Phil Dorroll
@phildorroll.bsky.social
Religious Studies professor in South Carolina; research on Islamic and Orthodox Christian theology in Turkish and Arabic; supports 🇺🇦
Pinned
Phil Dorroll
@phildorroll.bsky.social
· Dec 16
I made a starter pack for specialists in Eastern Christian Studies- check it out, share with others, and let me know who else to add!
go.bsky.app/8a9jSuF
go.bsky.app/8a9jSuF
I love it here
welcome to bluesky. if the word "mapquest" means anything to you and/or you used it as a verb, you're in the right place
November 11, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I love it here
Good time to mention that @edinburghup.bsky.social does incredible work, and publishes the premier series on modern Turkey:
edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-edinb...
edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-edinb...
November 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Good time to mention that @edinburghup.bsky.social does incredible work, and publishes the premier series on modern Turkey:
edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-edinb...
edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-edinb...
My office and classrooms are in this building tho so I am also in an ivory tower
November 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM
My office and classrooms are in this building tho so I am also in an ivory tower
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
Most professors aren't in ivory towers. We're in old houses that need lots of maintenance and repairs.
November 8, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Most professors aren't in ivory towers. We're in old houses that need lots of maintenance and repairs.
The argument that “political rule must order man to his final goal” is the Islamist argument for a Sharia state (Sharia being the path to Paradise).
Not an original point, but the fact that modern theocracies are all just anti-liberalism with different technical terms is fascinating to me.
Not an original point, but the fact that modern theocracies are all just anti-liberalism with different technical terms is fascinating to me.
November 9, 2025 at 4:30 AM
The argument that “political rule must order man to his final goal” is the Islamist argument for a Sharia state (Sharia being the path to Paradise).
Not an original point, but the fact that modern theocracies are all just anti-liberalism with different technical terms is fascinating to me.
Not an original point, but the fact that modern theocracies are all just anti-liberalism with different technical terms is fascinating to me.
Post you from a different era.
Ca. 2002, around 17 (as an altar boy; the local paper did a story about our church)
Ca. 2002, around 17 (as an altar boy; the local paper did a story about our church)
November 8, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Post you from a different era.
Ca. 2002, around 17 (as an altar boy; the local paper did a story about our church)
Ca. 2002, around 17 (as an altar boy; the local paper did a story about our church)
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
“There's an underlying theme here about efficiency & inefficiency,” Senchyne said...": We have to get back to a world where there's room for inefficiency that lets us grow.”
Blue books are back: The revival of pen and paper exams
Blue books are seeing a revival at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and college campuses across the county as more professors grow concerned about online cheating with artificial intelligence tools...
www.dailycardinal.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:22 AM
“There's an underlying theme here about efficiency & inefficiency,” Senchyne said...": We have to get back to a world where there's room for inefficiency that lets us grow.”
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Tracking Anticipated Deaths from USAID Funding Cuts
Brooke Nichols has launched online tracking tools that capture estimated increases in mortality and disease spread for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases as a result of the near-total...
www.bu.edu
November 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
Turkish survey results on espionage charges against jailed Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu:
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
İmamoğlu'nun casusluk yaptığına AKP seçmeninin sadece yüzde 28'i inanıyor - Medyascope
CHP MYK'da, Ekrem İmamoğlu'na yöneltilen casusluk suçlamasının sorulduğu güncel anket verileri paylaşıldı. Ankete katılanların yüzde 70'i İmamoğlu'nun casusluk yaptığına inanmazken, AKP seçmenleri ara...
medyascope.tv
November 5, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Turkish survey results on espionage charges against jailed Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu:
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
- Of all respondents across party lines 70% believe he is innocent
- Fewer than third of AKP voters believe he's guilty of espionage, while 56% say they're undecided
medyascope.tv/2025/11/04/i...
November 5, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Talking to Americans about Islam is my literal life’s work; I’ve been immersed in American attitudes on Islam for almost 20 years.
Mamdani was subjected to some of the worst Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
But his election is also one of the most decisive rejections of Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
Mamdani was subjected to some of the worst Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
But his election is also one of the most decisive rejections of Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
November 5, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Talking to Americans about Islam is my literal life’s work; I’ve been immersed in American attitudes on Islam for almost 20 years.
Mamdani was subjected to some of the worst Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
But his election is also one of the most decisive rejections of Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
Mamdani was subjected to some of the worst Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
But his election is also one of the most decisive rejections of Islamophobia I’ve ever seen.
Shi‘i Muslims were one of the main targets of ISIS.
ISIS hates literally everything about Mamdani: he’s a multicultural supporter of secular liberal democracy who’s also a heretic in their mind.
Mamdani himself is the strongest possible refutation of ISIS.
ISIS hates literally everything about Mamdani: he’s a multicultural supporter of secular liberal democracy who’s also a heretic in their mind.
Mamdani himself is the strongest possible refutation of ISIS.
Putting everything else aside, I cannot tell you how much it irrationally pisses me off that people post this stuff when Mamdani is Shi'a.
GOD DAMMIT THE ISLAMIC STATE IS FUCKING SUNNI
GOD DAMMIT THE ISLAMIC STATE IS FUCKING SUNNI
Joe Gebbia, a billionaire, is the co-founder of AirBnB, a presidential appointee and a Tesla board member claiming ISIS waited until the last minute to endorse Mamdani.
This is sick.
This is sick.
November 4, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Shi‘i Muslims were one of the main targets of ISIS.
ISIS hates literally everything about Mamdani: he’s a multicultural supporter of secular liberal democracy who’s also a heretic in their mind.
Mamdani himself is the strongest possible refutation of ISIS.
