Blogging in the Academy

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Thanks to Ed Blum (History, San Diego State Univ.) for letting us cross-post his comments on blogging. Blum points out some concerns he and others share about writing for a popular audience in a non-peer review context. The post originally appeared at Religion in American History.

"Academic Blogging: Some Reservations and Lessons"
by Edward J. Blum

Last summer, I was chatting with a collection of amazingly talented graduate students and newly minted PhDs in American religious history about the role of blogging. They all agreed that blogging was a godsend for those new to the profession, for it let them “be known.” Blogging offered an instant opportunity to present ideas, critique other works, and sound off publicly on any number of issues. Time and again, these brilliant scholars expressed their belief in the blogosphere: that it was the place to gain recognition.

I was worried. I wondered if the perils outweighed the possibilities. Paul Harvey’s American Religious History blog was created after I was finished with graduate school and had two monographs published. I was just at that moment becoming an associate professor and so “making a name for myself” had less immediate importance. I saw his blog and others as a place to promote and to play – not a place to stake a reputation.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about the academic turn to the blog, and my gravest concern is for junior scholars – knowing full well that by avoiding blogs, junior scholars may be missing out on many important opportunities. But here are my reservations and lessons:

1) Why would you give away for free the primary commodity you create? Your ideas are your intellectual property; when you publish them in a book, you and the press own them. You can make money off of them (sure, not a lot, but sometimes a nice chunk of change). You can receive credentials from them that include a job, promotion, and tenure. Just as much as publishers may benefit from a blog-inspired recognition, they may also not want to print concepts that can be found already on websites. I haven’t asked, but I wonder.

2) Peer review matters. Academic disciplines will lose all credibility without peer review; it is essential to what we do – as protection for the author and publisher, and as a way to get the best out of your work. When the five or ten or twenty reviewers (I can’t remember) for the Journal of American History sounded off on one of my dissertation chapters, I was shell-shocked. I could never have imagined there were so many problems with my essay. But those criticisms made it a better chapter, and my dissertation a stronger book. The JAH didn’t publish my essay, but the reviews transformed my approach to the topic. After graduate school, the number of people available to read your work may shrink. My experience is that there are fewer and fewer people who have the time to read my ramblings. Peer review allows the geniuses in our fields to challenge us, push us to new sources, and help with our prose. I’m grateful to have friends like Katie Lofton, who will read my essays and tell me what’s wrong with them – but it’s hard to make friends that brilliant and as the years pass on, we all seem to have less time for it. Blogs do not, as of yet, offer such a system of peer review and hence do not aid in that capacity in our development as scholars.

3) Post-publication review matters. Blog posts don’t get reviewed in the Journal of American History or the Journal of Southern History – books do. They are reviewed there and in other journals as another stage of peer review. It’s where we sound off – not just to say that this or that book “makes a significant contribution to” … whatever topic the book is on. It’s a place where real debates and real problems can be addressed. Comment sections in blogs aren’t the same, and they probably can’t go in your tenure file. Professional book reviews can and do.

4) Blog posts could hurt your reputation just as much (if not more) than help it. Fascinating blog posts probably won’t get you an interview or a job, although they may make your name noteworthy enough so the committee looks at your application (although I doubt this for most positions). Articles will, solid dissertations will, fantastic conference papers will. Blog posts are far more likely to hurt you in any number of ways: perhaps you write something that is too outlandish; perhaps you come off as too political (guess what, not all academics vote Democrat – some are more leftist, some are to the right – I learned this when one colleague of mine explained to me that even though I study and teach African American history, he hoped I didn’t vote as “they” did – an odd thing to say to a new colleague, but whatever). I’ve written a number of posts that I wish I could take back (usually the ones praising Matt Sutton’s work – and this, right here, is a joke, that could backfire if I didn’t point out it was a joke. And by this point, the joke is dead because I had to explain it so no one is even grinning). More honestly, I have in blog posts been rough and curt with some essential and important works (namely Barbara Dianne Savage’s very interesting Your Spirits Walk Beside Us), and I was wrong. I should have been more careful and thoughtful. Could that hurt me professionally – you betcha!

