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Matthew R. Crawford

@mcrawford.bsky.social
330 followers 128 following 34 posts

Professor and Director of Research Program in Biblical and Early Christian Studies, Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry, Melbourne, Australia; Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities

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Reposted by Matthew R. Crawford
Tom Larkin @tomlarkin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
We’ve spent many, many hours over the past few months searching the rock pools of Cornwall for a rainbow sea slug. Today, we finally found one! Absolutely worth all the time we’ve spent - it was truly breathtaking.
Rainbow sea slug on a rockRainbow sea slug on a rockRainbow sea slug on a rock from aboveRainbow sea slug on a rock
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The IRCI is delighted to be co-sponsoring the third Makarios Conference, to be held on May 20-22, 2027 at ACU’s Rome campus, on the theme ’The Desire to Know in the Christian Tradition.’ The Call for Papers is now open and closes on November 1st. x.com/IRCI_ACU/sta...
x.com
IRCI_ACU (@IRCI_ACU) on X
The IRCI is delighted to be co-sponsoring the third Makarios Conference, to be held on May 20-22, 2027 at ACU’s Rome campus, on the theme ’The Desire to Know in the Christian Tradition.’ The Call for ...
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Happening today! bsky.app/profile/irci...
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Fernando Soler @kefale.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Did Jesus digest his food? Valentinus said no: he ate and drank, but nothing corrupted inside him. My new article shows how the "Christian body" was built with the medicine of the time, medicine now superseded. www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
degruyterbrill.com
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Andy Radde-Gallwitz @argphd.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Actually, arguing in a square or triangle or any enclosed shape would have the same consequence.
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Ancient Jew Review @ancientjewreview.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Today on AJR, Matthew R. Crawford responds to Ellen Muehlberger's Things Unseen: Essays on Evidence, Knowledge @emuehlbe.bsky.social @mcrawford.bsky.social @ucpress.bsky.social www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2026/6/...
ancientjewreview.com
Unseen Metaphysics versus Institutional Bureaucracy: Retelling the Story of the Fifth Ecumenical Council — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
Like the rest of the book, the third chapter examines ‘things unseen’ in late antiquity, but the nature of the unseen object differs from those in earlier chapters.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
It's publication day! Available open-access: 'A Battle by Night? A Revisionist Account of the Early Stages of the Nestorian Controversy' academic.oup.com/jts/article/...
academic.oup.com
Validate User
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Mark DelCogliano @markdelcogliano.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Two years after submission, twenty-two years after conception, it’s published. I believe Sept. 28 is the official publication date in the US. Not sure about the UK and elsewhere. I’ll share a discount code when I receive one.
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Morwenna Ludlow @morwennaexe.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
'EXETER UCU: OUR SIX KEY MESSAGES

1. EXETER UNI'S FINANCES ARE STRONG. WE'VE LARGE CASH RESERVES (£200M IN 24/25). NEVER HAD A BUDGET DEFICIT. THIS 'CRISIS' IS MANUFACTURED.
2. EXECUTIVE PAY AT EXETER IS OUT OF CONTROL. IF JUST THE 16 HIGHEST-PAID EXECS CAPPED THEIR SALARY AT £120K, WE'D SAVE MORE MONEY THAN ALL THE CUTS TO ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORY!
3. NO MEANINGFUL CONSULTATION, BUT A CONFUSED MESS: FAULTY AND INSUFFICIENT DATA, NO REAL DISCUSSION, AND AN IMPOSSIBLE, INSULTING AND UNREASONABLE TIMETABLE TO PUSH THIS THROUGH OVER THE SUMMER.
4. AN ALL-STAFF MEETING OF 600 STAFF RESOUNDINGLY VOTED NO CONFIDENCE IN VICE CHANCELLOR LISA ROBERTS (WHOSE PAY IS PUSHING £400K). WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE BIGGEST SINGLE VOTE BY ANY UNI STAFF IN THE HISTORY OF UK HE.
