James Bielo
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secondhandsacred.bsky.social
James Bielo
@secondhandsacred.bsky.social

Associate Professor, Dept. of Religious Studies, Northwestern University

James S. Bielo is an American socio-cultural anthropologist, specializing in the Anthropology of Religion, the Anthropology of Christianity, American Religion, Urban Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and the study of Material Religion. He is an associate professor of Religious Studies at Northwestern University. He was awarded his Ph.D. in anthropology in 2007 from Michigan State University. With Carrie M. Lane, he is the series founder and co-editor of the “Anthropology of Contemporary North America" book series at the University of Nebraska Press. He is one of the founders of the AnthroCyBib, an online bibliographic resource for the anthropology of Christianity that is hosted by the University of Edinburgh. He is also a founder and co-curator of Materializing the Bible, an interactive, curated a catalogue of biblical themed environments that covers "Protestant, Catholic and, to a lesser extent Jewish and Latter-Day Saints sites, that in different ways transforms the Bible into physical, interactive and choreographed environments, for purposes of immersion, personal piety, religious education and conversion." .. more

Political science 31%
Sociology 25%
Pinned
Hi Bluesky! I’m James Bielo, an anthropologist of religion. Secondhand Sacred is my current work, exploring the circulation of Christian material culture thru 2nd economies. This includes a series of public exhibits, like Domestic Devotion & (Ir)Reverent Fun. Follow along for project updates!

I had a really wonderful four days in Utrecht last week! This week’s posts will share some secondhand finds and gifts from the visit. First up, this holy water font from an antiques shop along the central canal. #secondhandsacred

An #ebaymethod find: stamps & fundraising brochure for Sermons from Science pavilion at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Back in June 2021 I spent a day in the Moody archives w/ their SFS materials. This included a report from the ‘62 Fair where they counted lots of things!

Excited to be here this morning to check out the new Aquí en Chicago exhibit!

Small estate sale haul from Friday. #secondhandsacred

Reposted by Andrew Jacobs

Thrifted, 1999 Bible game. #secondhandsacred

Two new Bible-themed dexterity puzzles, both #ebaymethod finds. Enjoying thinking with these objects as the set grows. #secondhandsacred

Reposted by James S. Bielo

I am THRILLED to announce that ARCHIVAL IRRUPTIONS is officially published with @dukepress.bsky.social! For those who would like to order the book, you can get 30% off using coupon code E25GRBNR at this link: www.dukeupress.edu/archival-irr...
Archival Irruptions: Constructing Religion and Criminalizing Obeah in Eighteenth-Century Jamaica
www.dukeupress.edu

Hand painted icon sourced from Evanston antiques shop #secondhandsacred

View-Master premiered at the 1939 NY World’s Fair. Descendant of the stereoscope, ancestor of the VR headset. They are still made, though they stopped producing travel reels in 2008. These were found at an Evanston antiques store #secondhandsacred

What happens when you follow the traces and trails of a bible comic? Read the latest 'Collecting Religion' essay by Christina Pasqua and find out. It's a *really* good one!! collectingreligion.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/o...
Old Forgotten Children’s Books?
by Christina Pasqua Archival Collections When visiting the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at the Ohio State University in spring 2025, I pulled an item from the collection called “The S…
collectingreligion.wordpress.com

Thrifted this scarf on Friday for the Wearing & Carrying exhibit #secondhandsacred

Three tracts found this week: two from little free libraries, one on a campus sidewalk (complete with/ shoeprint) #secondhandsacred

Goodwill find yesterday. #secondhandsacred

Thanks to Kristin Balzer for contributing this tract to the collection. Found on the ground in Evanston, IL #secondhandsacred

Last rites kits are a relatively common secondhand find. More often than not, they are incomplete. Here, ephemera remained #secondhandsacred

Two Jesus-themed dexterity palm puzzles. New #ebaymethod addition to the Playful Devotion exhibit. What’s that? Curious about the history of these patience games? No problem, Barbara Levine & Jessica Helfand have got you: www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/45/le... #secondhandsacred

What links this cassette to these two books? I follow the trail in a new essay, written for an exciting project hosted by Valentina Gamberi - valentinagamberi.eu/the-ringmast... #secondhandsacred

An #ebaymethod find: Christian Science card set from 1964-65 NY World’s Fair. Front sticker is from a previous sale. Was happy seller accepted my $6 offer. This Fair had multiple religious exhibitions: www.jstor.org/stable/10.57... #secondhandsacred

Went to my first estate sale in ~3 months on Sat. Home of a 92-year old man, 9 years a widower, who relocated to VA to live w/ his son. He was a longtime member of a local Assemblies of God church, & had amassed a large collection. Here’s a small sample from my $30 haul. #secondhandsacred

Found this 1950 Book of Mormon last week at an antiques store in Hartford. The fourth edition now in the collection. I often daydream about a Mountain West research trip where I hit secondhand stores from Boise to Provo. One day! #secondhandsacred

Just reviewed chapter proofs and looking forward to seeing this out in the world. It’s part of a really great volume edited by Petra Kuppinger: books.google.com/books/about/... #secondhandsacred

1976, gospel LP #secondhandsacred

Thrifted this 1970 paperback. First I’ve learned about this cycling ministry/performance of evangelical masculinity. Hear a short interview with the founder here: indianapublicradio.org/indianaweeke... #secondhandsacred

A Hartford antiques store find. Hand painted Polish icon, c.1989 #secondhandsacred

Belt buckle. First one thrifted: two others in the collection are eBay and estate sale finds. #secondhandsacred

Just thrifted these three chalk ware statues. St Martha stands 26 inches tall. #secondhandsacred

A few recent additions to the in-progress End Times exhibit. Some collectors want materials in pristine condition. Not me. This bent, torn, creased, taped cover is value-added, for the trace it offers of a life in circulation #secondhandsacred