Lydia Bremer-McCollum

The new semester is starting (or well under way). If you find yourself wishing you had more Coptic reading in your life, consider joining my online reading group! Meets Mondays @ 10:00am ET (Atlanta, GA time) [Zoom] DM me for more info!

Coming up Friday, Nov. 6. (12pm EST/UTC-5). Workshopping a book chapter in-progress about ghosts and papyrus. Always looking for critical and engaged readers!!

Coming up Friday, Nov. 6. (12pm EST/UTC-5). Workshopping a book chapter in-progress about ghosts and papyrus. Always looking for critical and engaged readers!!

I wrote a meditation on June Jordan, the risk-averse profession of academia, and the real lessons of my progressive theological education. www.forsuchtimes.com/essays/5h3r8...

More than 200 complaints regarding sexual violence at schools have been filed with the Education Department since the start of Trump’s second term. The department has investigated only 29 of these, finding fault with a school district only once.

Just in time for Spring syllabuses, friends! Have your universities and local bookstores purchase!! Request that your library buy some copies!!

Nearly 12k books were banned in US public schools in 2025/6.

My book, “Martyrs and Migrants” has received Best Work in the Study of Practices, Communities, or Lived Contexts from the @aarweb.bsky.social! Grateful to the committee for this recognition—I am absolutely thrilled! aarweb.org/news/2026-aa...

GenAut publication | Dan Batovici "Clement of Rome in Syriac Biblical Manuscripts." In Open Access too, if you're into it.

This looks great!

Coptic sentence of the day: ⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲡⲗⲏⲣⲱⲙⲁ ϣⲁⲡⲧ ⲁⲣⲁⲕ Ntak pe pa-plêrôma - šap-t arak! "You are my Fullness - take me to you!"

Out now in #freeaccess! 📖 Read the wonderful new editorial by @apocalypsenow5.bsky.social, kicking off a special issue commemorating 25 years of Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza’s "Jesus and the Politics of Interpretation". Check the full issue out here: brill.com/view/journal...

Last week's paper by Maria Doerfler is now online! www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM39...

Bible teaching folk: what resource suggestions do y'all have for students who are struggling with theological discomfort stemming from class content (first introduction to critical biblical studies, feminist/queer interpretation, and queer eros and the bible).

Bible teaching folk: what resource suggestions do y'all have for students who are struggling with theological discomfort stemming from class content (first introduction to critical biblical studies, feminist/queer interpretation, and queer eros and the bible).

At a moment when gender and sexuality is central to understanding contemporary American politics, Harvard decides to . . . defund its Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program.

Am job searching and just saw this as a listed requirement: "A willingness to maintain a high level of competence." Wtf does that mean?!

An important read re: a former teacher of mine. Erik has been an amazing leader in union organization and anti-ICE education. He has been a model for me re: the intersection of justice and academia since I met him as a first year college student twenty years ago. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Syriac comp. practice, from real life: ܝܬܒ̇ܬ ܥܡ ܟܠܒܝ ܡܢ ܠܒܪ ܘܡܢܫܠܝ ܕܒܨܝ ܫܘܫܡܢܐ ܒܫܩܐ. ܗܐ ܟ̇ܝܒܐ ܠܝ! /yeṯbeṯ ʕam kalb men l-ḇar w-men-šel daḇṣ-an šawšmånå ḇ-šåqå. hå ḵåybå l-i/ (corrections/suggestions welcome) "I sat down outside with my dog, and all of a sudden an ant bit me on the leg: it hurts!"

The worst part of teaching an asynchronous course is having the data about exactly how many minutes students listened to your lecture. Does not help with the whole feels like you are teaching to an empty void thing.

4.5 hour long video of the tour!!

Chance Bonar reports on the 2026 NASSCAL meeting at the University of Virginia. www.nasscal.com/meetings/con...

New release 📚 Afropean Biblical Studies, by Olabisi Obamakin 🌍 In this book, Obamakin constructs a Nigerian/British women’s hermeneutic that reshapes how we read the New Testament, blending feminist, postcolonial, and decolonial approaches. Read more here 🔗 brill.com/display/ti...

This book was my very first acquisition when I started with @fortresspress.bsky.social and, even more importantly, it's an incredible book! Can't wait to see it in the real world. Congratulations @chancebonar.bsky.social!

Also, it is scary how teaching is like parenting, in that you have no control over what students will remember!! I asked students to tell me about their most memorable class periods and I totally forgot that we did half this stuff....

Why read The Pearlsong? •new Eng. tr. of 1 Syriac & 2 Greek texts •at least 13 scripts & 20 languages •a dragon-dosed narcotic magic spell •more about snakes/dragons/serpents •commentary light on allegory and heavy on story •the Guardian of Forever (Star Trek TOS) 1/2

HMML is hiring a "Cataloger, West African Manuscripts," a full-time, benefits-eligible, remote position. Details: https://bit.ly/4njwcgW The Cataloger will participate in HMML's effort to catalog Islamic manuscripts recently digitized in Mali. This is a one-year, grant-funded position. #LibraryJobs

So far oral exams have been a super success! Had a fantastic conversation with a student about what justice for Bathsheba might look like (their own question based on our class!).

Congratulations to @iannelsonmills.bsky.social for receiving the De Gruyter Prize for Biblical Studies and Reception History 2025! His article is now published in #openaccess in our "Journal of the Bible and its Reception". 🔗 www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

A student providing one word about ancient Christianity in reflection of our course: Absurd. My work is done.

hagiography friends: are saints often referred to as the mother or father of a martyrium?

As the SBL program starts firming up, I'd like to encourage unit chairs to keep track of committee members and accepted presenters who are unable to attend the meeting due to the increased cost. Please consider submitting those numbers to SBL.