http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/ en-us 2007-04-25T12:04+00:00 http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1177503365.shtml In Renovation of the Heart Dallas Willard writes:... William Clark 2007-04-25T12:04+00:00 Renovation of the Heart Dallas Willard writes:

"The revolution of Jesus is in the first place and continuously a revolution of the human heart or spirit. It did not and does not proceed by means of the formation of social institutions and laws, the outer forms of our existence, intending that these would then impose a good order of life upon who come under their power." (p.15)

When I first read this I thought, "wow, since I've devoted most of my life trying to understand social institutions and laws, I guess I've wasted my life. I need to leave political science immediately."

But then I thought about it .... if Jesus's revolution is about a revolution of the heart, if its not about external control to induce good behavior, then it has implications for social institutions.

Social institutions should impose as few limitations as possible on the choices individuals make. If the heart is to be changed it is to be changed in an environment where people are free to make their own mistakes. Free to be challenged by the mistakes others make. Free to have an opportunity to learn and grow in such an environment. And free to be able to turn over their freedom to Christ and become a slave to righteousness.

This is not the world we live in, which suggests there are changes to be made in our social institutions. And studying the conditions underwhich changes in social institutions occur may not be a comple waste of time.

Please tell me what you think.... I don't want to waste another moment.]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1177447609.shtml A couple of mornings ago, I was led to read 1 Corinthians 1, and it felt like the first time.... William Clark 2007-04-24T20:04+00:00
The second half of this chapter seems very Calvinist to me:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. …..Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

In otherwords, its as if God deliberately made it hard to believe so that “not just anybody” would believe – only those “whom God has called”. But as I read on, I get a glimpse into this that I never saw before….

“Brother, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; no many were influential; not many were of noble birth." Paul goes on to say that "God chose the foolish to shame the wise…. so that no one may boast.”

I think what Paul is saying here is that “Christ crucified” is a gospel that makes no sense in earthly terms. It is unreasonable – in the sense that reason can't get you to it. Consequently, it doesn’t require special training or superior intellect to comprehend because if it did – it would be like everything else in this fallen world. If it was like a higher form of mathematics, it would be captured, chopped up and sold like everything else – to the highest bidder – those able to spend the years getting the training needed to understand it. It would be doled out to – and controlled by - the rich and powerful … and that’s the world that God wanted to stand on its head. So God set up a story you’d have to be kind of crazy to accept, and this kind of craziness is uncorrelated with power because this kind of craziness is RANDOMly distributed. The weak and the strong, the insider and the outsider, the master and the slave, the Jew and the Gentile all have the same chance of catching it.

One consequence of this is that the church – when its not captured by Pharisees and scribes – is like no other institution on earth. Because it is representative. It includes the excluded. I wonder if that is why, compared to other institutions, it looks like it is run by and for the poor and the uneducated.
]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1174136454.shtml 6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;... William Clark 2007-03-17T13:03+00:00 give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.

13 Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

14 O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.

15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1174053359.shtml [11] A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work.... William T. Bogart 2007-03-16T13:03+00:00
When teaching principles of economics, I spend a fair amount of time reviewing with students the important unseen infrastructure behind market transactions. The amount of trust that goes into even relatively simple daily activities is phenomenal, especially when that trust is given to strangers. This is only possible because of a complicated and interrelated systems that we have developed and continue to develop. Whether or not one thinks that Sarbanes-Oxley, for example, is good policy, it is legislation that arose out of a concern with trust in market-supporting institutions.

An Often Misquoted Verse that People Don't Realize Is a Bible Verse

[18] Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1173968967.shtml [14] The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.... William T. Bogart 2007-03-15T14:03+00:00
The idea of "virtuous cycles" and "vicious cycles" is widespread. Today's verse gives us an example of how to apply the idea to knowledge. Once one has understanding, then one knows to seek, but without the understanding one does not know to seek and so feeds on foolishness. The tough question, then, is how to be sure to attain the virtuous cycle (understanding --> seeking knowledge --> more understanding) rather than its vicious counterpart. The easy way is for this process to begin as a child. In this chapter (and previous chapters) there is emphasis on the importance of learning from one's parents. Isaac Asimov's father was a Russian immigrant and ran a drugstore in Brooklyn. When his father asked how Isaac knew so much, he replied that he had learned it from his father. His father was skeptical, so Issac explained, "You taught me to read and to value learning. The rest was easy."

Wisdom, like money and industrial investment, is easier to obtain once you already have some. However, it is difficult to start the process. These nonlinearities make the mathematical analysis of these processes more challenging as well as complicating the implementation of any policies to improve the outcomes. The challenge for the interested reader is to think about how to quantify knowledge (check the research by Paul Romer if you are interested in an influential approach) and wisdom.]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1173873510.shtml 4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,... William Clark 2007-03-14T11:03+00:00 but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.

I read this passage as a warning to those who might fear investing in capital because it will require upkeep. Wise investments (oxen) generate a stream of benefits (feed) that help sustain the value of the investment.

Like most american's, my biggest investment is my home. My wife and I sometimes feel like we are living to "feed" it. Any ideas about how I can get it to feed itself? Or should I admit that its a consumption expenditure (in which case, why not go back to renting)? ]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1173798218.shtml [20] He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.... William T. Bogart 2007-03-13T15:03+00:00
My motto when recruiting faculty has always been to "find someone better than me." Granted, there are those who consider this to be a farcically low hurdle, but the principle is valid in any event. One interesting theoretical justification for a tenure at colleges and universities is that it reduces the incentive to hire people who make you look good by comparison, rather than hire the best possible people. This is important because if I'm successful at implementing my motto, then the long run outcome is that I'm the worst person around. Without the protection of tenure, the argument goes, I might be worried about my job security if I'm the worst person around. As the verse points out, the long run best interest of the department and institution is to have wise people rather than fools around, so it is important to create the correct incentives to populate the faculty with wise people.

The other interesting aphorism on this topic is "A people hire A people, B people hire C people." I've heard two reasons for this outcome. First, only the A people don't feel threatened by other A people. Second, the B people are unable to recognize true ability, and wind up with the least common denominator as a result.]]> http://stmaximoshut.powerblogs.com/posts/1173354195.shtml Today's reading is a wonderful bit of poetry that involves the personification of Wisdom.... William Clark 2007-03-08T11:03+00:00
It ends as follows:

4 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.

35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the LORD.

36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death."

My prayer is the my daily pursuit of truth does not end at knowledge, but wisdom. Here's a link to an interesting discussion of the difference.
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