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☞ About Oak & Altar.

Welcome— 

The purpose behind this blog has changed with the passage of time.  Initially, it was intended as a blog to share short essays and other collated notes based upon uniting stoic philosophy with Christian principles; the posts which relate to this will remain up, and there will be more to come, as I have not shed my fondness of stoicism; but this has now changed in accordance with my writing capacity.

Ultimately, this blog is designed to host my essays on Christian, political, social, and economic discourses.  All of these opinions rest in fundamental tension with the others.  These can be summarised, in like order, briefly as follows:—

1.— Christianity.  A focus on the Scripture, with interest in scholasticism, the church fathers and the philosophical undertakings of St. Augustine. 

2.— Federalism.  A retention of the British Crown's dignity to preside over matters of national concern and issue-resolution as a neutral mediator, alongside a central parliament, with all meeting only when necessary.  Tendencies to centralise all power in a strictly parliamentary body should be opposed.  Otherwise, the establishment of regional parliaments which act in a "minarchist" fashion— i.e., maintaining contract law and issue-resolution whenever necessary.

3.— Society.  A preference towards conservative social values, particularly with regards to the family, a radical defence of property ownership, and the right to the full fruits of one's own labour.  The family recognised as the smallest yet most crucial societal nucleus, with the village being the second-most important development, and the town the third.  A defence of these things precipitates the understanding that dense interpersonal networks— with things such as clerical institutions and educational networks— are functional to retract from the government its assumed responsibility as carer and philanthropist.  

4.— Economy.  A defence of capitalist enterprise as traditionally understood, rather than state-maintained, global corporations.  An application of capitalist theory against usurious banking practices.  Decentralised economics, emphasising: mutual-banking institutions, local exchange systems, a complete reduction and readjustment of the tax system, small businesses, and self-employment as directives which support property ownership, the right to the full fruits of one's labour, and the family (as outlined above). 

I hope this is enough to provide a brief outline to the opinions I hold, and how they inform the content of discourses on topics.  I should stress that most of them are theoretical writings, and therefore liable to change and adaptation.  Many of the books from which I draw inspiration are available under the "Reading List" tab. 

+ God bless 

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