James Bielo
@secondhandsacred.bsky.social
Associate Professor, Dept. of Religious Studies, Northwestern University
Pinned
James Bielo
@secondhandsacred.bsky.social
· Nov 24
Hi Bluesky! I’m James Bielo, an anthropologist of religion. Secondhand Sacred is my current work, exploring the circulation of Christian material culture thru 2nd economies. This includes a series of public exhibits, like Domestic Devotion & (Ir)Reverent Fun. Follow along for project updates!
The Secondhand Sacred collection is safely home. It was enormously fun exhibiting at #aarsbl25 in Boston! So many wonderful conversations, stories, and moments of delight!! Thanks to all who stopped by and played along :) #secondhandsacred
November 25, 2025 at 1:57 PM
The Secondhand Sacred collection is safely home. It was enormously fun exhibiting at #aarsbl25 in Boston! So many wonderful conversations, stories, and moments of delight!! Thanks to all who stopped by and played along :) #secondhandsacred
Traveling light to @aarsbl25 this year. Secondhand Sacred will be at booth #430 Sat-Monday morning: swing by and say hi, listen to cassettes, click through View-Master slides, peer through a stereoscope, flip through vinyl and postcards and much more! #aarsbl25 #secondhandsacred
November 20, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Traveling light to @aarsbl25 this year. Secondhand Sacred will be at booth #430 Sat-Monday morning: swing by and say hi, listen to cassettes, click through View-Master slides, peer through a stereoscope, flip through vinyl and postcards and much more! #aarsbl25 #secondhandsacred
Thrifted, 1992 Lutheran cookbook #secondhandsacred
November 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Thrifted, 1992 Lutheran cookbook #secondhandsacred
Another Utrecht gift for the collection. This biblical energy bar is courtesy of Ernst van den Hemel, which he picked up at the DC Museum of the Bible gift shop. For now, it’s residing in my campus office. #secondhandsacred
November 13, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Another Utrecht gift for the collection. This biblical energy bar is courtesy of Ernst van den Hemel, which he picked up at the DC Museum of the Bible gift shop. For now, it’s residing in my campus office. #secondhandsacred
I grew up near Ottoman, VA - not even a small town, a tucked away corner of a rural county near the Chesapeake Bay. Maybe it’s my lingering naïveté, but it was delightful to find things like a 1983 Kansas Mennonite vinyl in a Utrecht thrift store. May our lives always be opening! #secondhandsacred
November 12, 2025 at 1:34 PM
I grew up near Ottoman, VA - not even a small town, a tucked away corner of a rural county near the Chesapeake Bay. Maybe it’s my lingering naïveté, but it was delightful to find things like a 1983 Kansas Mennonite vinyl in a Utrecht thrift store. May our lives always be opening! #secondhandsacred
I had a really wonderful four days in Utrecht last week! This week’s posts will share some secondhand finds and gifts from the visit. First up, this holy water font from an antiques shop along the central canal. #secondhandsacred
November 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM
I had a really wonderful four days in Utrecht last week! This week’s posts will share some secondhand finds and gifts from the visit. First up, this holy water font from an antiques shop along the central canal. #secondhandsacred
An #ebaymethod find: stamps & fundraising brochure for Sermons from Science pavilion at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Back in June 2021 I spent a day in the Moody archives w/ their SFS materials. This included a report from the ‘62 Fair where they counted lots of things!
November 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
An #ebaymethod find: stamps & fundraising brochure for Sermons from Science pavilion at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Back in June 2021 I spent a day in the Moody archives w/ their SFS materials. This included a report from the ‘62 Fair where they counted lots of things!
Excited to be here this morning to check out the new Aquí en Chicago exhibit!
October 28, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Excited to be here this morning to check out the new Aquí en Chicago exhibit!
Small estate sale haul from Friday. #secondhandsacred
October 27, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Small estate sale haul from Friday. #secondhandsacred
Thrifted, 1999 Bible game. #secondhandsacred
October 24, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Thrifted, 1999 Bible game. #secondhandsacred
Road trip! www.npr.org/2025/10/19/n...
New Museum of Christian Gospel Music honors a diversity of music with a message
Gospel music has always played a big role in American culture. Now, the music's wide-ranging history is being celebrated at Nashville's new Museum of Christian and Gospel Music.
www.npr.org
October 22, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Road trip! www.npr.org/2025/10/19/n...
