What a wonderful book Jamie! I loved this Substack and also relate to all of this. The descriptions of childhood innocence are beautiful and I found very moving. Also, thinking about study, and how 10 years teaching/researching in academia became so unfulfilling as the goals were ultimately driven by competition & ego in order to survive - publish or perish - instead of joy and wonder in knowledge. As you say, it is all given by God! Thank you for your Substack which I look forward to dropping in my inbox each weekend. Ali.
Thanks so much Ali. That’s really kind of you. Traherne speaks deeply to my faulty soul. I never made it to academia as such but managed to study to doctoral level at Oxford. I feel now that that was perhaps the mercy of God to show me the folly of seeking contentment in the intellectual and academic world. I wanted to be the right sort of clever and interesting person and to associate with others who were similar. I see now the emptiness and folly of all of this thank God. J
... Second, think about what is best, most excellent, most profitable, and pray that God may guide you thereunto. The criteria is wonder, joy, delight, profit. ...
Once I have mastered the ability to wonder at and take joy, delight and profit from that which is set before me, then contentment will follow, I pray, regardless of circumstance.
Have you ever read any of the Merrily Watkins books (that's the character - she's a vicar in Herefordshire and a specialist in deliverance, they're 'spiritual whodunnits')? The first one foregrounds Thomas Traherne, a really good (light) read - Wine of Angels.
What a wonderful book Jamie! I loved this Substack and also relate to all of this. The descriptions of childhood innocence are beautiful and I found very moving. Also, thinking about study, and how 10 years teaching/researching in academia became so unfulfilling as the goals were ultimately driven by competition & ego in order to survive - publish or perish - instead of joy and wonder in knowledge. As you say, it is all given by God! Thank you for your Substack which I look forward to dropping in my inbox each weekend. Ali.
Thanks so much Ali. That’s really kind of you. Traherne speaks deeply to my faulty soul. I never made it to academia as such but managed to study to doctoral level at Oxford. I feel now that that was perhaps the mercy of God to show me the folly of seeking contentment in the intellectual and academic world. I wanted to be the right sort of clever and interesting person and to associate with others who were similar. I see now the emptiness and folly of all of this thank God. J
... Second, think about what is best, most excellent, most profitable, and pray that God may guide you thereunto. The criteria is wonder, joy, delight, profit. ...
Once I have mastered the ability to wonder at and take joy, delight and profit from that which is set before me, then contentment will follow, I pray, regardless of circumstance.
Thanks Adrian. I’m sure that what you say is true and that contentment will follow. J
Have you ever read any of the Merrily Watkins books (that's the character - she's a vicar in Herefordshire and a specialist in deliverance, they're 'spiritual whodunnits')? The first one foregrounds Thomas Traherne, a really good (light) read - Wine of Angels.
Thanks Sam. No I've never heard of them. Sounds interesting! J