Now that Hadestown is in theaters, I’m curious to see if people will go after it like they have the Odyssey. Although I guess there are different ancient accounts of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Eric Vanden Eykel
@evandeneykel.bsky.social
Ph.D. Christian Origins, Associate Professor of Religious Studies. Black Lives Matter. Views expressed here are my own, and do not reflect the views of my employer. he/him
I didn’t mind Nolan’s Odyssey. I also like Homer’s.
My six year old just learned how to use a juke box. His selection: Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us. #FatherOfTheYear
I finally read The Widening of God’s Mercy by Christopher and Richard Hays. I went in skeptical. I came out with more questions and a few thoughts. Have a look if that’s your thing. open.substack.com/pub/vandeney...
I’m grateful that the Supreme Court decided to follow the plain text of our Constitution on birthright citizenship. I also can’t stop thinking about how archaic the whole system is: the idea that you are a different kind of person because you were born on one side or the other of an imaginary line.
Pickles are fine. Even great, sometimes. But I just saw an Instagram reel recommending frozen pickle slices in Sauvignon Blanc, and I wish we would stop inflating every minor taste preference into a lifestyle trend until it becomes a caricature.
Pickles James Franco
ALT: Pickles James Franco
static.klipy.com
I think Eric is right that “the right response to all of this is…to figure out how to teach it from a non-sectarian position.” The only thing I’d add is that the effort to educate from a non-sectarian perspective isn’t neutral either but expresses the positive values of the state (& that’s good!)
Eric Vanden Eykel@evandeneykel.bsky.social · last mo.I put some thoughts down over the weekend about Texas and the Bible in public schools debate. I welcome thoughts and pushback (seriously - this needs to be a public conversation), but please read further than the title before engaging. Thanks :) buff.ly/6Kg56FJ
I put some thoughts down over the weekend about Texas and the Bible in public schools debate. I welcome thoughts and pushback (seriously - this needs to be a public conversation), but please read further than the title before engaging. Thanks :) buff.ly/6Kg56FJ
I finished up my Shroud of Turin series on Substack today with some (hopefully constructive) thoughts on the Shroud as icon. buff.ly/DFGNv3u
Dante neglected to mention the circle of hell reserved for people who crowd the baggage carousel before their bag is even visible.
Congratulations to all contributors to Judeophobia and the New Testament: Texts and Contexts! We’re honoured to have been awarded 1st place in the category of Scripture — Academic Studies in the Catholic Media Association’s 2026 Book Awards. 🏆📖🍾 @apocalypsenow5.bsky.social @evandeneykel.bsky.social
My favorite epitaph in the Capitoline Museum (6th century): “This is the burial place of Fortunatus and Lucia, wherein lies their daughter Gemmula, who lived about 10 years, and whoever violates this tomb shall suffer the fate of Judas.” May we all be so bold!
A new #publications article on AJR: Eric Vanden Eykel writes about his research on the Magi @evandeneykel.bsky.social
Lessons Learned from the Magi — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
The twelve verses about the Magi in Matthew do not invite final answers; they invite attention, patience, and the persistence to keep digging.
ancientjewreview.com
Fun read here from @evandeneykel.bsky.social on the Magi but especially a glimpse into academic curiosity and following your gut to create something awesome: www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2025/12...
Lessons Learned from the Magi — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
The twelve verses about the Magi in Matthew do not invite final answers; they invite attention, patience, and the persistence to keep digging.
ancientjewreview.com
I am traveling in Italy with my daughter, and we have reached the Zen part of travel where you start dressing the same way without planning it.
Tonight I got to watch the sunset from the Areopagus Hill with my daughter and around 500 others. I’m not generally short on words, but I was tonight.
Yesterday I took my daughter to the Parthenon in Athens. She spent a good amount of time mocking Poseidon because obviously Athena is better. This morning she made a meme. Nerdy kids are the best kids.
Facebook reminded me that I created this meme 10 years ago today. I consider it some of my finest and most under recognized work.
Part 3 of my Shroud of Turin series is now up. Why do arguments for the Shroud’s authenticity feel persuasive to so many? What role do pseudoscience, credential borrowing, speculation, and “perhaps” reasoning play? More broadly: why do bad arguments matter? buff.ly/5L23hF7
Part 2 of my short series on the Shroud of Turin is now up. This time: the science. Radiocarbon dating. Coins over the eyes. Pollen from Jerusalem. Blood. The famous photographic negative. How persuasive are the claims for the Shroud’s authenticity, really? buff.ly/pdM6l6a
I’ve been working on a Substack series on my favorite medieval relic: the Shroud of Turin. Up first: the problem of provenance. Where does the Shroud come from? Why are historians skeptical that it is a 1st-century artifact? Spoiler: the problems start as soon as it shows up. buff.ly/VByrWYS
Some more thoughts on flood stuff - always nice to rediscover rabbit holes that you haven't thought much about for the past 15 years or so. Thanks TikTok! buff.ly/SvAPzLJ
Last week I kicked a hornet's nest on TikTok (on purpose, and it was fun), and I spent the weekend thinking about the flood stories, as one does. Then I wrote about them, as one also does. buff.ly/PHSCoje
New analysis of the Shroud of Turin produces SHOCKING results. Some will say it’s photoshopped but that wasn’t invented until later. CHECKMATE you doubters! 🔥🔥
Why start a Substack? Partly because I missed writing things that weren’t emails. Partly because writing gets harder when you stop doing it. And partly because I think scholarship should exist beyond paywalls. buff.ly/tiXlKvZ
