David Bunce
@davidbunce.bsky.social
Baptist Pastor in Bad Ischl, Austria; General Secretary Austrian Baptist Union; at heart still a youth worker. Passionate about the local church, safeguarding and mission. British person in Austria, stumbling through learning Romanian.
Reposted by David Bunce
Something incredible I learned (re-learned?) tonight is that the blog post where the first SARS-CoV-2 genome was shared - six years ago on Saturday - included the most iconic footnote of all time
January 8, 2026 at 5:51 AM
Something incredible I learned (re-learned?) tonight is that the blog post where the first SARS-CoV-2 genome was shared - six years ago on Saturday - included the most iconic footnote of all time
“Any idealized vision that people bring into the Christian community blocks true fellowship; it has to be broken apart before genuine community can thrive.”
Coming back to this insight from Bonhoeffer for sermon prep. He is so clear-sighted about the way our dreams of community destroy community
Coming back to this insight from Bonhoeffer for sermon prep. He is so clear-sighted about the way our dreams of community destroy community
January 7, 2026 at 9:36 AM
“Any idealized vision that people bring into the Christian community blocks true fellowship; it has to be broken apart before genuine community can thrive.”
Coming back to this insight from Bonhoeffer for sermon prep. He is so clear-sighted about the way our dreams of community destroy community
Coming back to this insight from Bonhoeffer for sermon prep. He is so clear-sighted about the way our dreams of community destroy community
Today is a public holiday in Austria and I am spending part of it reading @alicehunt.bsky.social fascinating book about the political and cultural developments in 1650s Britain
January 6, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Today is a public holiday in Austria and I am spending part of it reading @alicehunt.bsky.social fascinating book about the political and cultural developments in 1650s Britain
In local news, the Glöcklerlauf has taken place in Bad Ischl
January 5, 2026 at 8:25 PM
In local news, the Glöcklerlauf has taken place in Bad Ischl
Reposted by David Bunce
Book early for this: our event with Rowan Williams exploring the books that have shaped his life. 3rd March 6.30pm. Free. In person and online
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/the-a...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/the-a...
The books that made me: Lord Rowan Williams FBA
Delve into the books that have shaped and inspired the life and work of Lord Rowan Williams FBA, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, as he sits down with acclaimed broadcaster Ritula Shah.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
January 5, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Book early for this: our event with Rowan Williams exploring the books that have shaped his life. 3rd March 6.30pm. Free. In person and online
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/the-a...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/the-a...
Reposted by David Bunce
Getting off US tech and platforms is more important than ever.
I personally already use
🇨🇭 protonmail & calender [gmail / google cal]
🇧🇪 ecosia [google search]
🇲🇫 cryptpad [google docs]
... and actively look for more options.
See below for inspiration:
I personally already use
🇨🇭 protonmail & calender [gmail / google cal]
🇧🇪 ecosia [google search]
🇲🇫 cryptpad [google docs]
... and actively look for more options.
See below for inspiration:
Given everything happening right now, I updated this article with options for weather apps, web forms, and translation services — along with some tweaks to existing categories.
I hope it helps your transition off US tech!
I hope it helps your transition off US tech!
Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump was a mask off moment and showed the world we can’t depend on US tech companies.
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
January 5, 2026 at 9:22 AM
Getting off US tech and platforms is more important than ever.
I personally already use
🇨🇭 protonmail & calender [gmail / google cal]
🇧🇪 ecosia [google search]
🇲🇫 cryptpad [google docs]
... and actively look for more options.
See below for inspiration:
I personally already use
🇨🇭 protonmail & calender [gmail / google cal]
🇧🇪 ecosia [google search]
🇲🇫 cryptpad [google docs]
... and actively look for more options.
See below for inspiration:
Reposted by David Bunce
“If a woman dares to show herself in public in any way, then she can and will be sexually harassed with the aid of genAI-driven tools that can easily turn her face into highly realistic pornography” is an absolute red-alarm human rights disaster
The end goal of Grok sexual harassment is to make women afraid to be visible. It’s a punishment for daring to exist in a way the perpetrators can’t control. There’s no one solution to this, because the problem isn’t just technological. It’s cultural. It’s misogyny. This is just one expression of it.
January 5, 2026 at 3:02 AM
“If a woman dares to show herself in public in any way, then she can and will be sexually harassed with the aid of genAI-driven tools that can easily turn her face into highly realistic pornography” is an absolute red-alarm human rights disaster
Today I was in Vienna preaching on the German verse of the year ("God speaks: behold, I am making everything new") at the Mollardgasse Baptist Church.
In the sermon I drew partly on how a belief in God's newness encouraged that church to speak prophetically against the Nazis in 1940s. Seems timely
In the sermon I drew partly on how a belief in God's newness encouraged that church to speak prophetically against the Nazis in 1940s. Seems timely
January 4, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Today I was in Vienna preaching on the German verse of the year ("God speaks: behold, I am making everything new") at the Mollardgasse Baptist Church.
