iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

WHY DIDNT ANY OF YOU EVER TELL ME ABOUT THIS EASTER EGG IN CAPTAIN AMERICA?!!!!??!!?

Gravestone of Nicholas J. Fury reading “the path of the righteous man…Ezekiel 25:17”

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Are The Hunger Games just Jesus Christ Superstar redivivus? People are asking.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Preparing to update my colleagues on this semester's scholarly activity at our annual faculty retreat:

The Bible as Film slides with Bar Trivia struck through so that it reads Retreat Trivia instead. There is a popcorn bowl, an image of charlton heston as Moses, upside down Biggus Dickus from Life of Brian, a Ben Hur medallion, and a Time Magazine cover with the title "Jesus Christ Superstar Rocks Broadway" on it

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

A Wabash Center blog I wrote in which Ramona Quimby’s Kindergarten teacher, Miss Binney, gives a practical lesson in giving a shit about students: bit.ly/4lPr5UH

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

How to build rapport with your seminary colleagues:

“The prayer clock” with a picture of pensive, prayerful Jesus in the fact, it plays readings from the New Testament every hour on the hour as read by James earl jones

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

My institution is hiring a Director of Seminary Admissions. We are looking for: ◾️Someone with a master's degree (preferably in a theological field) ◾️who will recruit for and promote the seminary ◾️while being based in Dubuque, IA www.dbq.edu/aboutud/empl...

dbq.edu

Jobs

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

The Last Supper in Godspell (1973)

Jesus in a Superman shirt with nine clownish disciples on either side of him, Sa Vinci style

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Assessing student work is so much more fun when these are the books they are reporting on:

Forum posts with the titles of books for book reports, including God's Ghostwriters, Mind the Gap, The Historical Jesus: Five Views, Finding Phoebe, The Widening of God's Mercy, A Jewish Paul, and Tell Her Story.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

The Synoptic Gospels program unit will have the following sessions at the 2025 annual meeting of the SBL. All are open for submissions: –Two open sessions –Synoptics and queer and/or trans hermeneutics –Enslavement in the Synoptics Consider submitting! CFP closes March 25.

SBL Synoptic Gospels CFP: The Synoptic Gospels section invites proposals for two open sessions on the content or formation of any of the Synoptic Gospels. We especially welcome papers that address the relationship between two or more Gospels or that deal with themes touching on multiple Gospels. In addition, the Synoptic Gospels section invites proposals for two special sessions. In one special session that will be held jointly with the Queer Hermeneutics section, we invite papers that engage the Synoptic Gospels through explicitly queer and/or trans hermeneutics. In the other special session, we invite proposals that examine various facets of enslavement found within the gospels including analysis of enslavement as metaphor, enslaved characters, enslavers, and manumission.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Need assistance figuring out what Bible film to watch? I am here to help!

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

If you want to desensitize your kids from gluing their eyes to any screen that happens to be on, throw _The Greatest Story Ever Told_ on in your living room. Mine watched about 37 seconds before peacing out.

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Reposted by Dr. Nick Elder

Presbyterian Outlook @presoutlook.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Presbyterian Outlook banned by Instagram: What happened and where to find us now Presbyterian Outlook’s Instagram was suspended by Meta without explanation. Learn what happened and where to find us now. @Terimott.bsky.social #Meta

buff.ly

Presbyterian Outlook banned by Instagram - The Presbyterian Outlook

Presbyterian Outlook’s Instagram was suspended by Meta without explanation. Learn what happened and where to find us now

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

*Trivia time* Question: Which noncanonical/apocryphal gospel has Balthasar, the wiseman, witness Jesus’s crucifixion?

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

How will you be using the enddei.ed.gov site?

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Evangelicals have seen this before.

Donald Trump statue from the horrid Gaza video

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

I told Greek students today that my mnemonic for ενεγκον as the third principal (2nd aorist) part of φερω was a fellow student muttering "fucking φερω" every time it appeared not as a present. Not missing a beat, a student said, "That's what Moses said." And that’s the Bible joke of the year.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Today I am writing about Ben-Hur themed roller coasters in early 20th cent. American amusement parks because Bible research has long tentacles.

“Ben hour racer” postcard from ocean park, ca feauturing a large wooden roller coaster

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Out here, once again, doing the Lord's work in the quiz questions. You're welcome, future homily/sermon hearers.

Question: The New Testament uses three words for time: chronos, kairos, and aion. The second of these, kairos, meaning "season" or "appointed time" is rare and is invested with especially strong theological meaning.

