"Dear Cleinias, the class of men is small . . . who, when assailed by wants and desires, are able to hold out and observe moderation, and when they might make a great deal of money are sober in their wishes, and prefer a moderate to a large gain. But the mass of mankind are the very opposite: their desires are unbounded, and when they might gain in moderation they prefer gains without limit; wherefore all that relates to retail trade, and merchandise, and the keeping of taverns, is denounced and … [Read more...] about The Inherent Virtues of Commerce
Dorothy Sayers
You Are a Creator
Imagine you were going to describe God to someone. What is the first thing you would say about God?Compare your answer to this: what is the first thing the Bible tells us about God? God is a Creator. Dorothy Sayers' The Mind of the Maker is an extended reflection on this idea. Like many a Great Book it roams all over the place, but for a moment, think about her central thesis. If we want to understand the Trinitarian God, we can begin by thinking about the creative … [Read more...] about You Are a Creator
The Quest for Answers
During graduation weekend, I gave a talk encouraging the students to never cease asking the important questions in life. Questions like: Does your life have a purpose? What is a Good life? A student stopped by the next day to talk about it. She was worried. How could she possibly ever find a definitive answer to hard questions like that? My student’s question is an interesting one, but not for the reason she imagined. In the final chapter of Dorothy … [Read more...] about The Quest for Answers
Is This My Autobiography?
From Dorothy Sayers’ The Mind of the Maker: “But the writing of autobiography is a dangerous business; it is a mark either of great insensitiveness to danger or of an almost supernatural courage. Nobody but a god can pass unscathed through the searching ordeal of incarnation.” Sayers is using that observation as the conclusion of a chapter discussing the writing of autobiography, a particular form of art which has obvious relevance to a rather noteworthy Creative Act of … [Read more...] about Is This My Autobiography?