Dr. Chance Bonar
@chancebonar.bsky.social
Advisor, teacher, and writer
Researching ancient Christianity, slavery, authorship, antisemitism, and the literature of the ancient Mashriq
Cat dad | 🏳️🌈
http://chancebonar.com
Books: https://bit.ly/3R8LXbo & https://bit.ly/4iMBSwy
Researching ancient Christianity, slavery, authorship, antisemitism, and the literature of the ancient Mashriq
Cat dad | 🏳️🌈
http://chancebonar.com
Books: https://bit.ly/3R8LXbo & https://bit.ly/4iMBSwy
Pinned
Dr. Chance Bonar
@chancebonar.bsky.social
· Sep 19
God, Slavery, and Early Christianity
Cambridge Core - History of Religion - God, Slavery, and Early Christianity
www.cambridge.org
The digital version of God, Slavery, and Early Christianity is officially out! If you're interested in ancient Mediterranean slavery's effects on Christian thought and practice, this is for you.
www.cambridge.org/core/books/g...
www.cambridge.org/core/books/g...
Obsessed every month with the social justice kittens calendar
December 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Obsessed every month with the social justice kittens calendar
This is something a lot of us have been talking about in academic circles.
Men over the last few decades have greatly benefitted from universities seeking “gender balance” in their student populations, and tend to fare much worse in academic-merit-based college admissions
Men over the last few decades have greatly benefitted from universities seeking “gender balance” in their student populations, and tend to fare much worse in academic-merit-based college admissions
Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly White men
"The Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion also targets gender. The ban may impact gender balancing practices that often benefit college men."
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
"The Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion also targets gender. The ban may impact gender balancing practices that often benefit college men."
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly White men
The Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion also targets gender. The ban may impact gender balancing practices that often benefit college men.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:09 AM
This is something a lot of us have been talking about in academic circles.
Men over the last few decades have greatly benefitted from universities seeking “gender balance” in their student populations, and tend to fare much worse in academic-merit-based college admissions
Men over the last few decades have greatly benefitted from universities seeking “gender balance” in their student populations, and tend to fare much worse in academic-merit-based college admissions
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
Universities will keep sexual predators on the faculty because their "hands are tied by tenure." Turns out protesting genocide is all it takes to loosen those unshakable chains.
Tenured US professor fired over pro-Palestinian protests contests dismissal
Sang Hea Kil is first tenured faculty member fired from a public university in connection to the protests
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Universities will keep sexual predators on the faculty because their "hands are tied by tenure." Turns out protesting genocide is all it takes to loosen those unshakable chains.
Sarah’s 🧵 is spot on. It’s worrying for how it perpetuates the “happy slave” trope that even former enslaved persons like Epictetus perpetuated
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
December 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Sarah’s 🧵 is spot on. It’s worrying for how it perpetuates the “happy slave” trope that even former enslaved persons like Epictetus perpetuated
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
A new report on dietary findings in a select area of Pompeii likely inhabited by enslaved people came out in Scavi di Pompei. Many newspapers are now running w/a headline about Roman slaves “eating better” than free Romans. pompeiisites.org/e-journal-de... Let’s discuss why this is problematic
December 6, 2025 at 12:48 PM
A new report on dietary findings in a select area of Pompeii likely inhabited by enslaved people came out in Scavi di Pompei. Many newspapers are now running w/a headline about Roman slaves “eating better” than free Romans. pompeiisites.org/e-journal-de... Let’s discuss why this is problematic
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
“If ancient, proto-white, proto-western slavery was benign, maybe ours was too.” — some shithead opinion editor, probably
2. This is an extremely small sample size in a house in Pompeii. And yet many headlines are universalizing in order to say ALL Roman slaves ate better than the freeborn. We know that this is absolutely not true.
