Mathew Guest
@mathewjguest.bsky.social
Professor, Dept of Theology & Religion, Durham University, UK. Sociologist of religion. Chair of BSA sociology of religion study group. Researching neoliberal religion and worldview diversity in UK universities. Pacifist and Quaker.
Latest from Kristin Aune, Matt Mayhew & myself on how the cultural climate on university campuses shapes interfaith relations. theconversation.com/how-campus-c... In @uk.theconversation.com
How ‘campus climate’ affects students’ attitudes to people of different religions
Visible diversity and critical conversations are important.
theconversation.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Latest from Kristin Aune, Matt Mayhew & myself on how the cultural climate on university campuses shapes interfaith relations. theconversation.com/how-campus-c... In @uk.theconversation.com
Reposted by Mathew Guest
On the morning of Keir Starmer's conference speech here's a new post on an odd psychopathology in British politics - our main parties don't like the people who vote for them - the dreaded Professional Managerial Class. And so they are acting out like a divorced dad seeking cooler voters. 1/n
British Politics' Midlife Crisis
Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters
benansell.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 6:40 AM
On the morning of Keir Starmer's conference speech here's a new post on an odd psychopathology in British politics - our main parties don't like the people who vote for them - the dreaded Professional Managerial Class. And so they are acting out like a divorced dad seeking cooler voters. 1/n
Reposted by Mathew Guest
“Is Donald Trump a staunch capitalist, a secret socialist, a blend of the two, or none of the above?” @dkthomp.bsky.social investigates what Trumponomics really is:
Trump’s Formula to Conquer the Economy, and Everything Else
Trumponomics isn’t about economics. It’s about creating pain and demanding tribute.
bit.ly
September 20, 2025 at 9:15 AM
“Is Donald Trump a staunch capitalist, a secret socialist, a blend of the two, or none of the above?” @dkthomp.bsky.social investigates what Trumponomics really is:
Happy to confirm I'll be serving as a panel member for UK REF 2029 on UoA 31: Theology & Religious Studies. Looking forward to working with excellent colleagues, including Gordon Lynch, @johnmaiden.bsky.social & @profjasjitsingh.bsky.social 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/expert-... #REF #UKHE
Expert panels appointed for REF 2029 – REF 2029
2029.ref.ac.uk
September 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Happy to confirm I'll be serving as a panel member for UK REF 2029 on UoA 31: Theology & Religious Studies. Looking forward to working with excellent colleagues, including Gordon Lynch, @johnmaiden.bsky.social & @profjasjitsingh.bsky.social 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/expert-... #REF #UKHE
Well over time the uk government called out Nigel Farage’s greatest achievement - Brexit - for what it is. A total disaster on every front, including in tackling immigration.
August 29, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Well over time the uk government called out Nigel Farage’s greatest achievement - Brexit - for what it is. A total disaster on every front, including in tackling immigration.
Reposted by Mathew Guest
Could you train children to be peacemakers? Then book to join our Peer Mediation Train the Trainer, Leeds | Tue 7 – Thu 9 Oct 2025
Learn the essentials of mediation and how to equip children for conflict resolution in schools
#edusky #backtoschool
peermediationtttleedsoct25.eventbrite.co.uk
Learn the essentials of mediation and how to equip children for conflict resolution in schools
#edusky #backtoschool
peermediationtttleedsoct25.eventbrite.co.uk
August 29, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Could you train children to be peacemakers? Then book to join our Peer Mediation Train the Trainer, Leeds | Tue 7 – Thu 9 Oct 2025
Learn the essentials of mediation and how to equip children for conflict resolution in schools
#edusky #backtoschool
peermediationtttleedsoct25.eventbrite.co.uk
Learn the essentials of mediation and how to equip children for conflict resolution in schools
#edusky #backtoschool
peermediationtttleedsoct25.eventbrite.co.uk
Reposted by Mathew Guest
🧵 THREAD: Why the Cato Institute’s new paper on “misinformation panic” is dangerously wrong, and why it completely misunderstands the real crisis we face.
www.cato.org/policy-analy...
www.cato.org/policy-analy...
