Theology

Read theologically, Plato's Symposium is an exercise in doxology: how Eros is to be praised. Pausanias observes that, since Eros is not one, a unitary praise will be inadequate. Proposing a focus on praxis, he classifies erotic praxes, and praises one, in a synthesis of contemporary convention, sophistic rationality, social responsibility and polytheistic fidelity. Against this Socrates praises erotic praxis as one of a plurality of desires mediating between mortals and an otherwise transcendent good. Desire which is specifically erotic involves a praxis of (pro)creation through attention to beauty. In this praxis mortals participate in immortality and the divine. Pausanias' praise is seriously offered. However, lacking a participatory element, it delivers an underwhelming doxology, making Eros at best an instrument of a sophistically constructed virtue ethic to which his polytheism is ambiguously connected. It is the philosophical theology of Socrates, which, praising Eros as a mediator enabling participation in the divine realm, and offering itself as an analogous form of mediation, is able to be consummated liturgically.

The objective of this short paper is to re-examine the early speakers’ reflections on method. I argue that each early speaker adopts an explicit methodological focus for his speech, which responds to his predecessors’ focuses. The early speakers thereby collectively and progressively generate a methodology for praising erōs. This connection and progression between the early speeches gives them a tighter relation to one another, and the dialogue a greater degree of unity, than might otherwise appear.

For Phaedrus, the method for praising erōs is to focus on what it causes (Section II); for Pausanias, on erōs as a praxis (Section III); for Eryximachus, the praise should be complete, reach the telos (Section IV); for Aristophanes, a praise should do justice to the power of erōs (Section V); for Agathon, to the intrinsic character of erōs.

I also make the observation, as a corollary (Section VII), that it is these five methodological focuses which then structure Socrates’ speech.

A survey of more than 4,700 executives conducted by The Boston Consulting Group and World Federation of Personnel Management Associations showed that executives consider talent management as the most important human resource challenge. Ways on how companies can address these issues are also presented.

On March 2000, the European Commission rejected Volvo’s application for competition clearance of the Scania acquisition on the ground that it would give the merged firms a virtual monopoly in Sweden and a clearly dominant position in the Nordic area. Such case leads to the following questions: Why is competition policy necessary? How do you measure market power? How to define the market?

This article considers the possibility of enriching the Temple tradition of Anglican social theology. The enrichment in question would involve an increased focus on the role of social enterprises, such as mutuals, co-operatives, community interest companies, micro-enterprises and enterprising charities; whereas the Temple tradition has previously followed William Temple himself in seeking to promote economic and social change primarily by influencing national government. The article asks to what extent this enrichment would find support in Temple’s thought, and what the implications of it would be for the Temple tradition. This is explored by developing a contrast between the Temple’s theology and that of John Milbank, a theologian of the Radical Orthodoxy movement. Their theologies of social enterprise are shown to have points of similarity, but also important differences, in terms of: the relation between theology and economic and social thought; the role of intermediate associations in society; and approaches to transforming markets. Milbank’s theology implies proactive, deep engagement by the church in supporting existing social enterprises and originating new ones, which Temple’s does not. The conclusion drawn is that an increased focus on social enterprise has some, but partial, support in Temple’s theology. For the Temple tradition an increased focus on social enterprise would imply: changing the focus for dialogue and action to the civic, regional and local, rather than national, level; developing new capabilities and resources, including theological resources which are richer and more specific than Temple’s middle axioms; and taking a more selective view of the role of the state.

A reflection on Remembrance. In 1940 Dick Howard turned the bombing of Coventry Cathedral into an opportunity for commitment 'to build a kinder, more Christ-like world'. The Community of the Cross of Nails became a movement of peace and reconciliation workers across the world. In the words of Miroslav Volf, memory can be 'the bridge between adversaries' (The End of Memory). The work of memory, although difficult, is a way in which judgement can 'run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream'.

Archbishop Justin Welby's commitment to 'compete Wonga out of existence' indicates that there are ways of challenging unjust lending through supporting alternatives as well as campaigning for regulation. This essay explores the short-term credit market from a business perspective and outlines a vision for a Christian social enterprise which would offer the financially vulnerable and marginalised a fair and affordable alternative to exploitative lenders.

This draft paper, delivered as a talk to a church audience in Hampshire, begins with reflection on the payday lending boom in the UK from 2011-2013, as a case where poor business practice harmed the common good. It then adapts the 2001 framework of Albino F. Barrera (in Modern Catholic Social Documents and Political Economy) to consider how Common Good approaches interact in general with contemporary business practices. It tentatively concludes that a business practice based on integral flourishing of multiple stakeholders interacts positively with a common good framework based on relationships and interdependence.

The consensus, that Plato's Symposium is only loosely unified, with the early speeches of little interest and the speech of Alcibiades an appendix, is to be rejected. Instead, the dialogue forms a complex, unified reflection on what it is for a human being to progress and on the kind of completion to be found in human life. -- The call to praise erōs unifies the first six speeches: in the context of contemporary attacks, erōs stands in need of defence. These speeches demonstrate the availability of defences, individually coherent, but mutually inconsistent, each expressing a view of the human condition. Each speech also reflects on methodology, progressively modifying encomiastic convention. Phaedrus commits to showing eros causes virtue, but a further principle is found necessary by each symposiast: specificity, completeness, understanding power, and praising characteristics directly, respectively. -- Socrates finds truth also necessary, but lacking in that apparently progressive sequence of defences. He follows the others' principles but in reverse order, turning things literally back to front. Socrates shows how erōs leads to acts which yield a reputation for virtue in the eyes of others, and so immortality. But he then says that such virtue is a false semblance, unless someone experiences a progressive development in her own life, forming a conception of absolute beauty. How such a person looks in the eyes of others is not said. -- Alcibiades' praise of Socrates is no less a defence, since Socrates was no less under attack. Alcibiades unwittingly answers the question how Socrates looked in the eyes of others. His method, images for the sake of truth, creates a partial defence of Socrates. Alcibiades competes with Plato's whole creation, revealed as a competing set of images for the sake of a different tmth, about Socrates and about erōs.