Hey Paul- I’m curious about your theology- and particularly your relationship to the Romanian Orthodox Church as dogmatic authority. My own theology doesn’t have any room for magisteriums, Rabbinates, or other authoritative human bodies- though tradition gets a strong vote. That said, this is an ongoing site of thought and struggle for me. Have you written about this anywhere? Can you point to a book that reflects your theology or the tradition you follow? Or do you want to take a shot at summing it up in the comments section? Lol. I’d appreciate anything you can share about this to satisfy my curiosity and maybe spark conversation.
So excited you're being hosted by UnHerd. I love watching their discussions/debates/interviews. I will definitely be watching the recordings from my home in Montreal, Canada.
"Tomorrow I’ll be in Romania, talking to a group of Orthodox theologians and priests about the Machine. I never thought I’d find myself writing a sentence like that, but life is full of surprises."
It seems to me that we are very uncomfortable with a particular aspect of Jesus. It's like we wish he was something other than what was actually described in the Gospels. I wrote about it here:
Huzzah for another Salon! I have been thinking about The Machine, but also machines generally, and how technological revolutions are followed by decades (or centuries) in which humans wrestle with who we are in relation to them.
Each new technology seems to bring about near-term radical responses, both for and against, along with long term changes that are deeper and more transformative. And yet, after these sometimes cataclysmic changes, the humans who strive and struggle in our oldest writings and poetry are recognizable to us today. There is renewal in the aftermath, as springtime reminds us.
And so I’m wondering, once we are many years further along in the age of The Machine, which human attributes will still be recognizable, as they have been after new technologies such as writing, printing, electronic communication, and computing? What core of our humanity remains constant even as everything once familiar is swept away?
Nothing quite compares to the return of pleasant weather. Been a long, long winter here in Minnesota, only just now turning towards spring, which will last about four days until it's summer.
Thinking about starting tennis for my son because it's all he wants to do these days. I'm not a tennis player myself so I'm not sure where he picked up the notion, but should be fun enough.
The Spring is my favourite time of year also Paul. We are in South West Wales and it's been rather slow coming this year. Colder and wetter. Still, yes the Swallows are back and strangely the Primroses have been rampant with hundreds of seedlings all over the garden. My wife teases them all out and divides the larger ones and then replants them along the verges and the local park. Not all is rosy in the garden though. We have a male Blackbird who has claimed the holly tree above my garden chair. He sings his heart out nearly all day and has been for weeks. But has yet to find a wife.:( Such an accomplished singer as well.
I know I am not to covet my neighbor's land, nor his wildlife, nor his moss-covered rocks...but wow, what a temptation to covet! Thanks for sharing the beauty of your area!
Your subject line immediately transported me to the May festival that Buccmaster and his companions run across on their way to Stamford in The Wake. :) Thanks for that.
When I was keeping bees, I loved watching the clover grow with each day and watching those workers dutifully forage from sun-up to sun down. Enjoy these next few weeks.
The news found me this morning that the U.S. would soon lift travel restrictions for the unvaccinated. I hope this proves true and also allows you to travel and speak in the U.S. If so, please travel to the great state of Georgia. We Southerners are known for our hospitality.
“The vision of the greening land always fills me with joy. The swallows are back, the nights are still and the world still works. Given the dark content of the last couple of essays, it’s good to go outside and get some perspective. “
Here in Alaska, this is also extremely, extraordinarily true. Nature still turns around us, while we fret inside our small, at times chaotic, minds. Glad to know I’m not the only one who finds that sometimes the best prescription for the issue, whatever it may be, is to simply go outside. Glad you’re traveling and taking extra time for essays and enjoying greenery - excited about it all!
Here in the SE US ( Georgia ) its already starting to swelter. Will rain for a few minutes and then the sun comes out and its a steambath. Will be a long summer but were accustomed to it. Growing up here we had no AC. Open a window and stick a fan in it was it for cooling. The humidity brings out the bugs, mosquitoes and ants mostly. We did have a gecko join us in bed last night so that was fun trying to capture it so my wife would relax. In other news, the machine keeps grinding away. Mass shootings are becoming common in the US. I decided to buy a gun, and am waiting to go pick it up. I have some rifles but I want at least one handgun. Im a Christian and have some reservations about getting a gun simply for protection, ( i wont be hunting with it ) but my thought is if I could stop someone from killing more people then so be it. Where I work we have had 3 seperate incidents in a years time of a disgruntled employee trying to come in the building with a gun. Everyone is on edge. A few weeks ago my neighbor was tripping out about me walking in his yard, we've been neighbors for 20 years. Look forward to your next letter.
Spring has sprung here in the dusty interior of British Columbia as well. It was touch and go with threat of wildfire already looming by mid April, but the rain has come and things are green and “lush”. Certainly not as green and lush as Ireland. I can’t imagine having to beat back that kind of growth! Here we employ some horses and a flock of sheep and they do a fine job! Enjoy your time away, it always make coming home so special.
Last essay? I’ve missed something. Is this Substack going away?
