Consider Gildas De Excidio Britanniae. (On The Ruin of Britain.) A modern version is needed as the parallels between now and his time circa 550AD are striking.
Funnily enough, I have been thinking just the same thing. I haven't studied him since university, but I think I am going to write about him later this year.
18.19 time of listing. Those who were brought up on sci-fi (Asimov, Roddenberry (Star Trek) Vonnegut who were all atheists Marxist)influenced the likes of Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg our elite tech leaders and richest men in the world. Wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.
I also commented about Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation from 1969 and how the last 50+ years needs to been added to it. The last chapter of the book/TV series was entitled “Heroic Materialism” and his response to that epoch was “but it’s not enough” and then he quoted Yeats’ The Second Coming. Try and watch the whole 13 part series and read the accompanying book it’s a revelation. Most people do not realise that he went on to make a prequel “In the beginning” for Readers Digest in 1975 on Ancient Egypt. You can see that on YouTube but in a very poor transfer from a worn 16mm print.
Hope your body comes up-right soon. A thought came to me : after Paul’s conversion, he spent three years in the deserts of Arabia and then quite a number of years further —maybe 13 more— before he found his calling into the world. It took some time to get grounded again —- to find how to be in the world again. It will come to you with wholeheartedness, peace, gentleness, easy to be received, merciful and bearing good fruit —- genuine and circumspect. Thanks for sharing.
It’s not that writers like Crowley, Huxley, Rand and Orwell are predicting the future it’s that people are using their texts to make the future they predicted. But something that is worth investigating is those who have followed Tolkien and those who have followed Roddenberry, Vonnegut and Asimov. Tolkien looks back to go forward the others are progressive in going forward. In fact they are Marxists at heart if that is not a paradox or oxymoron! The likes of Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg et al were all entranced by the latter not Tolkien who of course was a devout Christian. This needs writing about to bring more people’s attention to where our leaders and elite get their ideas and motivation from.
I have spent 30 years building the machine. I work with SAP software. SAP manages large global supply chains. Since 2017 I have been merging my experience and the ideas of Rene Girard into a sub stack I call The Crowd. Please take a look https://open.substack.com/pub/thecrowd?r=6b8b9&utm_medium=ios
Thanks for this update. I have deeply appreciated the clarity and insight of your work, and I can’t count how many people I have forwarded your talk “the blizzard of the world“. That one in particular felt like it captured something that so few if any people today have exactly been able to put their finger on, and it explains well enough to family and friends why I’ve gone from being a militant atheist to being baptized into my local Romanian Orthodox Church here in northern VA (US) this coming Holy Saturday.
Looking forward to your upcoming book and whatever shape the following work takes. I don’t have much in the way of a gift for you, other than my subscription and my humble prayers.
What city in northern VA do you live in? I’m from that area myself. If you don’t feel like sharing no worries, just interested to meet another person who lives near “the swamp” (more commonly known as DC)
I live in Fairfax, but I attend Holy Protection of the Mother of God in Falls Church. Orthodoxy is a small world, as I’m finding more and more. Maybe we’ve crossed paths or know some of the same people. You?
Interesting. I’m not Orthodox myself; I deeply contemplated the faith but ultimately I couldn’t join with the Orthodox Church in good conscience. I am from Great Falls, and I grew up going to an Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Fairfax. However, I go to college in North Carolina at the moment, and I attend a very Orthodox-esque Anglican Church
We are made in the image of God. Evil (the Devil) is enraged by that every time he beholds us and so he is always trying to destroy humanity. The machine is his latest attempt. AI is perhaps the ultimate tool he will employ in that destruction.
Lord Kenneth Clark’s magisterial “Civilisation” (both TV series and even more the accompanying book) finish in 1969. The last chapter of entitled “Heroic Materialism” and his damning verdict on that epoch was that “it is not enough”. A continuation of the last 50+ years is sorely needed to bring it up to date. Another project!!
Could the fusion be to elucidate the BEAUTY of life in the Kingdom of God? Lord knows we need more modelling and encouragement toward something that's real, which sparks imagination that's aligned with True Creation.
I just finished up a ceremonial plant medicine retreat-- delighted during which I found so many consonances between the observations one makes in that setting to those describing a Christian's relationship to God and the world-- and was overcome by joy and love.
