The ability to build a decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, allows a community of believers to leverage time-tested techniques to organize people, invest resources, and create value within Christ’s Kingdom. As we see old institutions and systems of the world failing and the trust that girds them eroding, we should work with whatever tools and technologies we can muster to fill the ensuing void with new systems that glorify Him.What is a DAO?DAOs have been touted as the “next big thi...

The ability to build a decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, allows a community of believers to leverage time-tested techniques to organize people, invest resources, and create value within Christ’s Kingdom. As we see old institutions and systems of the world failing and the trust that girds them eroding, we should work with whatever tools and technologies we can muster to fill the ensuing void with new systems that glorify Him.What is a DAO?DAOs have been touted as the “next big thi...

February 2001, in the bleak market midwinter following the dotcom bubble burst, 17 representatives from across the tech industry met together on a mountaintop in Utah to solve a problem. These were not managerial professionals, CPAs, and MBAs looking to climb back to their previous inflated valuations. That group was busy picking up the pieces of a popped balloon, and likely looking for jobs in a more reliable sector– aerospace or energy seems like a good bet right about now… These were not e...

February 2001, in the bleak market midwinter following the dotcom bubble burst, 17 representatives from across the tech industry met together on a mountaintop in Utah to solve a problem. These were not managerial professionals, CPAs, and MBAs looking to climb back to their previous inflated valuations. That group was busy picking up the pieces of a popped balloon, and likely looking for jobs in a more reliable sector– aerospace or energy seems like a good bet right about now… These were not e...

The age of the Israelite Judges occurred during an era of great societal upheaval across the Middle East. It was an era in which once mighty, hegemonic Bronze Age superpowers faced restless peer competitors mutually encroaching on each others’ borders, as well as upstart rivals who rode the wave of asymmetric technological development which ushered in the Iron Age. If this sounds like a distant mirror of today's transition from Industrial Age to Digital Age, rising peer competition, and ...

The age of the Israelite Judges occurred during an era of great societal upheaval across the Middle East. It was an era in which once mighty, hegemonic Bronze Age superpowers faced restless peer competitors mutually encroaching on each others’ borders, as well as upstart rivals who rode the wave of asymmetric technological development which ushered in the Iron Age. If this sounds like a distant mirror of today's transition from Industrial Age to Digital Age, rising peer competition, and ...

Paul spends two decades traveling through Asia Minor, the Balkans, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean on the missionary journeys which built the earliest communities of the Christian Church. These communities outlived the repression and oppression, wars and persecution, and rise and falls of empires to become the global Church today. We have used this study to observe how Paul aligned his natural talents, his reputation, his position in society, and his networks to accomplish this task. He...

Paul spends two decades traveling through Asia Minor, the Balkans, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean on the missionary journeys which built the earliest communities of the Christian Church. These communities outlived the repression and oppression, wars and persecution, and rise and falls of empires to become the global Church today. We have used this study to observe how Paul aligned his natural talents, his reputation, his position in society, and his networks to accomplish this task. He...

In the sixth century before Christ, the twin Kingdoms of Israel and Judah had fallen to successive empires of the ancient Near East, and the best and brightest of the Hebrew nation were deported to Babylon to serve their new earthly masters as court advisors. These exiles arguably had it pretty well-off compared to other conquered peoples (depending how broadly you take the word ‘eunuch’ in Biblical translations). Their captivity was not one of whips and chains, but of secluded luxury and for...

In the sixth century before Christ, the twin Kingdoms of Israel and Judah had fallen to successive empires of the ancient Near East, and the best and brightest of the Hebrew nation were deported to Babylon to serve their new earthly masters as court advisors. These exiles arguably had it pretty well-off compared to other conquered peoples (depending how broadly you take the word ‘eunuch’ in Biblical translations). Their captivity was not one of whips and chains, but of secluded luxury and for...