5) Blogs often function like the current American media: extreme, partisan, and amnesiac. Jon Stewart recently told Bill O’Reilly that all the messianic love for President Obama in 2008 set Americans up for heartache. Guess who said this in a Religion Dispatches blog essay in 2008? I did. Guess who remembers? Only me. As I see it, the current media is in the business of producing ideas each and every minute and there can be no regard for past claims, words, or interests. Stories and sound bites must be made new constantly. This is not how the scholarly world has functioned or should. We must take the time to think ideas through, to hash them out, to consider alternatives, and to weigh various other texts. Reacting to every new media story is not the path of most scholarly work; it’s the domain of the journalist.

6) Finally, and this is most apropos for our blog – this is a blog about religion and religions, the most powerful ideas, rituals, concepts, and communities that exist. As I understand the spiritual, it is the deepest core of people, ideas, organizations, and communities. Writing about it flippantly or without review or without consideration can be extremely damaging. I have done my fair share of rough handling with religion in these blogs, and I wonder at what cost. More and more, I think Robert Orsi is right when he calls us to be worry about our presentations of religion, especially of how those presentations get into the mass media. We’re observant to religious damages of the past, and certainly do not want to perpetuate them in the present and future (at least I do not).

So those are my concerns. I recognize the incredible work that blogs have done in American religious history. The Juvenile Instructor gang is amazing. The essays here are fantastic. Religion Dispatches is entertaining, insightful, and provocative. It’s not that we shouldn’t keep taking blog and technological leaps: it’s that, I think, we should look first.

Big Tent eBook!

I wasn't able to attend the recent Big Tent Christianity event in Raleigh, NC, however I did participate in their synchroblog event that preceeded it. These blog posts, including one of mine (page 14 on PDF), are found in this free e-book. If you want to know what people are thinking about when it comes to living under the Big Tent, this is a good place to start.

Just click on the link Big Tent eBook! to go to the pdf.

Disgusted with politics, the state of the country, and just about everything else

I had to step away from blogging and the news for a few weeks...and will be doing so again off and on through the Fall. I don't enjoy blogging like I did 5 years ago when I started. Writing has started to become a chore, and I don't get much of anything out of it anymore. Readership doesn't really justify the effort that goes into it. But it's still cathartic on some level, which is why I eventually find the motivation to post.... eventually. More emphasis this time on "eventually".... because my posting will be spotty from here on out.

What's the point in blogging right now anyway? The country has collectively lost its f___ing mind. I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime. New forms of McCarthyism are springing up....and politically, the nation is becoming a failed State. Misinformation (propaganda) has poisoned the citizenry to such a degree that nothing makes sense anymore. And it doesn't help that the American population was already ignorant about the World, about its own history, about their own Constitution, about culture & religion...and have therefore been ripe for being taken advantage of by Right wing media, Faux News (Radio Rwanda) and some of the biggest con artists in the Country. Ignorance has replaced reason, logic and informed debate. And its all part of a larger decline in America that I have been noticing. With a gridlocked government, a system that was designed to move slowly, an economy that is still in trouble, a political system that is inherently corrupt, growing income inequality, class rifts opening even wider, mounting debt, and not to mention two wars... the U.S. will continue to lose its place in the World. Add to that big corporations & con artists masquerading as real news organizations & journalists who are actually waging an all out misinformation campaign against their own fellow citizens (misinformed Americans especially) and you have an unfolding disaster IMHO.

