Stephen
@stephenwaldron.bsky.social
Theologian writing a book on the political theology of the New Apostolic Reformation. Websites: https://stephenwaldron.substack.com/
theologyandsociety.com
theologyandsociety.com
If you ever decide to stop being an aggressive jerk, your life will be better, I promise.
February 10, 2026 at 1:55 AM
If you ever decide to stop being an aggressive jerk, your life will be better, I promise.
I guess we just have very different approaches to the world. Good luck.
February 10, 2026 at 1:50 AM
I guess we just have very different approaches to the world. Good luck.
(Sorry, have been reading Rauschenbusch again and getting riled up by the good word of the Lord.)
February 10, 2026 at 1:48 AM
(Sorry, have been reading Rauschenbusch again and getting riled up by the good word of the Lord.)
I am a globalist, though...
February 10, 2026 at 1:47 AM
I am a globalist, though...
The spiritualized "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" tends to become a relationship with one's own self, but a self that is a bundle of repressed hatreds and desires.
"It's not a religion, it's a relationship."
A relationship with whom!? A relationship with whom!?
A relationship with whom!? A relationship with whom!?
February 10, 2026 at 1:45 AM
The spiritualized "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" tends to become a relationship with one's own self, but a self that is a bundle of repressed hatreds and desires.
Jesus as presented in the Gospels has interesting, compelling, confusing, and irritating things to say, but Jesus-as-mascot simply reassures us that we can get a good parking spot and also look down on people who aren't playing the right gender roles.
There's a strand of conservative Protestantism that revolts against considering Jesus as an ethical teacher or example, insisting that he is a savior instead. Turns out that when you detach Jesus from ethics, you simply get a mascot that can be put to about any use and doesn't seem to save anyone.
February 10, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Jesus as presented in the Gospels has interesting, compelling, confusing, and irritating things to say, but Jesus-as-mascot simply reassures us that we can get a good parking spot and also look down on people who aren't playing the right gender roles.
Jesus without ethical teachings turns out to become what used to be called an idol--a creation in one's own image that can used to underwrite one's preference for violence or mammon.
February 10, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Jesus without ethical teachings turns out to become what used to be called an idol--a creation in one's own image that can used to underwrite one's preference for violence or mammon.
"It's not a religion, it's a relationship."
A relationship with whom!? A relationship with whom!?
A relationship with whom!? A relationship with whom!?
February 10, 2026 at 12:54 AM
"It's not a religion, it's a relationship."
A relationship with whom!? A relationship with whom!?
A relationship with whom!? A relationship with whom!?
There's a strand of conservative Protestantism that revolts against considering Jesus as an ethical teacher or example, insisting that he is a savior instead. Turns out that when you detach Jesus from ethics, you simply get a mascot that can be put to about any use and doesn't seem to save anyone.
February 10, 2026 at 12:52 AM
There's a strand of conservative Protestantism that revolts against considering Jesus as an ethical teacher or example, insisting that he is a savior instead. Turns out that when you detach Jesus from ethics, you simply get a mascot that can be put to about any use and doesn't seem to save anyone.
Now, of course, our so-called leaders are going in exactly the wrong direction on this issue, but it's something that's been helped along by the failures of liberal-left political actors to make a clear public argument for hemispheric unity and solidarity.
February 9, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Now, of course, our so-called leaders are going in exactly the wrong direction on this issue, but it's something that's been helped along by the failures of liberal-left political actors to make a clear public argument for hemispheric unity and solidarity.
Finally watched the Halftime Show. Hopefully the point being made with the flags gets through: We're one hemisphere, and the more we try to deny that or refuse to engage in solidarity with our neighbors, the worse things will be for everyone. It's an issue that we often neglect to name in the US.
February 9, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Finally watched the Halftime Show. Hopefully the point being made with the flags gets through: We're one hemisphere, and the more we try to deny that or refuse to engage in solidarity with our neighbors, the worse things will be for everyone. It's an issue that we often neglect to name in the US.
Reposted by Stephen
Recently wife and I stunlocked a guy who works in the bleeding edge of AI (San Francisco) and asked him if, instead of putting AGI in a brain implant, he can just start with a consumer printer that works reliably. Genuinely he did not know what to say.
Even former Thiel Fellows are starting to realize that the tech industry hebben een serieus probleem
February 9, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Recently wife and I stunlocked a guy who works in the bleeding edge of AI (San Francisco) and asked him if, instead of putting AGI in a brain implant, he can just start with a consumer printer that works reliably. Genuinely he did not know what to say.
Heard some distant cheering and thought maybe it had happened, but it was just someone in my building watching the Olympics.
February 8, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Heard some distant cheering and thought maybe it had happened, but it was just someone in my building watching the Olympics.
Reposted by Stephen
There are only 2 real responses to housing scarcity. You can either build enough homes to accommodate everyone or start drawing up a list of “undesirable demographics” to exclude. I know which side I’m on.
