Why Elizaphanian? Well…
When I got my first independent e-mail address it was with hotmail (still used) and all the obvious ‘Sam Norton @…’ addresses had been taken. So I got out the good book and opened it at the Old Testament and read this. I thought it sort of fitted me, so I added the ‘ian’ at the end to indicate a likeness.
The real me is the Rector of West Mersea, Essex, England – along with three neighbouring parishes. It’s very close to where I grew up, and I’m very proud of being an Essex boy. I’m married with kids; a bit of an ageing libertarian-conservative-hippy hairy biker but principally an orthodox Christian trying, failing, and trying again to live out the faith. I like beer and wine, sailing, walking the dog on the beach, reading to the kids, all the usual stuff. I am also a bit fanatical about Chelsea FC but try not to mention that too often.
This blog is my penseive, the place where I think out loud about whatever is on my mind at the time. Sometimes I will take an idea, run with it, argue for it and end up rejecting it. Othertimes the idea sticks. Time will tell, so: don’t take any one post too seriously! Please note that my quest for Truth borders on the pathological. Also, please note that articles linked are not necessarily representative of my own views. I link to what makes me think and I am often more stimulated by something that I don’t agree with. If you must know, I believe (beyond the obvious) in human flourishing and human freedom – in that order.
I will often put up TBTMs or TBTEs – these stand for The Beach This Morning/Evening. Highlights can be found on my flickr page.
I also use it to list the films I watch – mostly junk, but I flatter myself with the ability to recognise the occasional diamond when it crosses my path.
An explanation of the subtitle of the blog is here.
This is an index of some of the main themes of my writing on this blog:
Click here for my talks about Christianity and Peak Oil – if I have anything of value to say to the world, it’s contained here.
Autobiographical (what this blog is mainly about)
Workload, priorities, vocation
Scripture, Evangelicalism, Liberalism, Fundamentalism
Anglican liberalism and the interpretation of Scripture
Some thoughts about evangelism
Getting personal with fundamentalism
On the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
Not by our own feelings (criticism of ‘conversion’)
Catholicism trumps Liberalism
My posts on atheism
Church-related writings
Excrement smeared across a church wall
Theology
What do I mean when I talk about ‘God’?
Wittgenstein and Radical Orthodoxy
Wittgenstein, Plato and Pickstock: The Sense of Relgious Language
Peak Oil related
Review of Economist article on Peak Oil
It’s the secondary effects, stupid
The Holiness of Stuart Staniford
Gandalf, Gunpowder and Neil Gaiman’s cats
Scandalous subjects
Wrestling with violence
Continuing to wrestle with violence
Non-violence from a different angle
Metaphysics (including the Metaphysics of Quality)
Introducing the MoQ
A Christian interpretation of the MoQ
Wittgenstein’s Mystical Method
Wittgenstein and the Philosophy of Love
Just found your blog. Have you published the Peak Oil book yet? Please respond to my email if possible: mulberryhill52@gmail.com
thanks,
Brad
UCC
US
You used to bully me at school. You and a lot of other people in our year at Bishop’s Stortford College used to take great delight in making my life utter hell. And now you’re a priest! Ha! You were a nasty evil bastard.