Hey Paul- I’m curious about your theology- and particularly your relationship to the Romanian Orthodox Church as dogmatic authority. My own theology doesn’t have any room for magisteriums, Rabbinates, or other authoritative human bodies- though tradition gets a strong vote. That said, this is an ongoing site of thought and struggle for me. Have you written about this anywhere? Can you point to a book that reflects your theology or the tradition you follow? Or do you want to take a shot at summing it up in the comments section? Lol. I’d appreciate anything you can share about this to satisfy my curiosity and maybe spark conversation.
So excited you're being hosted by UnHerd. I love watching their discussions/debates/interviews. I will definitely be watching the recordings from my home in Montreal, Canada.
"Tomorrow I’ll be in Romania, talking to a group of Orthodox theologians and priests about the Machine. I never thought I’d find myself writing a sentence like that, but life is full of surprises."
Enjoyed that :)
It seems to me that we are very uncomfortable with a particular aspect of Jesus. It's like we wish he was something other than what was actually described in the Gospels. I wrote about it here:
https://squarecircle.substack.com/p/we-have-never-seen-jesus
Huzzah for another Salon! I have been thinking about The Machine, but also machines generally, and how technological revolutions are followed by decades (or centuries) in which humans wrestle with who we are in relation to them.
Each new technology seems to bring about near-term radical responses, both for and against, along with long term changes that are deeper and more transformative. And yet, after these sometimes cataclysmic changes, the humans who strive and struggle in our oldest writings and poetry are recognizable to us today. There is renewal in the aftermath, as springtime reminds us.
And so I’m wondering, once we are many years further along in the age of The Machine, which human attributes will still be recognizable, as they have been after new technologies such as writing, printing, electronic communication, and computing? What core of our humanity remains constant even as everything once familiar is swept away?
Nothing quite compares to the return of pleasant weather. Been a long, long winter here in Minnesota, only just now turning towards spring, which will last about four days until it's summer.
Thinking about starting tennis for my son because it's all he wants to do these days. I'm not a tennis player myself so I'm not sure where he picked up the notion, but should be fun enough.
The Spring is my favourite time of year also Paul. We are in South West Wales and it's been rather slow coming this year. Colder and wetter. Still, yes the Swallows are back and strangely the Primroses have been rampant with hundreds of seedlings all over the garden. My wife teases them all out and divides the larger ones and then replants them along the verges and the local park. Not all is rosy in the garden though. We have a male Blackbird who has claimed the holly tree above my garden chair. He sings his heart out nearly all day and has been for weeks. But has yet to find a wife.:( Such an accomplished singer as well.
I know I am not to covet my neighbor's land, nor his wildlife, nor his moss-covered rocks...but wow, what a temptation to covet! Thanks for sharing the beauty of your area!
Your subject line immediately transported me to the May festival that Buccmaster and his companions run across on their way to Stamford in The Wake. :) Thanks for that.
When I was keeping bees, I loved watching the clover grow with each day and watching those workers dutifully forage from sun-up to sun down. Enjoy these next few weeks.
The news found me this morning that the U.S. would soon lift travel restrictions for the unvaccinated. I hope this proves true and also allows you to travel and speak in the U.S. If so, please travel to the great state of Georgia. We Southerners are known for our hospitality.
“The vision of the greening land always fills me with joy. The swallows are back, the nights are still and the world still works. Given the dark content of the last couple of essays, it’s good to go outside and get some perspective. “
Here in Alaska, this is also extremely, extraordinarily true. Nature still turns around us, while we fret inside our small, at times chaotic, minds. Glad to know I’m not the only one who finds that sometimes the best prescription for the issue, whatever it may be, is to simply go outside. Glad you’re traveling and taking extra time for essays and enjoying greenery - excited about it all!
Here in the SE US ( Georgia ) its already starting to swelter. Will rain for a few minutes and then the sun comes out and its a steambath. Will be a long summer but were accustomed to it. Growing up here we had no AC. Open a window and stick a fan in it was it for cooling. The humidity brings out the bugs, mosquitoes and ants mostly. We did have a gecko join us in bed last night so that was fun trying to capture it so my wife would relax. In other news, the machine keeps grinding away. Mass shootings are becoming common in the US. I decided to buy a gun, and am waiting to go pick it up. I have some rifles but I want at least one handgun. Im a Christian and have some reservations about getting a gun simply for protection, ( i wont be hunting with it ) but my thought is if I could stop someone from killing more people then so be it. Where I work we have had 3 seperate incidents in a years time of a disgruntled employee trying to come in the building with a gun. Everyone is on edge. A few weeks ago my neighbor was tripping out about me walking in his yard, we've been neighbors for 20 years. Look forward to your next letter.
Your very own stone circle *plus* Runner Ducks?
Paul, you truly are living the dream! 😄
Spring has sprung here in the dusty interior of British Columbia as well. It was touch and go with threat of wildfire already looming by mid April, but the rain has come and things are green and “lush”. Certainly not as green and lush as Ireland. I can’t imagine having to beat back that kind of growth! Here we employ some horses and a flock of sheep and they do a fine job! Enjoy your time away, it always make coming home so special.