on Social Topics

A preliminary research note

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

If you or someone you know is heading to Boston for #aarsbl2025 this weekend, my book will be available at the Eerdmans display with a discount. Help spread the word!

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

This administration’s weird use of undefined aggregate statistics is just bizarre. Based on how many people? Half a pound for each adult in the US? A million people losing an average of 35 pounds? Why not talk about the median weight loss (your experience may vary)? Take a stats class!

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John Hawthorne @jwhawthorne.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Gavin should have given his speech before Mamdani’s. Not a great speech and failed to thank the people worked hard to achieve the outcome. Zohran showed how to close a campaign.

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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 31/10/2025

In the wake of searing media stories and big blowback from alums (some of whom threatened to pull planned endowments), Indiana University reversed its decision to stop letting their students print news. www.idsnews.com/article/2025...

idsnews.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS: IDS to continue printing after IU reverses course

Our next edition will hit the stands Nov. 20.

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