ISIS hates literally everything about Mamdani: he’s a multicultural supporter of secular liberal democracy who’s also a heretic in their mind.
Mamdani himself is the strongest possible refutation of ISIS.
It is tragically ironic that the (admittedly very well-intentioned) drive to digitize books and library collections laid the foundation for all this.
One of my takeaways from the rise of LLMs is that the humanities should never again uncritically adapt themselves to technological change.
One of my takeaways from the rise of LLMs is that the humanities should never again uncritically adapt themselves to technological change.
OpenAI pirated large numbers of books and used them to train models.
OpenAI then deleted the dataset with the pirated books, and employees sent each other messages about doing so.
A lawsuit could now force the company to pay $150,000 per book, adding up to billions in damages.
OpenAI then deleted the dataset with the pirated books, and employees sent each other messages about doing so.
A lawsuit could now force the company to pay $150,000 per book, adding up to billions in damages.
November 4, 2025 at 7:55 PM
It is tragically ironic that the (admittedly very well-intentioned) drive to digitize books and library collections laid the foundation for all this.
One of my takeaways from the rise of LLMs is that the humanities should never again uncritically adapt themselves to technological change.
One of my takeaways from the rise of LLMs is that the humanities should never again uncritically adapt themselves to technological change.
November 2, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I'm increasingly convinced that the near total lack of traditional monastic spirituality in mainstream American Christianity is a major problem.
It is impossible to falsely conceive of empathy as sin if you understand that spirituality isn't only about correct beliefs and actions- its also about..
It is impossible to falsely conceive of empathy as sin if you understand that spirituality isn't only about correct beliefs and actions- its also about..
Instead “do unto others as you would have them do to you” or “love your neighbor” or the more radical “love your enemy”, it’s apparently now “harden your heart against your neighbor.”
There is a book out called “The Sin of Empathy,” which is written by a white Christian nationalist cult leader out in Idaho. The idea that the left is “weaponizing empathy against Christians” is an EXTREMELY popular & growing sentiment being bolstered by the church. And we all need to be aware of it
November 2, 2025 at 8:12 PM
I'm increasingly convinced that the near total lack of traditional monastic spirituality in mainstream American Christianity is a major problem.
It is impossible to falsely conceive of empathy as sin if you understand that spirituality isn't only about correct beliefs and actions- its also about..
It is impossible to falsely conceive of empathy as sin if you understand that spirituality isn't only about correct beliefs and actions- its also about..
This is an amazing read, from beginning to end; explains why I’ve found AGI discourse so alarming- it’s like watching the whole world make the literal oldest mistake in the book
November 2, 2025 at 6:35 PM
This is an amazing read, from beginning to end; explains why I’ve found AGI discourse so alarming- it’s like watching the whole world make the literal oldest mistake in the book
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
Both liberalism and Christianity have everlasting truths, but the people who constitute or call themselves liberals or Christians is ever-changing and re-constituting. Paradoxically, each is both rooted yet also mobile.
November 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Both liberalism and Christianity have everlasting truths, but the people who constitute or call themselves liberals or Christians is ever-changing and re-constituting. Paradoxically, each is both rooted yet also mobile.
I’m not Anglican, but I love quizzes like this so this is me apparently
November 2, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I’m not Anglican, but I love quizzes like this so this is me apparently
Every Hoosier of a certain age remembers when Indiana adopted DST in 2006; I hated it; I’ll be mad at DST forever
considering doing a bit where I refuse to change my clocks and just show up an hour late for everything until March
November 2, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Every Hoosier of a certain age remembers when Indiana adopted DST in 2006; I hated it; I’ll be mad at DST forever
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
“Individuals on the ground sent a message that reached us Monday morning that 1,200 were dead,” Nathaniel Raymond, the lab’s executive director, said. “By that evening, they said 10,000. By Tuesday, we couldn’t reach them anymore. We assume our ground contacts are dead.”
Yale lab reports mass killings in Sudan, calls for student activism
The Humanitarian Research Lab was told this week that over 10,000 people in Sudan were killed within three days.
yaledailynews.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:02 PM
“Individuals on the ground sent a message that reached us Monday morning that 1,200 were dead,” Nathaniel Raymond, the lab’s executive director, said. “By that evening, they said 10,000. By Tuesday, we couldn’t reach them anymore. We assume our ground contacts are dead.”
Reposted by Phil Dorroll
Over 10,000 killed within three days.
Pools of blood around a hospital so large they could be seen from space.
An absolute nightmare.
Pools of blood around a hospital so large they could be seen from space.
An absolute nightmare.
“Individuals on the ground sent a message that reached us Monday morning that 1,200 were dead,” Nathaniel Raymond, the lab’s executive director, said. “By that evening, they said 10,000. By Tuesday, we couldn’t reach them anymore. We assume our ground contacts are dead.”
Yale lab reports mass killings in Sudan, calls for student activism
The Humanitarian Research Lab was told this week that over 10,000 people in Sudan were killed within three days.
yaledailynews.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Over 10,000 killed within three days.
Pools of blood around a hospital so large they could be seen from space.
An absolute nightmare.
Pools of blood around a hospital so large they could be seen from space.
An absolute nightmare.
Same; the problem is that for the vast majority of people outside North America, the USA is a symbol, not a place
i genuinely cannot stand actual european elites condescendingly explaining american public opinion to americans. reminds me of when some british lady IRL tried to tell me she understood southerners better than i ever could, a southerner who lives in the south.
The educated liberal big city US folks outraged at Trump's renovation of Lincoln bathroom really need to scroll some Facebook of their less established relatives and friends to see what kind of aesthetic resonates with Trump's target audience.
November 1, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Same; the problem is that for the vast majority of people outside North America, the USA is a symbol, not a place