Two new Bible-themed dexterity puzzles, both #ebaymethod finds. Enjoying thinking with these objects as the set grows. #secondhandsacred
October 20, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Two new Bible-themed dexterity puzzles, both #ebaymethod finds. Enjoying thinking with these objects as the set grows. #secondhandsacred
Reposted by James Bielo
I am THRILLED to announce that ARCHIVAL IRRUPTIONS is officially published with @dukepress.bsky.social! For those who would like to order the book, you can get 30% off using coupon code E25GRBNR at this link: www.dukeupress.edu/archival-irr...
Archival Irruptions: Constructing Religion and Criminalizing Obeah in Eighteenth-Century Jamaica
www.dukeupress.edu
October 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
I am THRILLED to announce that ARCHIVAL IRRUPTIONS is officially published with @dukepress.bsky.social! For those who would like to order the book, you can get 30% off using coupon code E25GRBNR at this link: www.dukeupress.edu/archival-irr...
Hand painted icon sourced from Evanston antiques shop #secondhandsacred
October 13, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Hand painted icon sourced from Evanston antiques shop #secondhandsacred
View-Master premiered at the 1939 NY World’s Fair. Descendant of the stereoscope, ancestor of the VR headset. They are still made, though they stopped producing travel reels in 2008. These were found at an Evanston antiques store #secondhandsacred
October 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
View-Master premiered at the 1939 NY World’s Fair. Descendant of the stereoscope, ancestor of the VR headset. They are still made, though they stopped producing travel reels in 2008. These were found at an Evanston antiques store #secondhandsacred
What happens when you follow the traces and trails of a bible comic? Read the latest 'Collecting Religion' essay by Christina Pasqua and find out. It's a *really* good one!! collectingreligion.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/o...
Old Forgotten Children’s Books?
by Christina Pasqua Archival Collections When visiting the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at the Ohio State University in spring 2025, I pulled an item from the collection called “The S…
collectingreligion.wordpress.com
October 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
What happens when you follow the traces and trails of a bible comic? Read the latest 'Collecting Religion' essay by Christina Pasqua and find out. It's a *really* good one!! collectingreligion.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/o...
Thrifted this scarf on Friday for the Wearing & Carrying exhibit #secondhandsacred
October 6, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Thrifted this scarf on Friday for the Wearing & Carrying exhibit #secondhandsacred
Three tracts found this week: two from little free libraries, one on a campus sidewalk (complete with/ shoeprint) #secondhandsacred
October 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Three tracts found this week: two from little free libraries, one on a campus sidewalk (complete with/ shoeprint) #secondhandsacred
Goodwill find yesterday. #secondhandsacred
September 26, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Goodwill find yesterday. #secondhandsacred
Thanks to Kristin Balzer for contributing this tract to the collection. Found on the ground in Evanston, IL #secondhandsacred
September 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Thanks to Kristin Balzer for contributing this tract to the collection. Found on the ground in Evanston, IL #secondhandsacred
Last rites kits are a relatively common secondhand find. More often than not, they are incomplete. Here, ephemera remained #secondhandsacred
September 19, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Last rites kits are a relatively common secondhand find. More often than not, they are incomplete. Here, ephemera remained #secondhandsacred
Two Jesus-themed dexterity palm puzzles. New #ebaymethod addition to the Playful Devotion exhibit. What’s that? Curious about the history of these patience games? No problem, Barbara Levine & Jessica Helfand have got you: www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/45/le... #secondhandsacred
September 15, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Two Jesus-themed dexterity palm puzzles. New #ebaymethod addition to the Playful Devotion exhibit. What’s that? Curious about the history of these patience games? No problem, Barbara Levine & Jessica Helfand have got you: www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/45/le... #secondhandsacred
What links this cassette to these two books? I follow the trail in a new essay, written for an exciting project hosted by Valentina Gamberi - valentinagamberi.eu/the-ringmast... #secondhandsacred
September 12, 2025 at 11:36 AM
What links this cassette to these two books? I follow the trail in a new essay, written for an exciting project hosted by Valentina Gamberi - valentinagamberi.eu/the-ringmast... #secondhandsacred