Dr John N Sutherland

For forty years now I have been actively reflecting on the Christian life I entered into from naïve atheism at Easter 1982. This is me continuing still to follow Jesus; a faith that is gifted, granted and given. And one which is new to me every morning.

My professional background is as a senior academic in the UK, and a visiting professor in Japan. Being a Computer Scientist brought me into interfaces with a wide range of other disciplines, research and practices across Europe, North America and Asia.

My poetry is inherent to my person. Writing prose is a long-earned skill which comes from being a teacher. Reflective thought is the core skill of any professor - it has always kept me on my toes! - as the English dictator Oliver Cromwell said, ‘Gentlemen, I beseech you, by the bowels of Christ, think it possible, you might be wrong.’ I encourage good-natured discussion of reality in our joint heaven-and-earth existence.

My Christian life has been varied and is, from some viewpoints, yet inconclusive. I am trinitarian, christocentric, consiliar, charismatic, and liturgical, with a view of the Church which is deeply biblical, historic and spiritual. This path has led through catholic, baptist, anglican, lutheran, evangelical, celtic, a pinch of orthodoxy, & kinda presbyterian.

My academic eye is attuned to historicism & linguistics, with easy knowledge of Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew amongst others. The canon of scripture is to me not as clearly bounded as by some, but it is deeply cored in the Gospels and Psalms as they illustrate and declare the life of Christ.

image: Gifu University, Japan.

image: traditional cormorant fishing on Nagara river in Gifu.

それ神はその獨子を賜ふほどに世を愛し給へり、すべて彼を信ずる者の亡びずして、永遠の生命を得んためなり。(John 3.16)

Stay up-to-date

By subscribing to my substack page you will get an email each time I post a poem or story, whether penned or spoken. That is all that will happen. I also post occasional reflections from the Gospels which are solely provided here as ‘notes'.

As a recent convert to Substack can I encourage you also to be part of this growing community of people who share and openly discuss, politely, interests of direct relevance today.

To find out more about the good guys that provide the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.