John W. Martens
@jwmartens.bsky.social
Director, Centre for Christian Engagement at St. Mark’s College, UBC. Professor of Theology. What Matters Most: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/what-matters-most/id1650272494?i=1000628524619. Opinions my own.
Pinned
Ancient Christianities, or How the God of Israel Conquered the West: A Conversation with Dr. Paula Fredriksen
Podcast Episode · What Matters Most · 2025-10-08 · 1h 12m
podcasts.apple.com
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
It’s an honour to host the great Paula Fredriksen on the podcast. We discussed her most recent book, Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years, and her deep knowledge of Christianity and Judaism. Come and learn about “high frequency combat theology”!
It’s an honour to host the great Paula Fredriksen on the podcast. We discussed her most recent book, Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years, and her deep knowledge of Christianity and Judaism. Come and learn about “high frequency combat theology”!
The lecture by Sarah Johnson, followed by a lively panel and question period has now been posted. Join in on what was a terrific night of thoughtful engagement!
youtu.be/fxF9lkJUR14
youtu.be/fxF9lkJUR14
Occasional Religious Practice and Grassroots Ecumenism
YouTube video by St. Mark's College at UBC
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The lecture by Sarah Johnson, followed by a lively panel and question period has now been posted. Join in on what was a terrific night of thoughtful engagement!
youtu.be/fxF9lkJUR14
youtu.be/fxF9lkJUR14
Reposted by John W. Martens
Tomorrow night! At St Mark’s College in person or streaming live wherever you are. Based on Sarah’s new book with Oxford UniversityPress and featuring a great panel with Nick Meisl and Alisdair Smith.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
Occasional Religious Practice and Grassroots Ecumenism
What is occasional religious practice, and how does it connect families and communities to faith?
www.eventbrite.ca
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Tomorrow night! At St Mark’s College in person or streaming live wherever you are. Based on Sarah’s new book with Oxford UniversityPress and featuring a great panel with Nick Meisl and Alisdair Smith.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
Tomorrow night! At St Mark’s College in person or streaming live wherever you are. Based on Sarah’s new book with Oxford UniversityPress and featuring a great panel with Nick Meisl and Alisdair Smith.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
Occasional Religious Practice and Grassroots Ecumenism
What is occasional religious practice, and how does it connect families and communities to faith?
www.eventbrite.ca
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Tomorrow night! At St Mark’s College in person or streaming live wherever you are. Based on Sarah’s new book with Oxford UniversityPress and featuring a great panel with Nick Meisl and Alisdair Smith.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
www.eventbrite.ca/e/occasional...
Reposted by John W. Martens
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 12:04 PM
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Reposted by John W. Martens
MAGA when asked for a single piece of evidence
Elon Musk Shaken by Mamdani Question
YouTube video by NowThis Impact
youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:23 AM
MAGA when asked for a single piece of evidence
Reposted by John W. Martens
this week's newsletter has a bunch of quotes from the drafters and supporters of the 22nd amendment that make it extremely clear that there is no loophole you can use to circumvent it. (gift link)
Opinion | A Third Trump Term Is Not the Charm
www.nytimes.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM
this week's newsletter has a bunch of quotes from the drafters and supporters of the 22nd amendment that make it extremely clear that there is no loophole you can use to circumvent it. (gift link)
Reposted by John W. Martens
October 31, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by John W. Martens
This podcast also contains information on hollowed out turnips with candles in them which, to my mind, makes it necessary listening. Unless you know everything you need to know about turnips and purgatory.
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
Pop Culture Matters: Halloween, All Saints, All Souls, and Samhain
Podcast Episode · What Matters Most · S4, E6 Bonus · 56m
podcasts.apple.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
This podcast also contains information on hollowed out turnips with candles in them which, to my mind, makes it necessary listening. Unless you know everything you need to know about turnips and purgatory.
This podcast also contains information on hollowed out turnips with candles in them which, to my mind, makes it necessary listening. Unless you know everything you need to know about turnips and purgatory.
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
Pop Culture Matters: Halloween, All Saints, All Souls, and Samhain
Podcast Episode · What Matters Most · S4, E6 Bonus · 56m
podcasts.apple.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
This podcast also contains information on hollowed out turnips with candles in them which, to my mind, makes it necessary listening. Unless you know everything you need to know about turnips and purgatory.
Reposted by John W. Martens
The depth of the shame of a country this wealthy and abundant allowing its people to go hungry is impossible to measure. The fact that a handful of people could fix this by paying their fair share of taxes while still remaining obscenely wealthy makes it even worse.
October 28, 2025 at 4:09 PM
The depth of the shame of a country this wealthy and abundant allowing its people to go hungry is impossible to measure. The fact that a handful of people could fix this by paying their fair share of taxes while still remaining obscenely wealthy makes it even worse.
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
Pop Culture Matters: Halloween, All Saints, All Souls, and Samhain
Podcast Episode · What Matters Most · S4, E6 Bonus · 56m
podcasts.apple.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:33 PM
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
What’s the origin of Halloween? How’s it connected to All Saints Day? All Souls Day? What about Samhain? I didn’t cover everything, but I did, with the help of Nicholas Roger’s book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night,” cover a lot! Don’t be scared!
Reposted by John W. Martens
ROLLING STONE: “The current Congress has dropped the pretense of public service altogether… Congress enjoys ultraluxe health care as it fights to gut yours.”
@RepTimBurchett @MarshaBlackburn why don’t you care about anyone but yourselves? www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
@RepTimBurchett @MarshaBlackburn why don’t you care about anyone but yourselves? www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
October 27, 2025 at 6:03 PM
ROLLING STONE: “The current Congress has dropped the pretense of public service altogether… Congress enjoys ultraluxe health care as it fights to gut yours.”