5. REDUNDANCIES ARE A MANAGEMENT CHOICE, NOT A FINANCIAL NECESSITY. THEY EVEN HAVE ALTERNATIVE COSTED PLANS WITH NO CUTS, BUT THINK IT'S EASIER TO GO FOR JOB LOSSES.
6. EXETER IS A FANTASTIC UNI, WITH WORLD CLASS RESEARCH, CREATIVE AND INSPIRING TEACHING, THOUGHTFUL AND IMAGINATIVE COMMUNITY OF STAFF AND STUDENTS. LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.'

At the bottom of the poster:
#DefendExeterUni
Instagram handle @uniexeterucu
QR link to sign the petition
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Lewis Wade 🗃️ @wadehistory.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️
docs.google.com
Alumni petition against the cuts to the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Any Exeter alumni who wish for their names to be added to the petition below should please complete the form at this link: https://forms.gle/SpdYvmmsCaJbmZft6. If you are not an alumnus, but still wis...
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
There are still two weeks to go to submit proposals to the workshops on Flourishing in Early Christianity we are organising for the 2027 Oxford conference. We'd love to have you join us! bsky.app/profile/irci...
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Tomorrow night Jodi Magness will be giving a public lecture for us here at ACU Melbourne. It's not too late to sign up to attend! Details below. bsky.app/profile/irci...
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Ancient Jew Review @ancientjewreview.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
New pod! Mike talks to Matthew Crawford and Aaron Johnson on their translation of Cyril of Alexandria. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m... open.spotify.com/episode/3Mj2...
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
To find out more, see: events.humanitix.com/jerusalem-in...
events.humanitix.com
'Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus' - Public Lecture by Jodi Magness
Jodi Magness, a preeminent biblical archaeologist from UNC Chapel Hill, will give a lecture on the history of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus.
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
CALL FOR PAPERS on flourishing in early Christianity at Oxford Patristics 2027.
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Celebrating the launch of IRCI’s A/Prof. Jonathan Zecher’s translation of the Philokalia for Penguin Classics. With IRCI’s Prof. Matthew Crawford and special guest Fr. Doru Costache, Principal of Nisibis Assyrian Theological College.
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Stephen C. Carlson @sccarlson.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Congratulations Jonathan!
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
The first results of using UV light to recover text on the damaged folios of Biblioteca Angelica gr. 116: 'Prolegomena to a new edition of Didymus (?), De Trinitate: With a special focus on the first three folios of Biblioteca Angelica gr. 116'
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
www.abc.net.au/religion/pop...
abc.net.au
Leo’s journey to Africa is a return to Christianity’s roots and a gesture toward its future - ABC Religion & Ethics
As the Catholic Church expands in Africa and takes on more of a leadership role in the worldwide communion, Pope Leo’s visit is a reminder not to forget the wisdom African Christianity has already gif...
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
I have recently joined the editorial board of the journal Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum, which has also just become fully open access for all future issues. If you are doing research on ancient Christianity, please consider sending submissions our way! www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
degruyterbrill.com
Editorial – News from ZAC
Article Editorial – News from ZAC was published on March 3, 2026 in the journal Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum / Journal of Ancient Christianity (volume 29, issue 3).
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Mark DelCogliano @markdelcogliano.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
NAPS members whose membership is current should have received an email today about registration for the 2026 conference. If you didn't receive the email, make sure your membership hasn't lapsed. The program can be found here: custom.cvent.com/DADF18846EBF...
custom.cvent.com
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Dr Tom de Bruin @tdbiii.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Come to Nijmegen and be my colleague! 3-year postdoc on ethnicity and (in)equality in early Christianity, supervised by @matthijsdendulk.bsky.social. All I can say is we are a great group of people and Nijmegen is a pretty good place to live.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
In case you haven't yet heard about it, there is an interesting new project on 'Ethnicity and (In)Equality in Early Christianity' being led by Matthijs den Dulk (Radboud University). Currently hiring for a 3-year postdoc. Application deadline is 8 March. www.eiec.info/home
eiec.info
EIEC
Image: Jesus and the dog-headed men, Kiev Psalter, 1397
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Matt Seybold @mattseybold.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
This was published in the dead week between Christmas and New Year’s. If you work in education & were, reasonably, taking a break, maybe you missed it. Don’t miss it.
chronicle.com
The ‘Crisis of the Humanities’ Is Over. That’s Not a Good Thing.