Answer: False

Clarification: No. Please, please do not preach this. All three of these words are normal in the Greek language of the New Testament and are not to be invested with special theological significance. See Gideon Bohak, "Jewish Miracle Workers and Magic in the Late Second Temple Period" in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, pg. 669.

The correct answer is 'False'.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

The neat thing about being a New Testament professor who is super into indie dad rock is that sometimes you get to see your most favorite artists out-theologize and out-exegete the jabronis.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

It’s 51° in Iowa and so this is what work looks like this afternoon. Could be worse.

Beverly Cleary’s Ramona the Pest by a cup of tea on the university of dubuques campus

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

On a scale of Mr. Rogers to Samwise Gamgee, what’s your pedagogical kindness vibe?

Several iconic kind (and not kind) figures, including me. Rogers, grumpy cat, Eric Cara , mother Theresa, Richard Simmons, Jane Goodall, and Severus snape.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

I just signed up for a three-day bookbinding workshop at my local art center. I am absolutely ecstatic. This is what peak middle-age academic interested in book history looks like, in case you were wondering.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Strava, but for writing and research

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Me: *uploads a lecture video on first-declension noun endings* The LMS:

Error message reading: “a potentially dangerous request”

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I was today years old when I learned that the producer of the first Bible film and the producer of the first erotic film were one and the same. Not that surprising, TBH.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

See what happens when you wash your Etruscan mirrors with dish detergent. Smh

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Allusionism to Da Vinci’s Last Supper (1498) in Mary Magdalene (2018).

Jesus and disciples eating the last supper. Jesus at center; Mary to his right.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Reductionist af, NYT. (Sorry for the spoiler.)

NYT Crossword clue: good name for a a theology professor. Answer:faith.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Pedagogy reading groups are my love language. Excited to lead discussions on this book in the spring.

A pile of Catherine denial’s book a pedagogy of kindness

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

If you haven’t been listening to Jon Batiste’s _Beethoven Blues_, now is the time.

Album cover of Jon batiste’s Beethoven blues

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Reposted by Dr. Nick Elder

And-Boo 👻 Jacobs (he/him) @drewjakeprof.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

FYI #SBLAAR24 folks, if you have the time, energy, and desire to walk along the water, you can actually walk to San Diego airport from the conference area! it's 2-3 miles, depending on your point of departure

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Gospel Media in the exhibit hall wild. #sblaar24

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Reposted by Dr. Nick Elder

Paul D. Wheatley, Ph.D. @pauldwheatley.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

First #sblaar24 run group meeting in the books. @runhudi.bsky.social @nickelder.bsky.social @maklelan.bsky.social and others hit the road at 6:30 this morning.

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Reposted by Dr. Nick Elder

Matt Thiessen @mattthiessen.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Another starter pack - this one for Hebrew Bible scholars.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Decompressing from talking to too many people on day one of conferencing by…responding to emails? Wtf even is this academic life.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Is this meme included in my presentation in the Academic Teaching and Biblical Studies for #SBLAAR24? Only one way to find out...

Panel one: cat bitten by toy alligator. Panel two: cat in alligator costume. Quotations: "When education is not liberating, the dream of the oppressed is to become the oppressor."

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Reposted by Dr. Nick Elder

Brennan Breed @brennanbreed.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

One of my #SBLAAR tips: get outside every now and again. There are two little parks behind the convention center and a walkway all right on the water. This is a nice places to move, get some sunshine, etc. Or walk into the gaslight district. Don’t forget you are a human with a body!

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

I like running lots of places. But I especially like running in warm places by the water. There are plans for two group runs at #SBLAAR24 (that I know of): Saturday and Monday at 6:30 AM. Meet outside the convention center. No-person-left-behind pace.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

#3: my version of specs/un grading does not play well with my institution’s LMS’s landing page that provides students an overview of their grades. This is an important tool for a number of campus wntities, including students, and assumes a scaled, percentage-based grading model. #ungradingchat

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Bible apps use skeuomorphs to project bookishness.

Youversion app icon of holy Bible as a square book.

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

#2: I use a mix of ungrading philosophy (“the rules are made up and the points don’t matter”), specs grading execution for final grades, and scaled grading for automated MC quizzes, exams etc.

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Reposted by Dr. Nick Elder

Beth Felker Jones @bethfelkerjones.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Starter pack: women in Christian theology & ministry. go.bsky.app/93QuBQz

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Dr. Nick Elder @nickelder.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

#1: grades are imperfect measures of learning that, especially when unexamined and undiscussed, foster adversarial relationships between faculty and students and promote systemic inequities. Yet grades can also provide useful benchmarks and motivations when utilized graciously. #ungrading

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