Look at this Reuters headline:
Look at this Reuters headline:
December 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
“If ancient, proto-white, proto-western slavery was benign, maybe ours was too.” — some shithead opinion editor, probably
After the FIFA peace prize news, I’m waiting to see if other associations will follow suit
The AHA peace prize for genocide deniers, for example
The AHA peace prize for genocide deniers, for example
December 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
After the FIFA peace prize news, I’m waiting to see if other associations will follow suit
The AHA peace prize for genocide deniers, for example
The AHA peace prize for genocide deniers, for example
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
On Monday the FIFA Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel will be awarded to Larry Summers
December 6, 2025 at 2:24 PM
On Monday the FIFA Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel will be awarded to Larry Summers
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
At the same time, USC is paying a presumably large sum of money to OpenAI to give students access to ChatGPT we-are.usc.edu/2025/12/03/a...
December 6, 2025 at 2:34 AM
At the same time, USC is paying a presumably large sum of money to OpenAI to give students access to ChatGPT we-are.usc.edu/2025/12/03/a...
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
The AHA, perpetually keeping its power dry for a battle it will never fight. Reupping this because the AHA will always disappoint in this regard. It's a country club, not a union, and when people accept this and opt for something else they'll be happier.
December 5, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The AHA, perpetually keeping its power dry for a battle it will never fight. Reupping this because the AHA will always disappoint in this regard. It's a country club, not a union, and when people accept this and opt for something else they'll be happier.
I love my home state
legit if you still have a twitter/x it’s worth popping over to appreciate the troll game from our somali neighbors
December 5, 2025 at 11:56 PM
I love my home state
This week, I sent in full manuscript drafts to the publishers for both _A Workshop of Eloquence: A Collection of Gazan Literature from Late Antiquity_ and _From Slave to Saint: Onesimus Throughout Christian History_ 🎉
December 5, 2025 at 11:35 PM
This week, I sent in full manuscript drafts to the publishers for both _A Workshop of Eloquence: A Collection of Gazan Literature from Late Antiquity_ and _From Slave to Saint: Onesimus Throughout Christian History_ 🎉
Hello from our first Charlottesville snow day
December 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Hello from our first Charlottesville snow day
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
🚨 PSA for classics folks: a new volume, Ancient Rape Cultures: Sexual Violence in the Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Christian World (which features a contribution from my amazing colleague SB Breitenfeld), is now available open-access here! irfrome.org/publication/...
AIRF Vol. 53 Ancient rape cultures: sexual violence in the Greek, Roman, Jewish, and early Christian world
Edited by Elina Pyy Rome, 2025.
irfrome.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
🚨 PSA for classics folks: a new volume, Ancient Rape Cultures: Sexual Violence in the Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Christian World (which features a contribution from my amazing colleague SB Breitenfeld), is now available open-access here! irfrome.org/publication/...
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
The last Pasts Imperfect of 2025 is out! The incomparable @toriflee.bsky.social has our annual ancient world gift guide. Then, saving Sudan's cultural heritage, cats in Ancient China, Indigenous canoe-making, ancient disability, new ancient world journals by @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social & much more!
Pasts Imperfect (12.4.25)
This week, the one and only Tori Lee returns with her annual ancient world gift guide. Then, racing to preserve Sudan's cultural heritage, a new study on domestic cats assesses the leopard cats of anc...
pasts-imperfect.ghost.io
December 4, 2025 at 11:52 AM
The last Pasts Imperfect of 2025 is out! The incomparable @toriflee.bsky.social has our annual ancient world gift guide. Then, saving Sudan's cultural heritage, cats in Ancient China, Indigenous canoe-making, ancient disability, new ancient world journals by @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social & much more!
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
Religion note: Remember that pastor who was arrested protesting an ICE detention facility outside Chicago recently? The one who was photographed on the ground as officers arrested him?
That's Rev. Michael Woolf, and this is his church.
That's Rev. Michael Woolf, and this is his church.
December 4, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Religion note: Remember that pastor who was arrested protesting an ICE detention facility outside Chicago recently? The one who was photographed on the ground as officers arrested him?
That's Rev. Michael Woolf, and this is his church.
That's Rev. Michael Woolf, and this is his church.
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
I feel like the mass murder of innocent civilians and children may have played a part in forming their opinions on this subject.
“You just don’t understand” is also such a lazy & demeaning argument that underestimates a lot of bright young people out there.