All of higher ed now suffers the attacks of politics and technology.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
We've just finished marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Is it too early to start thinking about the upcoming 1600th anniversary of the Council of Ephesus? Here's a start. www.academia.edu/145809087/A_...
academia.edu
A Battle by Night? A Revisionist Account of the Early Stages of the Nestorian Controversy
The present study sets forth a revisionist account of the origins of the Nestorian controversy that seeks to overturn several long-standing scholarly assumptions related to 1) the relative importance ...
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
JOB OPENING: Associate Dean (Research), Theology and Philosophy Seeking an academic for high-level academic leadership across the faculty, operating within a University-wide research strategy focused on high quality, high impact and innovative research. candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
candidate.aurion.cloud
Associate Dean (Research), Theology and Philosophy - Vacancy Details
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/ne...
acu.edu.au
ACU experts elected to Australian Academy of Humanities
Australian Catholic University academics Professor Matthew Crawford and Professor Debjani Ganguly have been elected fellows of the Australian Academy of Humanities.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
It’s publication day! I decided 11 years ago I wanted to do this project and began working on it eight years ago, so it’s gratifying to reach this point. Thanks to all who helped us bring it to fruition.
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Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
The oldest Jewish cemetery in the UK, dating back to the Norman Conquest, was just discovered. www.jpost.com/history/arti...
jpost.com
Ancient Jewish cemetery discovered in UK near Roman ruins | The Jerusalem Post
The cemetery, discovered on the Barbican estate, is understood to date back to 1070 and is located near ancient Roman walls.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
There is still one week to go before the application deadline for our two job openings in biblical and early Christian studies (15 August). Please spread the word! I would be glad to speak with anyone who has questions about the positions.
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Joey McCollum @joeymccollum.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
My associate supervisor Rob Turnbull has written an exciting and accessible report on the research he's been doing! He recently published his PhD dissertation (brill.com/display/titl...), and he's currently applying phylogenetic methods to texts beyond the New Testament.
brill.com
Codex Sinaiticus Arabicus and Its Family
"Codex Sinaiticus Arabicus and Its Family" published on 21 Oct 2024 by Brill.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Back in my happy place at the Biblioteca Angelica in Rome with the reading room all to myself today.
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Ennius @enniusredloeb.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
11th July is the feast of St Benedict and here is the earliest extant copy of the Rule of St Benedict. Bodleian Library MS. Hatton 48; Rule of St. Benedict; c.700 CE (?); England (Canterbury?); f.1r @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social
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Joey McCollum @joeymccollum.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
I can tell you from experience that the IRCI is a beautiful place to work! Don't miss this opportunity!
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
I am delighted to announce the IRCI has 2 job openings in early Christianity (specialisation open, research-focus, early career). Closing date 15 Aug. Contact me with any questions. We hope you'll consider joining our excellent group of scholars! candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
candidate.aurion.cloud
Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow (Early Christianity) - Vacancy Details
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
A small discovery: the Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität includes an entry for εὐάγγελμα with a single ref: Didymus, De Trin 1.29.8. The term shows up nowhere else in TLG. The ms actually reads ἐπαγγέλματα which was misread in the 1769 editio princeps and a new ed in 1975.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
So far the standard version of Copilot (@msftresearch.bsky.social) can't transcribe an 11th c Greek manuscript and in fact made up a completely different text it claimed was the transcription. Seems to have picked up βασιλέα from the first line, misread it as a similar word, and then ran with it.
