By "heart" we do not mean the organ that pumps blood, but rather the inmost being and meaningfulness of a person, which is hidden yet influences a person's thinking, speaking, decisions and behaviour, sometimes in surprising ways. Sometimes another metaphor is used, root.
Heart of a person, society or culture is tied to what they take to be important - what is of ultimate importance and what is important because of that. This determines our beliefs, expectations, assumptions and attitudes on one hand and our values, commitments, aspirations and goal on the other. Religions, and to some extent ideology, express both together. We worship an Ultimate Divine: called God in most religions. Idolatry is when we treat something not Ultimate as Ultimate, non-Divine as Divine.
The main components of the heart seem to be:
These are the kinds of thing that most deeply affect how we respond to things that happen to us, and so how we behave in our lives. They affect which thoughts occur to us, which channels we let our thoughts go down, including which channels our thoughts ponder and wander. Occasionaly, our control of thughts and behaviour is conscious and deliberate, but often it is tacit, what some people call sub-conscious.
Some call these things our culture or cultural baggage, but that is such an ambiguous term, which includes experiences of hurt or joy, social relationships, etc. which are not what we call heart. They might influence the development of our heart, but they are not themselves part of it.
Notice, we do not treat the heart as static or unchanging. We sometimes talk about "change of heart." Hearts sometimes do and can change, more rapidly when major tragedy or trouble occurs, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, or more slowly as we ponder or learn, especially in our young years. But otherwise our hearts change slowly, much more slowly than do our behaviours and thinking.
Those who know of Dooyeweerd's philosophy will recognise that elements in the list above are qualified by the final two aspects, most by the pistic aspect, while attitudes are qualified by the ethical aspect.
That heart is so important implies several things. It is third of three steps in attitude and understanding. The first is when we treat people as 'goodies and baddies', usually us who are goodies, 'them' who are baddies, and we focus on what is wrong with 'them.' Jesus warned us not to focus on the speck in our neighbour's eye and ignore the large lump of wood in our own. The second is to recognise we have all sinned, we are all 'broken'. That is much better. It motivates mercy and humility in us. However it does not go far enough. It often is taken to mean that we are to be pitied and comforted, on the grounds that the brokenness is by no means our 'fault' but imposed on us either by nature, burture or society. Then either we endure fate or we wait for 'the system' to rescue us. However, if evil emerges from our heart, then we are responsible agents, not just victims. This is good, not bad, news, because it opens up the possibility of escape. We can repent, turn to God to save us (in the broadest sense), and God, who is active among us and delights to be so, does save. It is the role of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to change our hearts; we cannot do it ourselves.
An example of how mindset comes through may be found in the BBC interview Simon Jack (SJ) made with the National Officer of the GMB Union (GU) and the General Director of UK Steel (US). On Monday 17 February 2025 at 08:51, on BBC Radio 4, Today. I have transcribed the text of the interview manually as follows. UPPERCASE words indicate those that seem important to those who were speaking; for example Simon Jack's questions are responsive and in so being they indicate what he believes to be important, i.e. his mindset: he could have asked a different question or about different issues but chose this one.
[1.51.xx] # SJ: The UK steel industry seems to lurch from crisis to crisis. But it has a bright future, according to the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, who has said he will appeal to the US [Donald Trump] for an exemption to proposed US tariffs, and consult on how to spend the two-and-a-half billion pounds the Government promised the industry in its manifesto.
# The UK industry is a SHADOW of its former self, and produces less than a quarter of the amount it did in the 1970s. # Despite a worldwide boom in demand, thousands of JOBS have already gone at Port Talbot and thousands more are under threat in Scunthorpe. [are those FTE jobs or part time? and are they only steel or those which depend on steel?] # In a moment we can talk to Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel. But first, Charlotte Bronton-Charles is the National Officer for the GMB Union. And good morning to you Charlotte.
