Tim Orr, at The Blogs

Jun 25, 2026, 2:38 PM

The deeper question is not simply why antisemitism appears, but why so many people have found it persuasive. Most people do not see themselves as motivated by hatred. More often, they believe they are defending something valuable—a community, a...

Jun 7, 2026, 9:44 AM

The Gnostic Temptation, Antisemitism, and Your Favorite Podcaster

This blog was inspired by a conversation between Pesach Wolicki and James Lindsay. Their discussion raised a number of questions about Gnosticism, conspiracy thinking, and antisemitism that ultimately gave rise to the reflections that follow. The podcast can be...

Jun 4, 2026, 3:27 PM

Before the Mourning Began

The morning after October 7 was troubling in a way that I still have trouble putting into words. Even before many Israelis could find their missing loved ones, before the full death toll was known, and before anyone could...

Jun 1, 2026, 8:00 AM

Why the Jews

Many groups have served as scapegoats throughout history, yet Jews occupy a uniquely recurring position. The persistence of antisemitism across civilizations that otherwise share little in common demands explanation. Jews have been accused of capitalism and communism, excessive nationalism...

May 28, 2026, 10:48 AM

The Two Faces of Islamic Antisemitism: Shia Revolution and Sunni Activism

For years, conversations about Islamic antisemitism in the West have usually stayed far too shallow. Most explanations follow familiar patterns: imported prejudice, Middle Eastern politics spilling over into Europe and America, failed integration, or religious extremism carried through immigration....

May 22, 2026, 7:49 PM

When Ideas Still Mattered: Remembering Liah Greenfeld

Liah Greenfeld’s death genuinely saddened me. While I did not know her well, we spoke every year at the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa conference in Washington, DC. We often ended up sitting together...

May 13, 2026, 6:34 AM

Pope Leo, Robert Jeffress, Protestant Realism, & Iran

The growing divide between Pope Leo and many conservative Protestants over Iran, Israel, and war is about much more than politics. Underneath the disagreements are two very different ways of seeing human nature, evil, power, and history itself. Pope...

May 9, 2026, 12:17 AM

The World Still Doesn’t Know How to Process Jewish Sovereignty

The recent conversation between Walter Russell Mead and Coleman Hughes stayed with me longer than I expected. On the surface, it looks like a discussion about antisemitism, Zionism, and American foreign policy. But underneath all of that, the interview...

May 1, 2026, 4:48 AM

You’re Not Arguing About Islam—You’re Arguing About How to Read Reality

Most of the arguments we see about Islam aren’t really about isolated incidents or disputed facts. They run deeper than that. What’s actually shaping the conversation is the lens people bring to religion in the first place. When someone...

Apr 17, 2026, 7:28 AM

When Peace Becomes Dangerous: Why Moral Clarity Fails in a Fallen World

There’s a kind of moral clarity that almost feels undeniable when you first hear it. War is terrible. Violence destroys. Peace is better. So naturally, the answer must be less force, less escalation, less conflict. The problem lies in...

About Me

Tim Orr, D.Min., is a Research Fellow with the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP). His scholarship examines contemporary antisemitism, Islamic antisemitism, Shi'a religious thought, and the relationship between religion, ideology, and public life. He is the author of the forthcoming book "What Antisemitism Explains: Why Failed Ideologies Blame Jews

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