Following the Gospels in the New Testament, the Book of Acts gives us the narrative history of the early church up through the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero, followed by a series of letters between believers which allows us to “double click and zoom in” on various parts of that history. Dominating both that narrative and the quantity of letters authored is the Apostle known as Paul (in Greek) or Saul (in Hebrew). It would appear this man was serendipitously born, well educated, and ready to...

Following the Gospels in the New Testament, the Book of Acts gives us the narrative history of the early church up through the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero, followed by a series of letters between believers which allows us to “double click and zoom in” on various parts of that history. Dominating both that narrative and the quantity of letters authored is the Apostle known as Paul (in Greek) or Saul (in Hebrew). It would appear this man was serendipitously born, well educated, and ready to...

It is AD 1356, and the kaleidoscope of history has not been kind to Europe over the last millennium. The western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, leading to a massive reduction in the cross-continental trade it facilitated as Northmen raiders and Mediterranean pirates overran trade routes, and engineer-less roads began to wear and fall into disrepair. Centuries of warring between the petty kingdoms which succeeded Rome in the West culminated with the ultimate victory of the fearsome Franki...

It is AD 1356, and the kaleidoscope of history has not been kind to Europe over the last millennium. The western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, leading to a massive reduction in the cross-continental trade it facilitated as Northmen raiders and Mediterranean pirates overran trade routes, and engineer-less roads began to wear and fall into disrepair. Centuries of warring between the petty kingdoms which succeeded Rome in the West culminated with the ultimate victory of the fearsome Franki...

*Please note- the Patriarch Joseph is not actually the Patron Saint of Middle and Upper Management, but that would be funny if he was… The concluding chapters of Genesis detail the life and trials of the Patriarch Joseph. As the eleventh son of Jacob (also called Israel), he is born to Jacob’s young wife Rachel and quickly rises to the position of his father’s favorite. This favoritism culminated with the well-known gift of a fancy coat, which stoked his brother’s jealousy into murderous rage...

*Please note- the Patriarch Joseph is not actually the Patron Saint of Middle and Upper Management, but that would be funny if he was… The concluding chapters of Genesis detail the life and trials of the Patriarch Joseph. As the eleventh son of Jacob (also called Israel), he is born to Jacob’s young wife Rachel and quickly rises to the position of his father’s favorite. This favoritism culminated with the well-known gift of a fancy coat, which stoked his brother’s jealousy into murderous rage...

And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying… …“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5: 2, 6-9Codified violence in the time of ChristRome operated many corrupted systems as it transitioned from a republic to an empire just before the birth of Christ. The...

And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying… …“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5: 2, 6-9Codified violence in the time of ChristRome operated many corrupted systems as it transitioned from a republic to an empire just before the birth of Christ. The...

After his conversion and period of introduction into the fledgling Christian community, Paul embarks on a series of journeys through the cultural heartland of the Classical World to share the Gospel of Christ. This effort led to the radical reshaping of European and Western Asian civilization. Today, we stand on the brink of a new frontier, and we also seek to build systems and institutions which glorify God. Communications are faster, new cultures have risen and fallen and risen again, and t...

After his conversion and period of introduction into the fledgling Christian community, Paul embarks on a series of journeys through the cultural heartland of the Classical World to share the Gospel of Christ. This effort led to the radical reshaping of European and Western Asian civilization. Today, we stand on the brink of a new frontier, and we also seek to build systems and institutions which glorify God. Communications are faster, new cultures have risen and fallen and risen again, and t...

And He opened His mouth and taught them saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:2-5)How was power concentrated in Jesus’ time?In Jesus’ time power was centralized and guarded jealously, often murderously, by those at the top. It emanated from the city of Rome across its empire and was held in trust by the government officials, tax...

And He opened His mouth and taught them saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:2-5)How was power concentrated in Jesus’ time?In Jesus’ time power was centralized and guarded jealously, often murderously, by those at the top. It emanated from the city of Rome across its empire and was held in trust by the government officials, tax...