# SJ: Are you encouraged by what Jonathan Reynolds said over the weekend? # GU: We are, yes. I think that, em, that, coupled with the announcement from Heathrow in the middle of last week [of Heathrow Airport's intention to build a third runway and extend two terminals, for which much steel will be needed] and our involvement in the Steel Council, is all pointing towards a government that is actually gonna grasp the nettle by the horns [LOL] and do something protect the ??liggud/? for the steel industry. # SJ: You say, you talked about Heathrow. That's not going to happen for - what? There won't be a spade in the ground for five years. What Jonathan Reynolds announced was a consultation on a future strategy. # That still seems quite distant. # GU: I think that, em, the work on the strategy is well underway. We met with the Government very early this year to start those discussions around what IMMEDIATE support is needed for the steel industry. -- # But also sortof longer term, what economic decisions need to be made to try and support the GROWTH and PROSPERITY OF THE STEEL INDUSTRY. # So, em, while it's been announced this week, it's been working for this for months and months and months in the background. # SJ: Will this come soon enough to save JOBS in Scunthorpe? ?? some 2000 jobs up for grabs there. # Talks with CHINESE owners have been going on for months without success. What is the / Can you give us an update there? # GU: The Trades Unions meet with ====Juniero?? on a regular basis. # SJ: ====Juniero being the Chinese owner; let me just explain that; carry on. # GU: That bit==== to discuss the various options for site in Scunthorpe, em, and we're in touch with our colleagues in Government as well to make sure that there is some JOINED UP THINKING there. Em, I don't think the delay should be seen as anything other than all parties trying to get it right and to make the right decision. # But, again, when we've been discussing these issues in the past, one of the key cornerstones of the ====course of the Trades Unions is a, is a full industrial STRATEGY to back up the Steel Industry, which is exactly what we are trying to draft ====moment now. # SJ: Some are concerned that the plan to change the blast furnaces in Scunthorpe as is happening in Port Talbot from blast re-melt iron or into iron and steel, using scrap metal. We would LOSE OUR ABILITY TO create what's called virgin steel; this is steel made from scratch. Is that a concern for you? [Leading question, on what he believes important] # Which is much less (let's face it) energy intensive, but crucially less JOB intensive. [1.54.20] # GU: Yeah, it certainly is. And the Trades Unions have proposed a plan to ==== support blast furnace operations into the future. # But, again, the Government have commissioned a study by the Materials Processing Institute of the Middlesborough to look at the various technology options to MAINTAIN PRIMARY [i.e. energy intensive] STEEL OPERATION in the UK. # SJ: OK. Well, let's turn to Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel. And, Gareth, one of the perennial bugbears of the steel industry has been ENERGY PRICES. It is very energy intensive. We know that. # And that puts the UK at a MASSIVE DISADVANTAGE. # What, if anything, have you hears from the Government which will address that? [Notice how they are treating energy pricing as a problem to overcome rather than as a signal of what to do. Energy use should be discouraged not subsidised!] # US: Well you make, Simon, you make a very good point there. # Their==== steel strategy, for me, has to look at to the VERY LONG TERM. # To understand what are the STEEL REQUIREMENTS of the UK ECONOMY, not just today, but out to ten years and beyond. And then yknow, invest to be able to match that. # But what do we want to HAPPEN today? What we want to happen today, in the next few months, is for government to address the uncompetitive electricity prices. And the CARBON COSTS, that hit us really hard. # And so there are things the Government can do. We have put those proposals to the Government, in detail. # SJ: And what are these? Is this SUBSIDISING steel companies ENERGY PRICES? Is that basically the Government helping to pay the bill? # US: Err. It's more about putting business on the same footing as say the steel companies in France and Germany with their network costs. We pay so much more for network charges - that is for the grid connections etc. than our competitors there. # But it's also about ==== wholesale costs as well. # And so, it's just one part of the steel crisis that we need / sorry, steel strategy that we need to get us out of the crisis we're in at the moment, # where we only supply 32% of the UK market, and 68% is imports and==== to our country. And that has gone up from 59% only a couple of years ago.
[Nobody asked whether we need so much steel!]
# US: So the steel strategy comes at a time when we most need it. [1.57.25] # SJ: And, briefly, if you wouldn't mind, um, Jonathan Reynolds also said he is going to appeal against the tariffs, the universal tariffs, imposed on us by the US on imports of steel and aluminium on the basis that (a) we don't really export that much to the US and (b) the stuff that we do is quite ====expensive====sensitive.
[so why is it so important to rid that tariff?!]
# SJ: How confident are you that he can spare the UK from steel and aluminium tariffs? # US: Well, that argument there that you have just repeated to the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has set out is a very strong one. "President Trump, don't hit over the head your friends, with 25% tariffs, when actually it's not us you are trying to solve the problem with; It's others, who are paying the 25% tariff already." [He does not understand Trump! see below] So, ==== just hurts his friends does not solve the problem. # SJ: So, without reciprocal tariffs for example on other countries, the danger is that the countries that don't impose tariffs will see, for example, whatever capacity in the market from China land on their shores. Is that a concern then for you? # US: Yes, a massive concern. The direct impact of those Trump tariffs is looming large. But really, as you say, Simon, it's the flood and tsunami of steel that could come from all other countries, including China, hitting our shores, and therefore we need a robust trade policy, trade defence policy, here in the UK to stop that happening. # SJ: OK. Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel and before that Charlotte Bronton-Charles from the GMB, thank you both. [1.57.50]
[Does Trump consider the UK government an important friend? I do not think so. Look at how JDVance criticised us in the UK for persecuting Christians! Anti-leftism is what is important to Trump. And the British Royal Family. And Scotland. But not the UK government! ]
This page, URL= "http://abxn.org/nv/heart.html",
is part of the on-going work in developing a 'New View' in theology and practice that is appropriate to the days that are coming upon us. Comments, queries welcome by emailing
Compiled by Andrew Basden as part of his reflections from a Christian perspective. Copyright (c) Andrew Basden to latest date below, but you may use this material for almost any purpose, but subject to certain conditions.
Written on the Amiga with Protext in the style of classic HTML.
Created: 1 April 2021. Last updated: 24 May 2024 3 stages, cnn. 13 December 2025 warning re. unfinished; various links to ChristianThinking.space.