The Misleading Panic over Misinformation
People can’t agree on how to define misinformation and its related terms, making regulation nearly impossible. Instead, free expression serves as a better tool for discovering truth.
www.cato.org
June 27, 2025 at 6:50 AM
🧵 THREAD: Why the Cato Institute’s new paper on “misinformation panic” is dangerously wrong, and why it completely misunderstands the real crisis we face.
www.cato.org/policy-analy...
www.cato.org/policy-analy...
Fascinating piece by Netanyahu’s former bodyguard. A terrifying reflection on the dangers of unchecked power.
As Benjamin Netanyahu’s bodyguard, I saw him transform into the gangster he is today.
🌎 Ami Dror: Inside the mind of Benjamin Netanyahu www.newstatesman.com/world/...
🌎 Ami Dror: Inside the mind of Benjamin Netanyahu www.newstatesman.com/world/...
June 18, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Fascinating piece by Netanyahu’s former bodyguard. A terrifying reflection on the dangers of unchecked power.
Reposted by Mathew Guest
🧵 Several people have raised questions about what I meant by "deservedly so" when referring to the decline of institutional trust. It's a fair question, so I want to explain that, because it sits at the heart of my work on how democracies collapse when their epistemic foundations rot.
The conditions that have led to what’s happening in the US today exist in democracies around the world.
They are an inevitable outcome of our collective failure to adapt to fundamental changes in the information ecosystem on which our democracies were originally built.
They are an inevitable outcome of our collective failure to adapt to fundamental changes in the information ecosystem on which our democracies were originally built.
June 9, 2025 at 7:39 PM
🧵 Several people have raised questions about what I meant by "deservedly so" when referring to the decline of institutional trust. It's a fair question, so I want to explain that, because it sits at the heart of my work on how democracies collapse when their epistemic foundations rot.
Great piece in @theneweuropean.bsky.social on ‘If universities sink, then so will Starmer’. Would @therestpolitics.bsky.social consider picking this up? Not enough discussion about the economic significance of universities and risks uk govt is taking in ignoring them. @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social
Bluesky
ontherestpolitics.bsky.social
May 31, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Great piece in @theneweuropean.bsky.social on ‘If universities sink, then so will Starmer’. Would @therestpolitics.bsky.social consider picking this up? Not enough discussion about the economic significance of universities and risks uk govt is taking in ignoring them. @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social
Reposted by Mathew Guest
CAMPAIGNING LAWYER CALLS ON PRIME MINISTER TO END SHOCKING IPP SCANDAL
thecriminaljusticeblog.com/2025/05/28/c...
thecriminaljusticeblog.com/2025/05/28/c...
CAMPAIGNING LAWYER CALLS ON PRIME MINISTER TO END SHOCKING IPP SCANDAL
Campaigning Lawyer and CEO of CAMPAIGN FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Peter Stefanovic – who’s films have been watched hundreds of millions of times online – has posted a new film, this time callin…
thecriminaljusticeblog.com
May 28, 2025 at 1:11 PM
CAMPAIGNING LAWYER CALLS ON PRIME MINISTER TO END SHOCKING IPP SCANDAL
thecriminaljusticeblog.com/2025/05/28/c...
thecriminaljusticeblog.com/2025/05/28/c...
An important statement of truth to power. I hope other organisations will feel able to join Quakers in calling out the suffering in Gaza for what it is.
Quakers first British church to state belief that genocide underway in Gaza
At their annual gathering this weekend, Quakers in Britain became the first British church to state their belief that the Israeli government is committing genocide in Gaza.
www.quaker.org.uk
May 27, 2025 at 10:58 AM
An important statement of truth to power. I hope other organisations will feel able to join Quakers in calling out the suffering in Gaza for what it is.