Our age definitely does not talk enough about joy and love.
I spend a lot of time worrying about AI. Tonight i was discussing with my husband what to do....how much should we resist, what about airport facial recognition etc.. How can we argue that AI beauty is inferior to current human generated beauty? That was when I realised that true beauty has SOUL and SPIRIT , so the more GOD infused, God connected our lives are, the more AI simply withers away, with this short AI era being a mere speck in the boundless , timeless God-soaked universe. With this thought I felt less worried. We will avoid AI and focus on God, through our daily human connections and rituals, and through creating and connecting to real beauty around us . It is well....
A word of caution, however. Your hot-toddy iron looks entirely like a bishop's Crozier and holding it at your shoulder, the visual impact was striking. When one has 50,000 followers, there is a profound temptation to imagine oneself their leader. There is one leader, and we Honor his Holy Name.
I pray and trust that you will continually submit your work and ambitions to a trusted spiritual advisor who will help you keep that dangerous impulse safely at bay. The Lord of This World is always on the prowl.
Don't worry, I am well aware of the potential problem and have plenty of people watching out for me. I have no aspirations to lead anything. Quite the opposite.
Thanks for yours - and for the useful warning. Every day I am given more and more insight into why pride sits atop the pyramid of sins. It is sneaky alright, and especially for anyone with a public voice.
I thought the same thing! (That the toddy-poker resembled a crozier, not that Paul has aspirations to power, though never bad to remember that temptation lurks.)
Congratulations and feel better soon.
Blessings to you. The wells were meant to reinforce and spread the faith, and your wondrous expeditions are helping them to accomplish their task.
Consider Gildas De Excidio Britanniae. (On The Ruin of Britain.) A modern version is needed as the parallels between now and his time circa 550AD are striking.
Funnily enough, I have been thinking just the same thing. I haven't studied him since university, but I think I am going to write about him later this year.
Should you need any help contact me as I have been studying him for quite a while now. stephenjcrane@hotmail.co.uk
Have you notice the other comment I posted about Tolkien versus Roddenberry, Vonnegut, Asimov?
Thanks. I will do that.
I didn't see you other comment. Please point me towards it.
18.19 time of listing. Those who were brought up on sci-fi (Asimov, Roddenberry (Star Trek) Vonnegut who were all atheists Marxist)influenced the likes of Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg our elite tech leaders and richest men in the world. Wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.
I also commented about Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation from 1969 and how the last 50+ years needs to been added to it. The last chapter of the book/TV series was entitled “Heroic Materialism” and his response to that epoch was “but it’s not enough” and then he quoted Yeats’ The Second Coming. Try and watch the whole 13 part series and read the accompanying book it’s a revelation. Most people do not realise that he went on to make a prequel “In the beginning” for Readers Digest in 1975 on Ancient Egypt. You can see that on YouTube but in a very poor transfer from a worn 16mm print.
That video includes a very succinct description of the idolatry of the machine. I look forward to hearing and reading more.
Hope your body comes up-right soon. A thought came to me : after Paul’s conversion, he spent three years in the deserts of Arabia and then quite a number of years further —maybe 13 more— before he found his calling into the world. It took some time to get grounded again —- to find how to be in the world again. It will come to you with wholeheartedness, peace, gentleness, easy to be received, merciful and bearing good fruit —- genuine and circumspect. Thanks for sharing.
It’s not that writers like Crowley, Huxley, Rand and Orwell are predicting the future it’s that people are using their texts to make the future they predicted. But something that is worth investigating is those who have followed Tolkien and those who have followed Roddenberry, Vonnegut and Asimov. Tolkien looks back to go forward the others are progressive in going forward. In fact they are Marxists at heart if that is not a paradox or oxymoron! The likes of Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg et al were all entranced by the latter not Tolkien who of course was a devout Christian. This needs writing about to bring more people’s attention to where our leaders and elite get their ideas and motivation from.
Very good!
I have spent 30 years building the machine. I work with SAP software. SAP manages large global supply chains. Since 2017 I have been merging my experience and the ideas of Rene Girard into a sub stack I call The Crowd. Please take a look https://open.substack.com/pub/thecrowd?r=6b8b9&utm_medium=ios
Thanks for this update. I have deeply appreciated the clarity and insight of your work, and I can’t count how many people I have forwarded your talk “the blizzard of the world“. That one in particular felt like it captured something that so few if any people today have exactly been able to put their finger on, and it explains well enough to family and friends why I’ve gone from being a militant atheist to being baptized into my local Romanian Orthodox Church here in northern VA (US) this coming Holy Saturday.