With the economy in the toilet, and with many Americans (especially White Americans) being convinced - because of the growth of minorities - that their way of life is under threat, people are beginning to fall back into their comfort zones. Xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism, hate and ignorance are coming to the surface in ways not seen since the 1960's. I hate to think that this is human nature... that when under times of collective stress or social/political/economic strain (factual or just perceived strain) people become more ethno-centric, nationalistic, go into racial cocoons, express more racism and circle the wagons, but it seems to be happening in the U.S. at the moment. This has been true in many Countries all over the World throughout history during periods of strain or upheaval. But it's not supposed to happen in a modern Western country that bills itself as the greatest and most tolerant nation on earth (and I even hate the word tolerance... it assumes that "different" means something evil that has to be tolerated as opposed to accepted as part of a complex multi-ethnic, multicultural nation). I hate to think that these are the base instincts of people...but for many, this seems to be the case. We have people in this Country who want to turn back the clock historically to take us back to a period when there was no 14th amendment, no labor rights, no racial equality, when Jim Crow laws had to be honored, when the right to vote was not guaranteed to all.... etc. Backwards.... what kind of Country wants to go backwards?

Americans are throwing facts out of the window. Instead, people are turning to their prejudices. For the most part, people vote based on their family traditions, racial identity, religious identity, basing their votes on things like...who they wouldn't mind having a beer with... they are falling into all the nonsensical traps that they should be trying to avoid. This seems to be really apparent for folks on the Right (although I see it on the Left as well). Unfortunately, I think 2008 was an aberration in American politics. Most of the gains made then have already been wiped away.... the changing of the political landscape, etc... at least for the time being. It will take another 15-20 years for things to really start to turn around.... in a more positive and progressive direction. By then... there will be more young voters.... or young potential voters who may bring a less divisive and more logical world view. The problem is... #1) Will they fall victim to the same brainwashing from Faux, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, their parents, and therefore not be the positive force that they have the potential to be? They are being bombarded by the same propaganda machine that the rest of the Country is being bombarded with everyday. #2) Can the U.S. afford to wait that long?
With the anti-tax, anti-collective action, anti-government, and anti-Progressive sentiment sweeping the Country... I don't see how the U.S. can even begin to tackle the major problems that it faces now...and will face over the next few decades.

Progressives have already lost the information battle. They have lost the argument/the national debate on the future of the Country... and they really never showed up to fight Post-election. After election day... they packed up and went home, not realizing that they would have to fight and win an information and ideological war for the hearts and minds of Americans. They didn't even seem to know that there was a war.

President Obama? I don't even want to think about his fumbling over the last 18 months. I am disgusted with him too. He has failed on so many levels. By taking his eye off the ball (the economy) a few months after taking over the Presidency by diverting his attention to issues that were not top priorities for "most" Americans, he has created exacerbated problems for himself and for his Party politically.... as I had predicted. At least look like you are trying to do something to help the economy (should be on TV everyday with sleeves rolled up... organizing job strategies, pushing new programs....for sustainable job growth, etc.... he should at least look busy). In addition to that... his team should be highlighting all instances of Republican obstruction. If that means interrupting people's dinner or prime time TV every week for a fireside chat... then damn it... dinner should be interrupted. Use the office of the Presidency to inform the people about what the Hell is going on. Don't allow Faux (and the legitimate news organizations that take their lead from Faux and frame their reporting based on Conservative narratives) to tell the Country what's going on. Obama has been a thorough disappointment. Keep in mind, I am someone who never bought into the euphoria of his election....or the nonsensical idea that everything would be great once he became President. My expectations were somewhat low to begin with. Obama was never my first choice. But he has performed below even what I had envisioned. How many vacations can you take in the span of 6-8 weeks? Did he/the family set a new record? I counted something on the order of 4 vacations... all of this while Americans are suffering? To be a great President, it is crucial that you have your finger on the pulse of the nation at all times. It just appeared to me that he didn't have a clue. It also became clear to me that President Obama & The White House don't have anyone managing the image/PR issues or he simply ignores/perhaps does not seek such advice. That is absolutely clear to me at this point. But this will come back to haunt this Administration and Democrats (and the rest of us, unfortunately).

So all of this.... the Country going completely nuts, Obama/Progressives providing borderline shameful leadership, the direction of the Country, Glenn Beck successfully defecating on the memory of a prophet & icon and on the history of an entire people...not to mention my own problems and stress (I am completely overloaded and overwhelmed) - I have been a little dejected and disgusted with everything. Went to the dentist a few months back and got a blood pressure reading of something in the neighborhood of 175-180 over 110. Not the first time that I have had high blood pressure readings. I have high bp that is going untreated (has been for years) because I have crappy health coverage from a deplorable job that I absolutely hate. Needless to say, my life completely sucks.... and nothing has worked to change that in years.

