I study how religion, conspiracy theories & narratives of grievance shape political movements, extremism & hate. Canada + US. Lecturer @ UWaterloo. Author.
Carmencelestini.com
My Book GodsAngryMen.com
My book God's Angry Men is now published. I am so excited to share my work with the world. Want to know how rich people have used conspiracies, Christianity, and culture wars to get us to Project 2025?
bloomsburycp3.codemantra.com/viewer/6a105...
A 15-year-old is arrested in connection with a shooting close to Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium that injured 12 people, according to police.
‼️ SO many myths about immigrants.
⚠️ Don't believe the hateful lies (looking at you Alberta UCP 👀)
Migrants use significantly less NHS care than they effectively pay for, analysis finds www.bmj.com/content/395/...
"...pay 60% more towards the NHS than the cost of healthcare they use."
"James Goodwin, a policy director at @progressivereform.bsky.social, a nonprofit research organization, has tracked Project 2025's implementation and estimated that by February, about 53% of the plan had been initiated or enacted." www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
URGENT: As you prepare to vote in your municipal elections, please don't skirt the SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE elections, even if you don't have children. Nowhere more than any other level, the schools board elections are targeted by far-right, anti-trans/anti-EDI lunatic candidates. Vote to keep them out!
How did the John Birch Society help shape today's political landscape?
On Nov. 26, I'm speaking at @uvic.ca about Christian nationalism, conspiracy theories, culture wars, and the political legacy of God's Angry Men.
5 PM PT | UVic
www.uvic.ca/research/cen...
Trump: "In Washington, all the restaurants were closing. People were being held up. They'd walk into a restaurant. Like Jesse James. 'Stand up! Give us all your money.' They're eating dinner at a fancy restaurant. All the restaurants were closing."
New: White House attorneys are evaluating whether to issue mass pardons to junior staffers.
https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/white-house-weighing-mass-pardons-for-junior-staff
JUST POSTED: Today at The NYT we are publishing a major investigation into how President Trump used his executive powers to expose millions of Americans to greater cancer risks.
A six month-long investigation built on more than 10,000 pages of FOIA records. Read it
www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/c...
NEW: Elon Musk gave his super PAC $76 million in just two weeks of October, and more than half of its new candidate spending went to one race: the Texas Senate fight against James Talarico. He’s now given more than $445 million this cycle, far more than he spent electing Trump.
The Guardian has written a piece on Alberta's vote and immigration social services.
I wrote the other day, about the use of conspiracy theories, distrust, hate, and how these beliefs won't simply disappear.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...
What happens when a movement convinced it's the majority loses a vote?
In Alberta some separatists blamed rigged ballots, Dominion machines, immigrants, and political elites.
My latest on conspiracy theories, echo chambers, and constructed victimhood
drcarmencelestini.substack.com/p/when-the-m...
Join us on Nov. 12 @ 7:30pm for a talk by Christian Smith on his new book “Occulture: The New Face of American Spirituality.” This free hybrid event is co-sponsored with SJU. Please register to attend in-person or online: heyor.ca/ZJsPFI
BREAKING: The DOJ sued to effectively force Alaska to set aside the results of the 2026 Senate race if anyone other than Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan wins.
The lawsuit comes after the DOJ also sued California preemptively challenging the vote there.
What happens when a movement convinced it's the majority loses a vote?
In Alberta some separatists blamed rigged ballots, Dominion machines, immigrants, and political elites.
My latest on conspiracy theories, echo chambers, and constructed victimhood
drcarmencelestini.substack.com/p/when-the-m...
Vivek Ramaswamy has taken responsibility and put $4 million behind an ad in which opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother calls her a liar. Court documents show Acton's stepfather was arrested for raping her as a child and her biological mom lost custody ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/10/21/r...
What happens when a movement convinced it's the majority loses a vote?
In Alberta some separatists blamed rigged ballots, Dominion machines, immigrants, and political elites.
My latest on conspiracy theories, echo chambers, and constructed victimhood
drcarmencelestini.substack.com/p/when-the-m...
Today in class I veered from the topic and ended up talking about my research and stuff I am passionate about. The students were engaged and asking so many questions. Honestly, I love when students are into a topic. I have to change the test now to include my veer. LOL
In any other admin, this would probably be the most outrageous official statement ever made by a sitting FCC director: Strongly implying that the government forbids broadcast networks from reporting on the president's falling poll numbers. (Sorry to paste from twitter but that's where he posts.)
Based on my exhaustion, lack of good and sleep over the last few days I believe I can predict this ai response.
But ai does act like a fluffer so perhaps it will praise how young, refreshed, and intelligent I look.
I do feel that it's a tad premature to think that a single selfie tells you your "biological age" and predicts your death from cancer, but maybe I'm just a Luddite who needs to get with the [AI] program!
Is this superior to current approaches on prognosis?
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
“Ms. Habba finalized her deal days after the company was registered, while she was still serving as U.S. attorney in New Jersey.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/u...
Wild how GOP claim Dems pay protesters and actors but then actually pay protesters and actors!