Looking forward to your upcoming book and whatever shape the following work takes. I don’t have much in the way of a gift for you, other than my subscription and my humble prayers.
What city in northern VA do you live in? I’m from that area myself. If you don’t feel like sharing no worries, just interested to meet another person who lives near “the swamp” (more commonly known as DC)
I live in Fairfax, but I attend Holy Protection of the Mother of God in Falls Church. Orthodoxy is a small world, as I’m finding more and more. Maybe we’ve crossed paths or know some of the same people. You?
Interesting. I’m not Orthodox myself; I deeply contemplated the faith but ultimately I couldn’t join with the Orthodox Church in good conscience. I am from Great Falls, and I grew up going to an Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Fairfax. However, I go to college in North Carolina at the moment, and I attend a very Orthodox-esque Anglican Church
Take your time with the composting, then work it out on the page. The rest of us will happily come along for the journey. And get well soon!
We are made in the image of God. Evil (the Devil) is enraged by that every time he beholds us and so he is always trying to destroy humanity. The machine is his latest attempt. AI is perhaps the ultimate tool he will employ in that destruction.
I've taken to referring to Generative AI as the Spawn of Satan (SoS).
Lord Kenneth Clark’s magisterial “Civilisation” (both TV series and even more the accompanying book) finish in 1969. The last chapter of entitled “Heroic Materialism” and his damning verdict on that epoch was that “it is not enough”. A continuation of the last 50+ years is sorely needed to bring it up to date. Another project!!
You published "The Tale of the Machine." Now it's time for "The Theology of the Machine" (or The Religion of the Machine).
This, I am guessing, will be your best series yet. Thank you Paul.
Looking forward to what it will be, Paul. These themes are important and I’m exploring them myself.
Here is a first go at it: https://megmittelstedt.substack.com/p/why-the-machine-hates-embodiment
Paul,
Thank you for the thoughtful video. I’ll be sticking around.
Could the fusion be to elucidate the BEAUTY of life in the Kingdom of God? Lord knows we need more modelling and encouragement toward something that's real, which sparks imagination that's aligned with True Creation.
I like that.
Excellent point, Kate.
I just finished up a ceremonial plant medicine retreat-- delighted during which I found so many consonances between the observations one makes in that setting to those describing a Christian's relationship to God and the world-- and was overcome by joy and love.
Our age definitely does not talk enough about joy and love.
I spend a lot of time worrying about AI. Tonight i was discussing with my husband what to do....how much should we resist, what about airport facial recognition etc.. How can we argue that AI beauty is inferior to current human generated beauty? That was when I realised that true beauty has SOUL and SPIRIT , so the more GOD infused, God connected our lives are, the more AI simply withers away, with this short AI era being a mere speck in the boundless , timeless God-soaked universe. With this thought I felt less worried. We will avoid AI and focus on God, through our daily human connections and rituals, and through creating and connecting to real beauty around us . It is well....
Paul, I'm looking forward to the next series.
A word of caution, however. Your hot-toddy iron looks entirely like a bishop's Crozier and holding it at your shoulder, the visual impact was striking. When one has 50,000 followers, there is a profound temptation to imagine oneself their leader. There is one leader, and we Honor his Holy Name.
I pray and trust that you will continually submit your work and ambitions to a trusted spiritual advisor who will help you keep that dangerous impulse safely at bay. The Lord of This World is always on the prowl.
In Christ
Chris
Ha! I hadn't thought of that.
Don't worry, I am well aware of the potential problem and have plenty of people watching out for me. I have no aspirations to lead anything. Quite the opposite.
Duly noted. Thanks for your response -- and I'm glad for the people who are watching out for you. The waters are pretty deep.
Chris
Thanks for yours - and for the useful warning. Every day I am given more and more insight into why pride sits atop the pyramid of sins. It is sneaky alright, and especially for anyone with a public voice.
I thought the same thing! (That the toddy-poker resembled a crozier, not that Paul has aspirations to power, though never bad to remember that temptation lurks.)