So I will have to step away, unplug from the N(oise)ews more often, and concentrate on other things. I never completely unplug... I am a news/information junkie... I need NPR at least 4 days out of the week...and love the BBC, and many other outlets (too many to list) use Twitter, and I blog surf... but I don't rush to blog about every event in the world. Don't have the time to do that anymore. Unplugging has definitely been good over the past 3 weeks.

I will post some goodies later on.... (what I think are goodies anyway).

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I'm not the only one disgusted. (although I don't quite agree with everything in his commentary... I can relate to feeling dejected).

What Would Jesus Tweet?

I guess the first caveat to the posed question might be -- would Jesus have a Twitter account?  That's a bit asking what kind of car Jesus would drive, as neither piece of technology was available to first century folk.  But, having added in that caveat, the question is -- how do we who are followers of Jesus use the new technologies, and what kind of message would we offer?

Niraj Warikoo, religion writer for the Detroit Free-Press, called me the other night to talk about just this question in preparation for an article that appears today in the Free-Press.  I offered some of my thoughts about blogging, which appear in the article.  Niraj picks up on the conversation that I've been having about the proposed NY mosque, wherein I support that community's right to build the mosque.  Of course, not all agree.  But then, that's their right.  The article emerged out of questions being raised at the way in which social media is used by church members.  That led to a conversation with a number of people, both clergy and non-clergy -- Christian and even Muslim and Jewish.  What Niraj discovered is that there is great openness to these new forms of communication, but also concerns as well, which is why the local archdiocese is looking at setting up guidelines.

The question that Niraj asked me concerned why I do this?  Why do I keep this blog and try to blog every day, even when I'm on vacation?  Well here is Niraj's reporting of our conversation:  

Spreading good news can be difficult to do in an arena where vigorous discussions about faith and identity can often spill over into vitriol. But that only compels the Rev. Bob Cornwall of Troy to use it more often.

The author and pastor at Central Woodward Christian Church blogs daily and uses Twitter to communicate with his flock and reach a national audience. He started about four years ago after sensing the need for a more moderate Christian voice.

"I wanted to share a message that was more progressive, more moderate, pluralist and open," Cornwall said. In recent weeks, Cornwall has written in favor of the proposed Muslim community center near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, criticizing other Christians who rail against Islam.

"There is no place for stereotypes that lead to hate in our communities," Cornwall argued on his blog. It drew a fierce discussion online, with some strongly disagreeing with his post, while others backed him.

I recognize that there are many bloggers and other users of social media that have a much more negative agenda than do I.   If you look to those on the far edges of both conservative and liberal sides, as well as the margins of many of the world's religious and political groups, you will find negative, even violent, agitation.  As I noted, and Niraj reported, even if my message tends to the left side of the center pole, I try to offer it in a moderate tone.  We must remember that blogs and social media are simply tools, technologies, that can be used for good or ill.  Therefore, it is up to us to decide how to use the technologies wisely.

As for my answer to the question:  What would Jesus Tweet?  I said:

"Love God, love yr neighbor, btw even love yr enemy, b/c God loves u"

How would you answer this question?

 

Image from Gospel Clip Art.

On Editing a History Blog

John Fea

I am glad that Randall Stephens asked me to write something about my short blogging career. With the exception of a presentation I gave recently to a few faculty and staff at Messiah College, I have never thought systematically about what I do at The Way of Improvement Leads Home. I am grateful for the opportunity to post some of the ideas about blogging that have been swishing around in my head during the last couple of years.