“You just don’t understand” is also such a lazy & demeaning argument that underestimates a lot of bright young people out there.
Hillary Clinton blames TikTok and “totally made up” videos for young people’s views on Israel and Palestine.
She says social media influenced “not just the usual suspects” but also “young Jewish Americans who don’t know the history and don’t understand.”
She says social media influenced “not just the usual suspects” but also “young Jewish Americans who don’t know the history and don’t understand.”
December 3, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I feel like the mass murder of innocent civilians and children may have played a part in forming their opinions on this subject.
“You just don’t understand” is also such a lazy & demeaning argument that underestimates a lot of bright young people out there.
“You just don’t understand” is also such a lazy & demeaning argument that underestimates a lot of bright young people out there.
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
An election for the 2025-2027 NASSCAL Board of Directors will take place at this week's First Friday Workshop (Dec. 5). The slate of nominees can be found here: www.nasscal.com/2025/12/02/n...
Notice of Election of the 2025–2027 NASSCAL Board
The NASSCAL First Fridays workshop taking place December 5 will also be the time that we elect a new Board of Directors. Ideally, this would take place at a bi-annual meeting of the Society, but we…
www.nasscal.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:56 PM
An election for the 2025-2027 NASSCAL Board of Directors will take place at this week's First Friday Workshop (Dec. 5). The slate of nominees can be found here: www.nasscal.com/2025/12/02/n...
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
I think "financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion" might be the worst thing I've ever read
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
The co-founder of Kalshi says: " The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion."
December 3, 2025 at 11:16 PM
I think "financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion" might be the worst thing I've ever read
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
I am thrilled (and a little overwhelmed) to share that my book God's Ghostwriters was award the 2026 Grawemeyer Award in religion. I am deeply honored to join this group of distinguished award winners.
lpts.edu/friends/graw...
lpts.edu/friends/graw...
December 3, 2025 at 1:14 PM
I am thrilled (and a little overwhelmed) to share that my book God's Ghostwriters was award the 2026 Grawemeyer Award in religion. I am deeply honored to join this group of distinguished award winners.
lpts.edu/friends/graw...
lpts.edu/friends/graw...
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
They should invent a university that prioritizes teaching and research
December 2, 2025 at 8:15 PM
They should invent a university that prioritizes teaching and research
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
We just got our first Christmas Tree! Sophia approved!
December 2, 2025 at 10:36 PM
We just got our first Christmas Tree! Sophia approved!
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
some fantastic antiquity/premodern stuff on here, starting with two (2) offerings from @chancebonar.bsky.social!
Our longest yearly book list ever! Thirty six books by contingent historians for you to read, gift, and request for purchase at your library!
2025 Contingent Book List
When you’re shopping for books this season, consider a contingent scholar.
contingentmagazine.org
December 2, 2025 at 2:38 PM
some fantastic antiquity/premodern stuff on here, starting with two (2) offerings from @chancebonar.bsky.social!
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
In Gaza, where universities lie in rubble and classrooms have been replaced by screens, education has refused to die.
Gaza’s Students Kept Studying Amid the Rubble. Now Universities Hope to Rebuild.
Palestinian students learned remotely, with flickering internet, through two years of Israel’s genocide. Now universities need funding to rebuild.
interc.pt
December 1, 2025 at 1:24 AM
In Gaza, where universities lie in rubble and classrooms have been replaced by screens, education has refused to die.
Reposted by Dr. Chance Bonar
Non-ladder faculty do the riskiest teaching at most universities, an innovation that soothes both the routinized risk aversion that wins one tenure and the anxious admin desire for flexibility. The whole point of the arrangement is ensuring that it’s easy to shed anyone who becomes inconvenient.
also given the risk involved in teaching, it’s fucked up that universities don’t want to pay tenure-line professors to take the risk by being the lead instructors for these courses
December 1, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Non-ladder faculty do the riskiest teaching at most universities, an innovation that soothes both the routinized risk aversion that wins one tenure and the anxious admin desire for flexibility. The whole point of the arrangement is ensuring that it’s easy to shed anyone who becomes inconvenient.