Whether the raid on a Quaker Meeting House is down to an overly zealous Met or excessively cautious govt, @teamlabouruk.bsky.social needs to work harder in reclaiming its reputation as a party of social justice. This is not a good look…
Why did 30 Met officers kick the door down at a teenage tea and biscuits meeting in a Quaker house?
When six young women hired a room to discuss the war in Gaza, the gathering ended with 30 officers storming in to make arrests
www.theguardian.com
May 11, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Whether the raid on a Quaker Meeting House is down to an overly zealous Met or excessively cautious govt, @teamlabouruk.bsky.social needs to work harder in reclaiming its reputation as a party of social justice. This is not a good look…
Reposted by Mathew Guest
We have been uplifted by the incredible reaction to the police raid on Westminster Meeting House.
Many Friends have asked us what actions they could now take to push back against the erosion of protest rights in the UK.
Here are 7 ideas 👇
www.quaker.org.uk/blog/7-actio...
Many Friends have asked us what actions they could now take to push back against the erosion of protest rights in the UK.
Here are 7 ideas 👇
www.quaker.org.uk/blog/7-actio...
7 actions to take now to defend our right to protest
After the meeting for worship outside New Scotland Yard, Joe Cox suggests 7 things people can do next.
www.quaker.org.uk
April 11, 2025 at 9:33 AM
We have been uplifted by the incredible reaction to the police raid on Westminster Meeting House.
Many Friends have asked us what actions they could now take to push back against the erosion of protest rights in the UK.
Here are 7 ideas 👇
www.quaker.org.uk/blog/7-actio...
Many Friends have asked us what actions they could now take to push back against the erosion of protest rights in the UK.
Here are 7 ideas 👇
www.quaker.org.uk/blog/7-actio...
Astonishing to hear of this alarming development in Trump’s America. Sadly not surprising though… #EDI #Trump
Here's my response to the banning of my book, White Too Long, at the US Naval Academy. And why this is so heartbreaking and chilling for our democracy.
www.whitetoolong.net/p/my-book-wh...
www.whitetoolong.net/p/my-book-wh...
My Book, "White Too Long," Banned from US Naval Academy
The book bans are coming for American universities.
www.whitetoolong.net
April 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
This story just gets worse by the day. Being allowed to engage in ‘Plotting’ (i.e. planning) disruptive, but peaceful, protest is surely a precondition of a functional liberal democracy. Where are the human rights lawyers when you need them…oh, hang on… www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
Quakers condemn ‘aggressive’ Met Police arrests at London meeting house
More than 30 officers made the arrests at a welcome talk held in Westminster
www.standard.co.uk
March 31, 2025 at 1:18 PM
This story just gets worse by the day. Being allowed to engage in ‘Plotting’ (i.e. planning) disruptive, but peaceful, protest is surely a precondition of a functional liberal democracy. Where are the human rights lawyers when you need them…oh, hang on… www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
Whether due to limited religious literacy or motivation by click bait, BBC should know better. Welby’s forgiveness is not the story, as he tries to make clear himself. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Justin Welby: Former Archbishop of Canterbury forgives serial abuser John Smyth - BBC News
In his first interview since resigning, the former Archbishop of Canterbury reflects on the scandal which led him to quit.
www.bbc.com
March 30, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Whether due to limited religious literacy or motivation by click bait, BBC should know better. Welby’s forgiveness is not the story, as he tries to make clear himself. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Great tool from @dkernohan.bsky.social at @wonkhe.bsky.social for identifying proportions of commuter students at UK universities. About time we used evidence based knowledge to address the needs of this neglected group.
NEW on Wonkhe: A new analysis of HESA data helps us to begin to understand where commuter students may be studying. David Kernohan has the details buff.ly/kOOGfQQ
March 12, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Great tool from @dkernohan.bsky.social at @wonkhe.bsky.social for identifying proportions of commuter students at UK universities. About time we used evidence based knowledge to address the needs of this neglected group.
