Who is Jim Nelson?
Jim has been playing the guitar since grade school and writing music since high school. He is also a published poet and even tries his hand at the visual arts.
Jim is also trained in the philosophy of religion, religious history, and ethics. He was an ordained Presbyterian minister for over twenty years, after which he was released from his ordination vows and converted to the Eastern Orthodox church. He spent the next five years as a commodity futures speculator. That work eventually led him to the field of business development and asset management and protection, where he now focuses most of his attention.
He is married to Brenda who had a successful career in child care. They have an adult son and reside in "Siouxland" (the tri-state area around Sioux City).
Success in the field of speculating and trading in futures is
less about financial savvy and more about understanding social
dynamics. It's less about the money and more about the attitudes of
people who make up society. In this sense, Jim's interest in
philosophy, history, and ethics is closely related to his success as a
futures speculator. Both are rooted in an interest in social
interaction and people as a group.
These are the same interests that shape his music and essays. Being trained in the field of social interaction, he has insights into life. As a poet and artist he is able to translate these insights into words and music.
If you disagree with what he has to say, you might be interested in knowing that he was also an avid debater in High School and loves to discuss his insights and perspectives with others, both those who agree and those who disagree. So drop him a line and start a discussion.
If you want to get the feel for what Jim thinks through his writing, the following essays will give you an idea of what makes him tick.
A serialized version of Jim's memoirs from his three years as pastor in Alaska. These were written in the late 80s and early 90s. He finally decided that the JAJ site would be a pretty good home for them.
Okay, I admit it. I'm an elitist. At least us folks in modern America opposed to populism are accused of elitism. Decide for yourself.
As if it's not bad enough to be an elitist, I'm a Libertarian. This is probably the clearest statement of my position.
A coservative's positive re-evaluation of this important American reformer.
Two movie reviews.
The first, Ghost World, is one of those comic books put on the silver screen, and is a sweet story to boot.
The second, Assassination Tango, is a quirky Robert Duvall movie that is a great character study.
I recently reviewed another movie in the essay Lost in Transfiguration. Once again I find the main character, Bill Murray, to be an illustration of sainthood.
A lament on the state of the Protestant Church at the turn of the millenium.
My perspective on what it means to be Christian.
I have a relative who is a member of what most Evangelicals define as a cult. What surprised me was how Evangelical she sounded. This multi-page and multi-faceted exploration of Evangelicalism and The Way was written before I became Orthodox. It raises several issues that ultimately led me to convert.
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