Samuel Perry
LightNews LightNews
banner
profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry
@profsamperry.bsky.social
5.6K followers 1.9K following 490 posts

Professor | Books: Growing God's Family; Addicted to Lust; Taking America Back for God; The Flag and The Cross; Religion for Realists | CV: https://tinyurl.com/4hs86ntn

Videos

Samuel L. Perry is an American sociologist known for his research on American Christianity, politics, and sexual behavior. He is currently the Sam K. Viersen Presidential Professor of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma. The topics of Perry's books and articles have included American evangelicals and their social engagement, Christian nationalism, moral incongruence and religious responses to pornography use, religion and interracial marriage, Christian adoption and foster care, and English Bible translations. .. more

Political science 43%
Sociology 29%
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · Nov 2
Thrilled and honored that my book Religion for Realists was given the 2025 Distinguished Book Award by @sssreligion.bsky.social last night.

It’s vital that we understand religion and religious people. The social sciences are remiss to ignore either.

Hire more religion specialists.

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Rebecca Solnit, Scott L. Greer , and 3 more

dieworkwear.bsky.social
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d
kind of funny that an olympian said they are here to represent "compassion, respect, and love for others" and some people automatically knew that was a statement against them

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 2d
This is a good one too. Authors found interventions to improve conservatives‘ trust in scientists didn’t work, suggesting it’s not about evidence as much as it is a conservative inclination to see scientists as opponents.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Reposted by Samuel L. Perry

julienlarregue.bsky.social
Julien Larregue @julienlarregue.bsky.social · 2d
Silly it is indeed: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Conservative Apostles of Objectivity and the Myth of a “Liberal Bias” in Science - The American Sociologist
An article recently published in The American Sociologist argued that social scientists are biased because of their liberal views, and that this social activism might in turn explain the growing distr...
link.springer.com

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 2d
That’s not to say we shouldn‘t be vigilant about our own biases. We are social scientists and have to be rigorous, transparent, and accountable. But to look at what‘s happening to sociology under this regime and choose “leftist bias” as your hobby horse is the height of silliness.

Reposted by Andrew L. Whitehead

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 2d
There’s a whole class of sociologists (sadly it’s often sociologists of religion and family) that really do argue that the biggest problem facing American sociology, right now, is leftist bias.

They are unserious scholars.
victorerikray.bsky.social Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 3d
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.

Great work everyone.
The Board of Governors decided, unilaterally, that no published textbook in the field of sociology could be used in compliance with the law for an Intro to Sociology class. None. Victor: There's not a single existing textbook on the market that could be used that would qualify under state law? Zachary: Correct. Victor: I'm sorry, that's kind of funny. Like, the absurdity of not a single sociology textbook getting past the censors. I mean, it makes me kind of proud of our colleagues, but...

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 2d
Pretty bad when your go-to move for distracting the country from how evil a person you are is to show them you’re evil in another way.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Ben H. Ansell, Matthew Bunn , and 38 more

victorerikray.bsky.social
Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 3d
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.

Great work everyone.
The Board of Governors decided, unilaterally, that no published textbook in the field of sociology could be used in compliance with the law for an Intro to Sociology class. None. Victor: There's not a single existing textbook on the market that could be used that would qualify under state law? Zachary: Correct. Victor: I'm sorry, that's kind of funny. Like, the absurdity of not a single sociology textbook getting past the censors. I mean, it makes me kind of proud of our colleagues, but...

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Samuel L. Perry, Robin Celikates , and 4 more

victorerikray.bsky.social
Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 3d
This week at Group Threat, I spoke with @grundrza.bsky.social about Florida's censorship regime, teaching under authoritarianism, and how folks are coping (or not).
What's the Matter with Florida? An Interview with Zachary Levenson
A discussion about Florida's censorship of sociology and teaching under authoritarianism
groupthreat.com

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 3d
Can’t understand white Christian nationalism fully until you understand their fascination with competitive fertility. It’s not enough to have kids cuz they’re great. You gotta have more of the right kind, and more than your enemies. Kids are God’s arrows, after all.

HT: @cnarchive.bsky.social

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 3d
I think about Snyder’s book Bloodlands whenever I muse on how bad ICE agents could actually get. Whole book is Nazis & Russians starving, shooting, or gassing in civilians (kids included); & sleeping like babies. Humans are capable of horrors, especially when they foresee no personal consequences.

Reposted by Samuel L. Perry, Peter Holmes, Gerald Friedman , and 2 more

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 4d
Do they all get deported now? Is that how this works?

Reposted by Samuel L. Perry

andrew-whitehead.bsky.social
Andrew Whitehead @andrew-whitehead.bsky.social · 4d
*reads the White House post*

*chuckles at folks questioning whether Christian nationalism exists*
ffrf.org ffrf.org @ffrf.org · 4d
The Constitution says “We the People,” not “under God.”