In the sermon I drew partly on how a belief in God's newness encouraged that church to speak prophetically against the Nazis in 1940s. Seems timely
In the sermon I drew partly on how a belief in God's newness encouraged that church to speak prophetically against the Nazis in 1940s. Seems timely
Reposted by David Bunce
The very simple question that should be asked over and over is “what good are all these AI companies giving us that outweighs the environmental devastation, skyrocketing utility costs, murders and suicides, revenge porn, general psychosis, and CSAM-on-demand”
January 2, 2026 at 11:06 PM
The very simple question that should be asked over and over is “what good are all these AI companies giving us that outweighs the environmental devastation, skyrocketing utility costs, murders and suicides, revenge porn, general psychosis, and CSAM-on-demand”
If you want a change of pace and topic - I have been listening to this today whilst cooking soup, and it is a really insightful and generous discussion.
In our penultimate podcast of 2025, Lamorna Ash discusses a new generation’s search for religion, as explored in her latest book DON’T FORGET WE’RE HERE FOREVER, with the LRB’s James Butler
Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts: lrb.me/8821d5
@bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts: lrb.me/8821d5
@bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 2:28 PM
If you want a change of pace and topic - I have been listening to this today whilst cooking soup, and it is a really insightful and generous discussion.
Reposted by David Bunce
Reminder: Today is THURSDAY. If you work at a church, you have three more days before Sunday.
January 1, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Reminder: Today is THURSDAY. If you work at a church, you have three more days before Sunday.
Happy New Year 2026
January 1, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Happy New Year 2026
Reposted by David Bunce
I am increasingly convinced that the great(est) political crisis of our time is the near complete decoupling of ideology from material reality. It is the defining feature of government policy not just on both sides of the Atlantic but, arguably, across Eurasia.
With few exceptions...
With few exceptions...
January 1, 2026 at 3:53 PM
I am increasingly convinced that the great(est) political crisis of our time is the near complete decoupling of ideology from material reality. It is the defining feature of government policy not just on both sides of the Atlantic but, arguably, across Eurasia.
With few exceptions...
With few exceptions...
We have eaten Raclette and made a puzzle of 299 dogs and 1 cat.
Must be time for bed soon...
Must be time for bed soon...
December 31, 2025 at 8:28 PM
We have eaten Raclette and made a puzzle of 299 dogs and 1 cat.
Must be time for bed soon...
Must be time for bed soon...
Festive playpark reading
December 27, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Festive playpark reading
Le Carré "showed that the so-called end of history following the collapse of the Berlin Wall had not actually brought the triumph of capitalism but a world without a centre, ripe for new forms of colonization and exploitation... history produces no winners" Boehmer/Matthews
December 26, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Le Carré "showed that the so-called end of history following the collapse of the Berlin Wall had not actually brought the triumph of capitalism but a world without a centre, ripe for new forms of colonization and exploitation... history produces no winners" Boehmer/Matthews
Merry Christmas aus Bad Ischl
December 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Merry Christmas aus Bad Ischl
Reposted by David Bunce
upon another shore and in a greater light,
that multitude which no man can number,
whose hope was in the Word made flesh
Will always hit me so hard 😭❤️
#9LC
that multitude which no man can number,
whose hope was in the Word made flesh
Will always hit me so hard 😭❤️
#9LC
December 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
upon another shore and in a greater light,
that multitude which no man can number,
whose hope was in the Word made flesh
Will always hit me so hard 😭❤️
#9LC
that multitude which no man can number,
whose hope was in the Word made flesh
Will always hit me so hard 😭❤️
#9LC
Austrian Christmas Eve celebrations mean I am already checking in for #clergymaltclub
December 24, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Austrian Christmas Eve celebrations mean I am already checking in for #clergymaltclub
December 24, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by David Bunce
For a period of a couple of years during the 2010s I was employed regularly by cattle to shoot the covers for the albums they had recorded. It was always wonderfully inspiring to witness the love, hard work and passion they had put into their music and I think that comes through in the photos.
December 23, 2025 at 6:07 PM
For a period of a couple of years during the 2010s I was employed regularly by cattle to shoot the covers for the albums they had recorded. It was always wonderfully inspiring to witness the love, hard work and passion they had put into their music and I think that comes through in the photos.
Reposted by David Bunce
A very fine Ros Taylor piece on losing what was slowly created, our trust in institutions. And people. And much more. I had a great yearning for that old sensation of solidity, when the duty of care was understood by both individuals and structures.
I think conversations about trust - I’ve had a lot of them in the past two years - would be a lot better if we acknowledged this.
psyche.co/ideas/were-l...
psyche.co/ideas/were-l...
December 23, 2025 at 11:31 AM
A very fine Ros Taylor piece on losing what was slowly created, our trust in institutions. And people. And much more. I had a great yearning for that old sensation of solidity, when the duty of care was understood by both individuals and structures.