Minor Works
15 primary works
Book 1
There is a certain kind of person who gravitates towards technology, tinkers with computer programs, and may be fond of obscure technical jokes and equally obscure hobbies. But what they have is not just a way of looking at difficult technical subjects. It is an interesting way of looking at life as a whole. This book provides a slice of this "interesting way of looking at life as a whole," complete with a satire-filled dictionary which looks at life and culture and pointing out some of its ironies and incongruities. Candid and offbeat, this book offers an unforgettable read. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: C.J.S. (Jonathan) Hayward wears many hats: author, philosopher, theologian, artist, poet, wayfarer, philologist, inventor, web guru, teacher. He is an Eastern Orthodox Christian, has lived in the U.S., Malaysia, England, and France, and holds master's degrees bridging math and computers (UIUC), and philosophy and theology (Cambridge).
Book 2
There are many kinds of giftedness, and to be human is to be given a gift. The term "gifted" in psychology is narrow next to such variety, and does not refer at all to the most significant kinds of giftedness: those that are moral and spiritual. But the "giftedness" spoken of in psychology does exist, and it can be interesting.
The terrain of "profound giftedness" is a terrain that is almost unexplored even within gifted psychology. Search the ERIC database for academic articles matching "gifted", and like many, many other topics, the results are far, far too many to read: over 20,000. By contrast, search the same database for "profoundly gifted" and little beyond a dozen results will be found. The subject is obscure, to say the least. If another subject were so unexplored--say, computer laptops--then it would be fair to say that we know laptops need to be plugged in periodically and can effectively warm one's lap, but it there is fierce debate whether the keyboard exists originally to play a "Guitar Hero"-style game called "Typing Tutor" or sound musical notes--with none of the articles attaching any importance to clues that laptops could be used to connect with computer networks and ultimately communicate with others. "Profound giftedness" is an obscure experience, even to someone who's seen the literature.
Firestorm 2034 is a glimpse into a world people live in, and a life. It is meant to share an experience that is at once obscure and very human, providing a glimpse into experience, or rather different glimpses from different angles. It is not the only human kind of experience, but it is one such experience, and it is behind much of the communication in the book.
A quote:
Before I get further, I'd like to say a few words about what I drive.
I drive an Oldsmobile F-85 station wagon. What's the color? When people are being nice, they talk about a classic, subdued camouflage color. Sometimes the more candid remarks end up saying something like, "The Seventies called. They want their paint job back," although my station wagon is a 1964 model. All in all, I think I had the worst car of anyone I knew. Or at least that's what I used to think.
Then I changed my mind. Or maybe it would be better to say that I had my mind changed for me.
The terrain of "profound giftedness" is a terrain that is almost unexplored even within gifted psychology. Search the ERIC database for academic articles matching "gifted", and like many, many other topics, the results are far, far too many to read: over 20,000. By contrast, search the same database for "profoundly gifted" and little beyond a dozen results will be found. The subject is obscure, to say the least. If another subject were so unexplored--say, computer laptops--then it would be fair to say that we know laptops need to be plugged in periodically and can effectively warm one's lap, but it there is fierce debate whether the keyboard exists originally to play a "Guitar Hero"-style game called "Typing Tutor" or sound musical notes--with none of the articles attaching any importance to clues that laptops could be used to connect with computer networks and ultimately communicate with others. "Profound giftedness" is an obscure experience, even to someone who's seen the literature.
Firestorm 2034 is a glimpse into a world people live in, and a life. It is meant to share an experience that is at once obscure and very human, providing a glimpse into experience, or rather different glimpses from different angles. It is not the only human kind of experience, but it is one such experience, and it is behind much of the communication in the book.
A quote:
Before I get further, I'd like to say a few words about what I drive.
I drive an Oldsmobile F-85 station wagon. What's the color? When people are being nice, they talk about a classic, subdued camouflage color. Sometimes the more candid remarks end up saying something like, "The Seventies called. They want their paint job back," although my station wagon is a 1964 model. All in all, I think I had the worst car of anyone I knew. Or at least that's what I used to think.
Then I changed my mind. Or maybe it would be better to say that I had my mind changed for me.
Book 5
This is a cornucopia of creative work that sometimes stands on its head, sometimes has both feet planted on the ground, and may sometimes be caught doing both at the same time. The writing may often be experimental, narrating the flow of a dreamlike vision or describing the cultures in a fantasy world, but the experimental is still meant to me highly accessible. And it is serious art and seriously Christian.
Welcome to the world of A Cord of Seven Strands. Please take some time to explore, and do try to take something from each of the exhibits!
A quote:
"When it comes to games, never try to understand the Janra mind."