I wrote my first comment on a blog in July 2007. It was posted at Paul Harvey's brand new Religion in American History. Within a week or so I was his first "Contributing Editor." I owe much of my blogging career to Paul. His vision for a blog that would combine opinion, news from the profession, historical reflection on current events, and new research seemed to be a wonderful outlet for my rather eclectic interests in American history, religious history, and academic life. I wrote a lot of posts for Religion in American History during that year when RiAH picked up a Best New Blog award from HNN. I found that blogging satisfied my itch for engaging new ideas in the context of religion and American history.

In June of 2008 I decided to start my own blog. My first book, The Way of Improvement Leads Home, appeared a few months earlier and a publicity editor at Penn Press suggested that a blog might be a useful way to promote it. After having blogged with Paul for a year, I was now feeling pretty comfortable with the genre and format and thought that a blog, named after the title of my book, might help me branch out a bit beyond American religious history.

If you go back and look at some of the early posts at The Way of Improvement Leads Home you will notice that I tended to focus almost exclusively on the book and the life of its subject, the virtually unknown eighteenth-century diarist Philip Vickers Fithian. Eventually I began adding posts on other dimensions of early American history, Christianity and religious history, academic life, politics, and the occasional post about Springsteen, writing sheds, and speaking engagements.

I guess you could say that the turning point of my experience was a post I wrote about two hours after Sarah Palin was chosen as John McCain's running mate in the summer of 2008. “Does Sarah Palin Speak in Tongues" drew over 1000 hits in a six or seven hour period. I think I may have been the first person in the blogosphere to write something—anything—about Palin's Pentecostal background. I cross-posted the entry over at Religion in American History and I think it still may be the most visited post on that blog.

After the Palin incident, my readership stabilized a bit, but from that point forward it has remained pretty steady. On a good day I get several hundred visits. While this is a far cry from the Daily Dish or the Huffington Post or Religion in American History, I think it is still pretty good for a blog that engages the kinds of things that interest me as a historian and a Christian. At the end of 2009 I began blogging daily—a task that requires me to take about an hour a day to read (or in some cases skim) a host of different Internet sites. I usually write my blog posts early in the morning and post them on the site throughout the day.

I am often asked about my target audience at The Way of Improvement Leads Home. To be honest, I am not sure that I have one. Some posts I write for my family and friends just to let them know what I am doing with my life. Others I write with fellow professors or academics in mind. Others I write with my students in mind. We recently celebrated our second anniversary at The Way of Improvement Leads Home and over those two years I have developed a very loyal readership that includes college students, graduate students, professors, clergy, and all kinds of everyday folk. Hard-core academics will probably find the blog a bit light, but I am not writing for hard-core academics. I target most of my posts with an average history teacher or college-educated reader in mind.

I seldom discuss my personal life on the blog, although I have no hard and fast rule about NOT discussing my personal life. (When I have discussed my personal life I get lots of encouraging e-mails and Facebook notes). I do, of course, occasionally offer my opinion on things, but I think that most of the time the topics and articles that I post and engage with say more about me than any random opinion I might offer. I guess you might call The Way of improvement Leads Home a blog that sits somewhere between the personal and the professional.

I think it is also worth mentioning that I started the blog after I got tenure. I just felt more comfortable doing it that way. I also benefit from the fact that I teach at a liberal-arts college that encourages me in my work as a blogger. I have added my blog to my c.v. and might even be willing to make an argument for having it count for tenure and promotion as a form of public scholarship or professional service.

I am always looking for good ideas for the blog, especially stuff for my "So What CAN You Do With a History Major" and my "Places" feature. If you are attending a conference related to some of the themes of the blog and want to serve as a correspondent, please let me know. I would love to have you contribute something. Guest posts are always welcome. I also hope that some of you might connect with the blog through Facebook or via Google.

I am not sure how long I will be blogging, but I don't see myself stopping anytime in the immediate future. It does take time and occasionally takes me away from other projects, but one of the things I like about blogging is that it provides a nice little break from my other work. Sometimes it only takes just 15 minutes or so to get a quick post "up" at The Way of Improvement Leads Home. This makes it easier to keep the blog active and keep my readers coming back.

If you are interested in blogging I would be more than happy to share whatever I have learned. Feel free to drop me a note.