"They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more."

And a true saying.

German Philosophy and Wax Chandlers

Evening all! It has been an unconscionably long time since I made a post so here we are again.

I have discovered the work of Karl Jaspers. Great stuff but I am presently trying to work out what's wrong with it. He makes a marvellous critique of both organized religion and mysticism forcing one to take a via media - if one dares. Nothing wrong with all that. But the theory of ciphers is doing harm to my brain - 'hieroglyphics of being' and all that. I rather suspect that the problem is that his argument requires him to say that ciphers are both subjective and objective at the same time. The problem being that they can only appear to us within that dichotomy, and therefore as one or other - revealing to us 'the Transcendent' which is beyond it. His position is subtly different from Tillich's but, I suspect, still doesn't quite make sense. If anything comes of his idea of the 'foundering' of ciphers or their 'dissolving' as objects as they become a matter of concern for Existenz, then I'll take that back. You will all, of course, be the first to know.

Disappointed about the recent 'success' of far right parties, including the BNP here. Listened to a good sermon on this by m'colleague as I officiated at Choral Evensong tonight. I also met the master of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers. This company apparently gives two scholarships per year to the College. Weird.

Following an exchange I had on Twitter today, let me register my admiration for the former bishop of Edinburgh, Richard Holloway. We are all agnostics. More of us should, like him, have the courage to admit the fact.