February 7, 2026 at 6:41 PM
There are only 2 real responses to housing scarcity. You can either build enough homes to accommodate everyone or start drawing up a list of “undesirable demographics” to exclude. I know which side I’m on.
I don't know that they'd align themselves with Feucht right now, but there is a history of politically-involved NAR networks in Minnesota, who were closely tied to secretary of state Mary Kiffmeyer (1999-2007). Unlike Reformed right-wingers, local NAR people often try to act non-partisan, though.
Reminder: local clergy have been really, really active in pushback to DHS in Minneapolis.
Like, roughly 100 faith leaders getting arrested at once last month while protesting DHS kind of active.
Not sure how Feucht is gonna play there. religionnews.com/2026/01/23/i...
Like, roughly 100 faith leaders getting arrested at once last month while protesting DHS kind of active.
Not sure how Feucht is gonna play there. religionnews.com/2026/01/23/i...
February 7, 2026 at 2:32 AM
I don't know that they'd align themselves with Feucht right now, but there is a history of politically-involved NAR networks in Minnesota, who were closely tied to secretary of state Mary Kiffmeyer (1999-2007). Unlike Reformed right-wingers, local NAR people often try to act non-partisan, though.
There are a lot of people out there who just hate Black people, and there are even more others out there who aren't quite as racist as that but do have paranoid delusions about liberals or George Soros or whatever that make literally any wrongdoing acceptable if it means "winning."
February 6, 2026 at 1:56 PM
There are a lot of people out there who just hate Black people, and there are even more others out there who aren't quite as racist as that but do have paranoid delusions about liberals or George Soros or whatever that make literally any wrongdoing acceptable if it means "winning."
I'm interested to see Mike Johnson's lengthy biblical explanation of why this is ok, but I'm guessing he'll just put a lot of effort into not hearing about it.
Last night, Trump posted a video to his social media platform that contained a racist clip showing Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. It's still up:
February 6, 2026 at 1:50 PM
I'm interested to see Mike Johnson's lengthy biblical explanation of why this is ok, but I'm guessing he'll just put a lot of effort into not hearing about it.
I guess a lot of the Bari Weiss-type centrists are trying to be the center right, but while claiming to have no ideological framework. They have no real constituency or political leadership on their side.
February 5, 2026 at 8:06 PM
I guess a lot of the Bari Weiss-type centrists are trying to be the center right, but while claiming to have no ideological framework. They have no real constituency or political leadership on their side.
Well, yeah, lol. I mean, agreeing with something like Schleiermacher's view of divine action (unified act of creation, with no specific interventions) puts me in a distinctly skeptical minority, but here we are.
February 4, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Well, yeah, lol. I mean, agreeing with something like Schleiermacher's view of divine action (unified act of creation, with no specific interventions) puts me in a distinctly skeptical minority, but here we are.
Yeah, it's not a simple formula, but there are reasons people are susceptible to hoping that things like "revival at Bethel" are real. If it was obvious to everyone what a scam it is, they wouldn't have a following, nor would quite a few healing evangelists or hyped-up megachurches around the world.
February 4, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Yeah, it's not a simple formula, but there are reasons people are susceptible to hoping that things like "revival at Bethel" are real. If it was obvious to everyone what a scam it is, they wouldn't have a following, nor would quite a few healing evangelists or hyped-up megachurches around the world.
I'm not sure that it's so obvious. There have been many similar "schools" in recent decades, and huge parts of Christianity today are focused on "supernatural manifestations." (To be clear, I agree that it's an abusive scam, but I think that educational and cultural background impact perception.)
February 4, 2026 at 2:11 PM
I'm not sure that it's so obvious. There have been many similar "schools" in recent decades, and huge parts of Christianity today are focused on "supernatural manifestations." (To be clear, I agree that it's an abusive scam, but I think that educational and cultural background impact perception.)
They don't submit to the oppressive rule of editors
February 4, 2026 at 2:49 AM
They don't submit to the oppressive rule of editors
If you can build as much housing fittting your criteria as the market wanted, then go for it. Otherwise, you're harming renters and new buyers by restricting supply.
February 2, 2026 at 10:58 PM
If you can build as much housing fittting your criteria as the market wanted, then go for it. Otherwise, you're harming renters and new buyers by restricting supply.
When people insist that "we don't need more housing, we just need affordable housing" but they aren't able build enough housing that fits their desires to actually meet demand, they're actively making housing *less* affordable overall.
February 2, 2026 at 10:56 PM
When people insist that "we don't need more housing, we just need affordable housing" but they aren't able build enough housing that fits their desires to actually meet demand, they're actively making housing *less* affordable overall.
One term we should probably get rid of is "affordable housing." Nearly all housing is affordable. Some housing is incone-restricted or subsidized.
February 2, 2026 at 10:56 PM
One term we should probably get rid of is "affordable housing." Nearly all housing is affordable. Some housing is incone-restricted or subsidized.