-Oeildubeau, Urvanovestilli philosopher and anthropologist
It is known that Janra sports usually last for at least half an hour, involve a ball, two or more teams, running and acrobatics, and animated discussion. Beyond that, neither the Urvanovestilli's logic nor the Yedidia's intuition are able to make head or tail of them. In general, the teams appear to have unequal numbers of players; the players often switch teams in the course of play; teams are created and dissolved; the nature of the activities makes sudden and radical changes; there is no visible winning or losing. There are occasionally times in the course of play when some intelligible goal appears to be being approached... but then, all players seem to be approaching it in a rather erratic manner (when asked why he didn't do thus and such simple thing and achieve the approached goal by an inexperienced anthropologist, one of the Janra said, "Technically, that would work, but that would be a very boring way to do it," and then bolted back into play: the extent to which game play is comprehensible heightens its incomprehensibility). Late in life, Oeildubeau hinted at having suspicions that, if the Janra believe that they are being watched, they will spontaneously stop whatever sport they are playing, and instead begin a series of activities expressly designed to give any observer a headache.
Welcome to the world of A Cord of Seven Strands. Please take some time to explore, and do try to take something from each of the exhibits!
A quote:
"When it comes to games, never try to understand the Janra mind."
-Oeildubeau, Urvanovestilli philosopher and anthropologist
It is known that Janra sports usually last for at least half an hour, involve a ball, two or more teams, running and acrobatics, and animated discussion. Beyond that, neither the Urvanovestilli's logic nor the Yedidia's intuition are able to make head or tail of them. In general, the teams appear to have unequal numbers of players; the players often switch teams in the course of play; teams are created and dissolved; the nature of the activities makes sudden and radical changes; there is no visible winning or losing. There are occasionally times in the course of play when some intelligible goal appears to be being approached... but then, all players seem to be approaching it in a rather erratic manner (when asked why he didn't do thus and such simple thing and achieve the approached goal by an inexperienced anthropologist, one of the Janra said, "Technically, that would work, but that would be a very boring way to do it," and then bolted back into play: the extent to which game play is comprehensible heightens its incomprehensibility). Late in life, Oeildubeau hinted at having suspicions that, if the Janra believe that they are being watched, they will spontaneously stop whatever sport they are playing, and instead begin a series of activities expressly designed to give any observer a headache.
Book 6
Book 7
This anthology is one volume from C.J.S. Hayward's collected works. It includes a not-quite-right historical parody, a story of the worlds to be seen in Orthodox icons, a lighter look at the kinds of jobs that are available to theologians, a present-day revisiting that looks at the most famous allegory in Plato's writing, a look at two momentous moments, two documents about Eastern Orthodox Christianity in aspects that can be harder for Western Christians to pick, one of which takes a look at a Calvinist lens, a look at how much more there is in life than money, and a collection of vignettes each of which is meant to provide a little taste of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Book 7
Book 7
Book 10
Book 11
Book 16
Book 17
Book 23
Book 24
Book 25
This is a look at men, women, and the life of the world we share.
A large part of the motivation from this piece stems from a paradox, or at least an oddity. When a feminist takes a position, she is quite often articulate, and can give clear and cogent arguments why feminism or something close to it is needed for the well-being of women (and perhaps men). By contrast, people who disagree with feminism on principle are rarely so articulate: while they may quote the Bible, they so rarely articulate their "why?" that often it is not only feminists who may have never heard why a traditional position has an inner logic and a beating heart that is not only coherent, but is meant for the benefit of women as well as men. (Few feminists, egalitarians, or complementarians have seen this position clearly explained.) In fact, those who disagree with feminism may not have heard any more articulate of an explanation than many feminists! This isn't just unfortunate for complementarians; egalitarians and feminists may not really benefit from such an arrangement either.
The pieces in this volume are connected, each in its own way, to an effort to articulate precisely what is almost never explained even by people who hold it on a deep level.
A quote:
Interlocutor
What would you say to, "A woman's place is in the House--and in the Senate!"?
Articulate Qualitarian
Well, if we're talking about disrespectful, misogysnistic... Wait a minute... Let me respond to the intention behind your question.
Do you know the Bible story about the Woman at the Well?
Interlocutor
Yes! It's one of my favorite stories.
Articulate Qualitarian
Do you know its cultural context?
A large part of the motivation from this piece stems from a paradox, or at least an oddity. When a feminist takes a position, she is quite often articulate, and can give clear and cogent arguments why feminism or something close to it is needed for the well-being of women (and perhaps men). By contrast, people who disagree with feminism on principle are rarely so articulate: while they may quote the Bible, they so rarely articulate their "why?" that often it is not only feminists who may have never heard why a traditional position has an inner logic and a beating heart that is not only coherent, but is meant for the benefit of women as well as men. (Few feminists, egalitarians, or complementarians have seen this position clearly explained.) In fact, those who disagree with feminism may not have heard any more articulate of an explanation than many feminists! This isn't just unfortunate for complementarians; egalitarians and feminists may not really benefit from such an arrangement either.
The pieces in this volume are connected, each in its own way, to an effort to articulate precisely what is almost never explained even by people who hold it on a deep level.
A quote:
Interlocutor
What would you say to, "A woman's place is in the House--and in the Senate!"?
Articulate Qualitarian
Well, if we're talking about disrespectful, misogysnistic... Wait a minute... Let me respond to the intention behind your question.
Do you know the Bible story about the Woman at the Well?
Interlocutor
Yes! It's one of my favorite stories.
Articulate Qualitarian
Do you know its cultural context?
Book 25