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Mina Monier @mmonier.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
So, here's the webpage of our project on Gospel harmonies. I will be working with a wonderful advisory board, including my wonderful Doktormutter @joantaylor.bsky.social, and @mcrawford.bsky.social . mf.no/en/ungos
mf.no
Unconventional Gospels | MF
A Computer–Assisted Analysis of Complex Harmonic Traditions in Newly Discovered Manuscripts
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Joey McCollum @joeymccollum.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
I asked one of supervisors about this (he'd spent some time at Saint Catherine's), and he responded with some relieving news. The Greek papers seem to have gotten the story wrong: newsprime.gr/sina-den-gin... (I had to use Google Translate on the page)
newsprime.gr
Σινά: Δεν γίνεται δήμευση και έξωση μοναχών – Τι πραγματικά συμβαίνει με τη Μονή Αγίας Αικατερίνης - News Prime
Τις τελευταίες ώρες κυκλοφόρησαν σε ελληνικά μέσα ενημέρωσης δημοσιεύματα που αναφέρουν ότι οι αιγυπτιακές αρχές προχωρούν σε «δίωξη» και «έξωση» των μοναχών της Μονής Αγίας Αικατερίνης στο Σινά, και ...
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Spotted today at the Vatican Museums. An unusual depiction of the evangelists as oarsmen in a boat with Christ at the helm. Matthew is missing but we have John, Luke, and Mark, the so-called ‘Western’ order of the gospels.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
I am delighted to announce that I have received a fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation for a research stay in Tübingen to produce an edition of The Emperor Julian's Against the Galileans and to study its 20th c. reception, including a German translation from the Third Reich.
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Kristian Heal @kristianheal.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
If you like manuscripts, there's lots of interesting stuff in this new open access volume. www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
degruyterbrill.com
Manuscript Treasures from Afro-Eurasia
Throughout the Middle Ages manuscripts were routinely commissioned, copied, illustrated, displayed, read, and transferred across both sides of the Mediterranean. Their significance as vehicles for the...
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Registration is still open for our Makarios conference on Love of Neighbor and Human Flourishing (deadline 15 May) which will take place at ACU’s Rome campus in partnership with Baylor, Harvard, and Boston College! >
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
I wrote a short piece on Easter and the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea www.abc.net.au/religion/170...
abc.net.au
Is the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea an opportunity to reestablish a common date for Easter? - ABC Religion & Ethics
This year is not only the 1,700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council of the church, but also one of the years when Catholic and Orthodox Easter celebrations coincide — an occasion to reflect ...
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Mark DelCogliano @markdelcogliano.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Dual language editions on facing pages. Coming late 2025 or early 2026: Phoebadius, Contra Arianos (DelCogliano) Apollinarius, Kata Meros Pistos (Kelley Spoerl) Theodore, Debate with Macedonians (Matt Crawford)
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IRCI_ACU @irci.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Join for a hybrid BECS Seminar with Prof. Bronwen Neil on “Sarcophagi on the Street: Burial in the Necropoleis at Roman Ostia” to be held at 11:00 am AEDT on Thursday, 3 April 2025.
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Durotriges Dig @durotrigesdig.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
"Quite simply, this is one of the most important and exciting Iron Age period discoveries made in the UK" Historic England Press release on the Melsonby hoard 👇👇 historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/ne...
historicengland.org.uk
Iron Age Hoard Discovery Alters Our Understanding of Life in Britain 2,000 Years Ago | Historic England
The Melsonby Hoard, a vast deposit of more than 800 items, provides an archaeological time capsule from the Iron Age around 2,000 years ago.
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Kylie Crabbe @kycrabbe.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Come do a PhD with me (and other excellent colleagues) as part of an ARC-funded project—Night Vision in the Late Ancient Mediterranean! Funded places (fees and stipend) available! More info here, and reach out with any questions. Applications due Monday 21 April. www.acu.edu.au/research-and...
acu.edu.au
Night Vision in the Late Ancient Mediterranean
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Coming this July. www.cambridge.org/au/universit...
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