Reposted by Mathew Guest
ICYMI - one day conference on #religion, #disability & #neurodivergence. Online & in London. Social science research & practice. Also welcome: teachers, religious leaders/community, theologians, practitioners, anyone with an interest in how we learn & share knowledge about disability & religion.
The booking link for our one day conference (response day) on religion, disability and neurodivergent is up!
You can book here - attendance can be in person or virtual. 29th March 2025, 10am - 5pm at King's College London.
www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...
You can book here - attendance can be in person or virtual. 29th March 2025, 10am - 5pm at King's College London.
www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...
Religion, Disability and Neurodivergence – Reflecting on the SocRel Response Day 2025
www.britsoc.co.uk
March 7, 2025 at 8:03 AM
ICYMI - one day conference on #religion, #disability & #neurodivergence. Online & in London. Social science research & practice. Also welcome: teachers, religious leaders/community, theologians, practitioners, anyone with an interest in how we learn & share knowledge about disability & religion.
Great to see UK govt taking Islamophobia seriously again, especially with group under solid leadership of Dominic Grieve. #islam
Religion news 3 March 2025 - Religion Media Centre
The importance of Jewish heritage for President Zelensky; JD Vance in conciliatory tone with Catholic bishops; Government sets up group set up to define Islamophobia; Pope is stable but with ‘risk of ...
religionmediacentre.org.uk
March 3, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Great to see UK govt taking Islamophobia seriously again, especially with group under solid leadership of Dominic Grieve. #islam
New report from Rights & Security International on #Prevent duty. Suggests UK govt have more work to do to ensure Prevent doesn’t remain an engine of racial & religious prejudice. www.rightsandsecurity.org/impact/entry...
Caught in the Web: ‘Prevent’ databases and the policing of children | Rights and Security International
www.rightsandsecurity.org
January 17, 2025 at 8:50 AM
New report from Rights & Security International on #Prevent duty. Suggests UK govt have more work to do to ensure Prevent doesn’t remain an engine of racial & religious prejudice. www.rightsandsecurity.org/impact/entry...
Reposted by Mathew Guest
Elon Musk has had a lot to say about the grooming gangs scandal. We looked at 24 hours on Musk's X timeline and found a range of false and misleading information being amplified. www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
Ros Atkins on...24 hours on Elon Musk's X timeline
The BBC's Analysis editor, Ros Atkins, investigates Elon Musk's recent posts on X about grooming gangs - and looks at how one day unfolded on his timeline.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 11, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Elon Musk has had a lot to say about the grooming gangs scandal. We looked at 24 hours on Musk's X timeline and found a range of false and misleading information being amplified. www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
Reposted by Mathew Guest
Exciting news: applications are open for two paid Student Interfaith Leaders @durham-university.bsky.social. Deadline: 12 January 👉 durham.taleo.net/careersectio... @shaidmahmood.bsky.social @mathewjguest.bsky.social @profgrahamtowl.bsky.social
December 30, 2024 at 7:16 PM
Exciting news: applications are open for two paid Student Interfaith Leaders @durham-university.bsky.social. Deadline: 12 January 👉 durham.taleo.net/careersectio... @shaidmahmood.bsky.social @mathewjguest.bsky.social @profgrahamtowl.bsky.social
Delighted that the @bsasocrel.bsky.social 50th anniversary conference will be held at @durham-university.bsky.social on 14th-16th July 2025. Promises to be a major celebration of the past, forum for addressing the challenges of the present, and an opportunity to look to the future.
Call for Papers is now live! See -https://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-bsa-events/sociology-of-religion-conference-2025/
Deadline: 7th Feb
Deadline: 7th Feb
December 20, 2024 at 10:51 AM
Delighted that the @bsasocrel.bsky.social 50th anniversary conference will be held at @durham-university.bsky.social on 14th-16th July 2025. Promises to be a major celebration of the past, forum for addressing the challenges of the present, and an opportunity to look to the future.