"Timmy Teepell’s firm, Breakthrough LLC, was paid $250,000 on 29 September by America Next" to "fund the canvassing and influencer marketing in opposition to" AES.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
After a clip of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed being questioned about the Muslim Brotherhood gained millions of views online, Republican Mike Rogers said El-Sayed didn’t disavow the organization. Video shows he did.
buff.ly/sIXtftH
A GOP congressional nominee in Colorado is courting Nick Fuentes's groyper fans, posting a picture of herself as a groyper and arguing that evangelicals are a "Zionist death cult."
My latest False Flag for @thebulwark.com: www.thebulwark.com/p/republican...
Christian nationalism isn't just an American phenomenon.
Yesterday I joined @dgjoreilly.bsky.social and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme for a panel on Christian Nationalism in Canada, hosted at St. Jerome's University.
The recording is now available:
youtu.be/drhFcuplAu4
Burgum doesn't answer a question on Fox about whether green fees for the DC public golf course will go up after Trump's redesign, and says the administration is "getting rid of hazardous trees"
SCOOP
Election offices in at least 32 states have received suspicious letters, many including white powder, over the course of the last week
www.wired.com/story/electi...
I'm just getting my coffee order before prep for the panel.
Come join us as we discuss Christian nationalism in Canada. I promise I'll sneak in conspiracy theories too!
Christian nationalism isn't just an American story. What does it look like in Canada and why does it matter?
I'll join David O'Reilly and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme for a free panel today, 3:30–4:30 ET. Attend in Waterloo or on Zoom.
uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
There have been groups on FB and Reddit with both sides of this conflict for years.
Adult children who have cut off contact, parents who have cut off contact, and a bit of a stereotype but people who have cut off family due to issues with In-Laws.
It seems so weird this is blowing up now.
STORY, updates to come: Edmonton former journalist Duncan Kinney has admitted to spray painting a bust of Ukrainian World War II leader Roman Shukhevych with the words "actual Nazi," then writing about it, claiming he didn't know who did it. edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/d...
NEW: Another controversy involving taxpayer-funded Trump ads
Democratic Natl Committee alerts court that MAGA Inc Super-PAC is paying to air a "no tax on tips" commercial that was produced by White House staff "whose salaries are paid using Congressional appropriations"
Christian nationalism isn't just an American story. What does it look like in Canada and why does it matter?
I'll join David O'Reilly and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme for a free panel today, 3:30–4:30 ET. Attend in Waterloo or on Zoom.
uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
I have been writing and researching about Active Clubs in Canada for quite some time. The escalation is something we need to be concerned about. We have council candidates openly supporting the Dominion Society of Canada and now NS13 threatening a candidate.
www.chch.com/chch-news/ra...
Make not mistake this is a threat to our democracy and the safety our citizens.
Active Clubs are a transnational movement of men, who believe in the Great Replacement, recruit online and move to real world incidents and training.
It is white nationalism 3.0, and we need to pay attention.
The racism is having an impact on candidates in a community in Manitoba. Where signs are defaced and banners declare the community should vote for white candidates.
We can't ignore the hate in our communities. Much arising from online.
winnipeg.citynews.ca/2026/10/14/m...
I have been writing and researching about Active Clubs in Canada for quite some time. The escalation is something we need to be concerned about. We have council candidates openly supporting the Dominion Society of Canada and now NS13 threatening a candidate.
www.chch.com/chch-news/ra...
These groups are not simply stating their support of remigration policies in Canada, their racism, and hate, they are also training as a fighting force.
They have been recruiting amongst males aged 15-18 and their own sites claim that some of these young people have moved on to Patriot Front orgs.
The American Active Clubs have even established Girl clubs, more Tradwife than fighting militia.
We absolutely need to address these movements, both Active Clubs and the metapolitical Dominion Society.
We in Canada are not immune to the policies we are seeing in the US and other nations.
I have been writing and researching about Active Clubs in Canada for quite some time. The escalation is something we need to be concerned about. We have council candidates openly supporting the Dominion Society of Canada and now NS13 threatening a candidate.
www.chch.com/chch-news/ra...
"Trump approval hits record low, handing Democrats a clear midterm edge. The president's approval is at 33 percent, with 66 percent disapproving and just over half saying they disapprove strongly. Meanwhile, midterm support for Democrats is rising." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Mike Rogers: "[El-Sayed] did not disavow the Muslim Brotherhood."
Bash: "He did. He said, 'Sure, yeah.'"
Rogers: "I don't know why the press is so eager to protect this guy."
How am I spending my last day of reading week? Marking of course. I had this fantasy I was going to have it all done early, and then write. I did write, but I procrastinated on the marking.
I am pleased to announce that I finished Marking. 6 am wake up, 11 am completion.
I think there are a lot of people who have a solution, but JD and Trump are not gonna like it.
Trump and him removed from office, stop bombing people, stop kidnapping people and putting them in concentration camps, stop threatening Allies...but we won't forget that easily.
JD Vance: "I see what Abdul El-Sayed says about the war in Iran. I see him criticizing decisions the president has made, the military has made. But fundamentally we are where we are.I'd like to know what's Abdul El-Sayed's solution for the problem we have right now? It's easy to criticize"