Jeremy Heuslein

Power in the Breath A book review of "A Heavy Yoke: Theology, Power and Abuse in the Church" by Selina Stone

open.substack.com/pub/jeremyhe...

I read Dr Selina Stone’s new book, “A Heavy Yoke,” which looks at theology, power and abuse in the church. Hard reading but an excellent work by Dr Stone. My review is below, for those interested in her work and my thoughts on developing a theology of power.

We need it to be heavily regulated and controlled, similar to how a person cannot just go out and buy plutonium at the local store.

Listening to @podsavetheuk.crooked.com this morning and the fun and serious conversation about ChatGPT and Wikipedia, and I think a good analogy for AI is plutonium: deathly dangerous, but a really useful tool in specific, controlled contexts.

What kind of economic system would that imply? And how differently would our economies be if such a principle were a part of the design system?

Maybe this is the one of reasons that the permaculture to revolutionary leftist trajectory is basically a straight line.

Just listened to the latest episode of @themagnificast.bsky.social on trash and degrowth and was reminded of the permaculture design principle of “produce no waste,” which in an organic system means that any byproduct becomes integrated into another system and waste becomes part of the energy flow.

a sign that says no nukes are good nukes on a yellow background ALT: a sign that says no nukes are good nukes on a yellow background

Might be a bold position to take, but seems reasonable to me.

As a species, we’ve invented far too many ways to destroy ourselves. Let’s not do it en masse, okay?

It’d be funny if someone forgot to open the flue of the chimney.

I worked with the sub dean at the Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago, and she gave me the beautiful image of ministry being a long, long beam - passed down along many hands. We always need new hands to take up the burden, but we also need hands at the other hands to let go.

My gains are on (omega) point.

I tried the viral $20 strawberry. It tasted like the end of the American empire A single strawberry flown in from Japan is selling for $20 in a hip LA grocery store. Does it symbolize the worst of American excess, or is it simply delicious?

I don’t think it is the end of the American Empire; but we may be witnessing the last days of the American Republic.

If there are parallels to Rome to be made, it is good if we remember it transitioned from Republic to Empire - and not without violence.

www.theguardian.com/food/2025/ma...

a man in a military uniform is asking are we the baddies . ALT: a man in a military uniform is asking are we the baddies .

Been thinking about this GIF since Friday.

We can hope this might mean Chilli Heeler will have a similar announcement.

These memos inspired my PhD on a philosophical (in the school or phenomenology) definition of torture. The “Report” from the Senate Intelligence Committee is damning.

One of those unfortunate things of history that the contemporary articulation of subjectivity or consciousness doesn’t really have an Ancient equivalent.

One of the aspects of our consciousness seems to be it is perspectival - what would it even look like to have non-perspectival consciousness?

My wife earlier being very herself:

“It’s the end of Brussels’ Sprout season, and we are not saved…I’m sad.”

You may sometimes wonder how long we’ve been living in a COVID world. This long, everybody.

our common life depends upon each other's toil

A book idea dropped into my head last night as I rolled over to turn out the light, so I quickly scribbled down the sections on the only piece of paper to hand, my tax bill.

The book idea is about Christianity, socialism, and economics.

If I get around to writing it, its “beginning” is going in.

“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

Just putting this out here.

Gitmo has been and now will exponentially expand to continue to be a location where people are excluded from the legal protections that normally exist.

This state of exception bolsters a tyrannical sovereignty and will foster acts of torture.

It is the kind of violence that makes a king.

During the next four years, here are some things I hope to do/learn to do:

• have a garden; help with a community garden;
• get to know my neighbours better; organise neighbourhood events, e.g., block parties;
• practice deep empathy;
• and speak Welsh.

Just starting this list. Feel free to add!

Have you seen it yet? I haven’t and am debating. Worth a cinema trip at all or just waiting for the stream?

You do have access at St Padarn’s. But that is going to pale in comparison to Durham. So sorry.

I have a sticker that sums it up for me: “Degrowth by Design or Degrowth by Disaster.”

Found this video game in a video game hall of fame. 5/5 for the title screen alone.

I appreciate the brinkmanship of this manoeuvre. And the smaller size increases that brinkmanship - you may hit me but there is always that nascent risk. You wanna take that?

Not the newest book, but David Bentley Hart’s “The Beauty of the Infinite” is the 2025 goal!

Nadolig llawen! Merry Christmas!

A special toast to those who make Christmas services happen - organists, servers, volunteers, clergy families, and everyone else! Here’s to another Christmas in the books.

#ClergyMaltClub

And sometimes (frequently) even if it is moving!