@RepTimBurchett @MarshaBlackburn why don’t you care about anyone but yourselves? www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
@RepTimBurchett @MarshaBlackburn why don’t you care about anyone but yourselves? www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by John W. Martens
I haven’t seen anyone talk about how Jane Doe - an Epstein survivor - just sued the Bank of New York Mellon for funding Epstein and failing to file a Suspicious Activity Report. A Mellon heir is the one who gave $130M to pay the troops. Seems bribey to me.
October 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I haven’t seen anyone talk about how Jane Doe - an Epstein survivor - just sued the Bank of New York Mellon for funding Epstein and failing to file a Suspicious Activity Report. A Mellon heir is the one who gave $130M to pay the troops. Seems bribey to me.
Reposted by John W. Martens
Doug Ford: master of psyops
WELKER: Why is the president setting trade policy based on a TV ad he doesn't like?
BESSENT: This is a kind of propaganda against US citizens. It's psyops
BESSENT: This is a kind of propaganda against US citizens. It's psyops
October 26, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Doug Ford: master of psyops
Reposted by John W. Martens
The post from the Reagan Foundation is just complete gibberish.
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
October 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The post from the Reagan Foundation is just complete gibberish.
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
Reposted by John W. Martens
“It’s sort of like, my worst fears realized, to be frank," a women's studies scholar at Ohio University told Jezebel of the East Wing demolition.
www.jezebel.com/trump-bulldo...
www.jezebel.com/trump-bulldo...
Trump Bulldozes Away a Century's Worth of Women’s Contributions to the White House
“It’s sort of like, my worst fears realized, to be frank," a women's studies scholar at Ohio University told Jezebel of the East Wing demolition.
www.jezebel.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:02 PM
“It’s sort of like, my worst fears realized, to be frank," a women's studies scholar at Ohio University told Jezebel of the East Wing demolition.
www.jezebel.com/trump-bulldo...
www.jezebel.com/trump-bulldo...
Reposted by John W. Martens
"History has already shown us how this story unfolds. Fascism is not built only in the camps and cells. It is built in the shrug, the silence, the insistence that life can go on as if nothing has changed"
Frederick Joseph"A Thought on Normalcy in Fascism" frederickjoseph.substack.com/p/normal-tim...
Frederick Joseph"A Thought on Normalcy in Fascism" frederickjoseph.substack.com/p/normal-tim...
Normal Times in Dire Times
Fascism does not break normal life, it feeds on it.
frederickjoseph.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM
"History has already shown us how this story unfolds. Fascism is not built only in the camps and cells. It is built in the shrug, the silence, the insistence that life can go on as if nothing has changed"
Frederick Joseph"A Thought on Normalcy in Fascism" frederickjoseph.substack.com/p/normal-tim...
Frederick Joseph"A Thought on Normalcy in Fascism" frederickjoseph.substack.com/p/normal-tim...
Reposted by John W. Martens
dear US friends, when a sitting president (re)builds the seat of government, it almost always means the president has no intention of leaving at the end of term. your African friends with decades of experience
October 24, 2025 at 1:39 PM
dear US friends, when a sitting president (re)builds the seat of government, it almost always means the president has no intention of leaving at the end of term. your African friends with decades of experience
Reposted by John W. Martens
So they didn’t like the ad. Let’s just post Reagan’s 5 min speech against tariffs as it appears on YouTube.
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
President Reagan's Radio Address on Free and Fair Trade on April 25, 1987
YouTube video by Reagan Library
youtu.be
October 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
So they didn’t like the ad. Let’s just post Reagan’s 5 min speech against tariffs as it appears on YouTube.
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
Over and over. On all platforms (some of y’all are still on X).
*1981 Sherrilyn horrified by 2025 Sherrilyn saying “let’s post Reagan’s speech.”
youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc
Reposted by John W. Martens
The New York Times publishes a handy guide to which federal forces are terrorizing us at any moment. This is America, 2025.
October 24, 2025 at 11:51 AM
The New York Times publishes a handy guide to which federal forces are terrorizing us at any moment. This is America, 2025.
Reposted by John W. Martens
the ballroom will never be built and he’ll just pocket whatever money he collects because he is a grifter first and foremost
Trump raises the price of the ballroom to $350 million
(It changed from $200 million, then $300 million, now $350 million within the course of a few days)
(It changed from $200 million, then $300 million, now $350 million within the course of a few days)
October 23, 2025 at 9:07 PM
the ballroom will never be built and he’ll just pocket whatever money he collects because he is a grifter first and foremost
Reposted by John W. Martens
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
"The Way We Exercise Dominion …–What Matters Most – Apple Podcasts
Podcast Episode · What Matters Most · 2025-10-22 · 1h 8m
podcasts.apple.com
October 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
"The Way We Exercise Dominion …–What Matters Most – Apple Podcasts
Podcast Episode · What Matters Most · 2025-10-22 · 1h 8m
podcasts.apple.com
October 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
How to respond to the Christian Nationalism of Stephen Wolfe, Douglas Wilson, and Pete Hegseth? Steven W. Tyra does it with close readings of the Bible and the concept of dominion and with the same close readings of Calvin and Luther. The episode is available now!
Not throwing shade at a reasonable question, but to what extent is the USA functioning under the rule of law? Who will stop him from doing anything he wants? What legal or illegal means to him?
Asking earnestly, how is the ballroom project at all legal under the Anti Deficiency Act?
www.gao.gov/legal/approp...
www.gao.gov/legal/approp...
www.gao.gov
October 22, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Not throwing shade at a reasonable question, but to what extent is the USA functioning under the rule of law? Who will stop him from doing anything he wants? What legal or illegal means to him?
Reposted by John W. Martens
The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.
October 21, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.