“One Nation Under God” was added in the 1950s, not by the Founders.

Religious freedom means the government stays neutral, not that it favors one faith or uses religion as a political weapon.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Anna O. Law, Rebecca Solnit , and 6 more

nhannahjones.bsky.social
Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 4d
Our founders, though deeply flawed, understood that democracy requires an informed citizenry and a government accountable to it people. That’s why the press is the only profession protected by the Constitution. It’s also why autocrats and oligarchs seek to control and destroy it.

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 5d
Sad for the kids. I imagine it’s like all the other kids at the party getting pizza and ice cream. But you have to take out your bag of raw Brussels sprouts that your parents made you bring and act like you’re enjoying them.

Reposted by Samuel L. Perry, David R. Miller, Michael D. McDonald , and 1 more

mattgertz.bsky.social
Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · 5d
1. Build huge subscriber base by telling them their $ supports democracy.
2. Don’t establish other revenue sources.
3. Rug-pull subscribers by pushing opinion side to the right.
4. Subscribers leave, revenue falls.
5. Enact crippling newsroom cuts.

Reposted by Scott L. Greer, Samuel L. Perry, Caroline T. Schroeder , and 1 more

profsecchi.bsky.social
Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 5d
Posted without comments - absolutely zero, not a single even minuscule one.
Lack of student interest, scheduling issues delays UI Center for Intellectual Freedom
The Center for Intellectual Freedom, newly housed at the University of Iowa, postponed classes set to begin in January to March following issues with staff scheduling and a lack of student participati...
dailyiowan.com

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
Of course this is horrifying & transparently about rigging elections forever.

But assuming the GOP goes along with it, it’s also a reminder of why the right’s insistence on ”federalism!” & “states rights!” is always just naked self-interest.

“It’s not dangerous federal overreach when we do it.”

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
For an evangelical to say this it's like saying "We will no longer be evangelicals after today," like half your whole identity just got taken away. Being embattled by "the world" is the whole motivation for doing anything. No longer being able to cry "Persecution!" would be the end of the movement.

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
Dude, I've been rolling the "pyrrhic defeat" argument around in my head for the past month and sharing it with lots of folks (always with credit to you, I promise).

Such a great way to think about the approach.

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
Lol. Fair.

Let's go bigger and say "That's how human groups behave."

Certainly doesn't have to be specific to Christian right folks.

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
And the implications are often the same too. With Christian right apologetics, there's often a pivot to, "And because we're right & this is the only way society can flourish, we should fight to further our way of life politically." Definitely the same pivot in the evangelical pronatalist literature.

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
Like if you've ever heard Christian apologists & thought "There's no way anyone who's not already convinced would buy this," you're right. It's only ostensibly about engaging objections of skeptics; it's really about reinforcing commitment among already-believers. Same vibe with pronatalist writing.

Reposted by Philip N. Cohen

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 6d
Been neck-deep in evangelical pronatalist writing for months.

Becoming more convinced this genre serves the same purpose as apologetics. It's not *really* intended to convince the unconvinced, but rather to reinforce in-group identity & norms ("this is what WE think") as distinct from "the world."

Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Andrew L. Whitehead

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 7d
Confused? Let me help make sense of this. The American right’s claims about any constitutional rights only apply to them.

There. Now you perfectly understand their claims on gun rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 8d
Watching it now. Gosh these guys just repeat the same unserious lines over and over. Such a grift.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Ben H. Ansell, Colin F. Camerer , and 17 more

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 9d
New from me: It is not just that the US is experiencing democratic backsliding. Authoritarianism has emerged more quickly than in other benchmark countries.

This graph from John Burn-Murdoch sums it up. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/autocracy-...
graph tracking democratic backsliding is occuring more quickly in the US than elsewhere.

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Kim L. Scheppele, Naomi Klein , and 19 more

sifill.bsky.social
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 10d
The arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are a test for every MSM member with a platform. If you are not voicing your outrage at this blatant violation of the First Amendment, you are utterly discredited as a journalist.

Reposted by Samuel L. Perry

bradleyonishi.bsky.social
Dr. Bradley Onishi @bradleyonishi.bsky.social · 10d
AMERICAN CAESAR is available for pre-order.

"Onishi traces the strange alliance between spiritual warfare and Silicon Valley libertarianism. At the center of it all is the desire for an unbound executive—one man, beyond checks, beyond balance, beyond democracy."

us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

profsamperry.bsky.social
Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · 10d
The end goal of Christian nationalist policies likely aren't greater religiosity, but power.

New research shows laws that support Christianity or restrict non-Christian groups actually incline committed religious citizens to *disengage* from religious & civic participation. doi.org/10.1111/jssr...