Ferns, Fractals and Faith : Scaling Patterns in the Episcopal Church

Ferns, Fractals and Faith : Scaling Patterns in the Episcopal Church

In this episode, Bishop Michael Hunn explores the concept of fractals and their relevance to the Episcopal Church. Fractals illustrate how patterns exist at every scale in reality—from small to vast, like a shell spiral compared to a galaxy. This idea translates to organizational theory in the Church, where patterns of behavior and belief, like individualism, are present at every level. We discuss how individualism manifests within the Church, detailing its influence from individual parishioners to entire dioceses. The episode challenges viewers to reconsider the Church's value systems at all scales to foster new relational qualities and offers a preview of the next episode's exploration of alternative models inspired by nature.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:04 Understanding Fractals

01:01 Fractals in Organizational Theory

02:19 The Pattern of Individualism

04:03 Individualism at Different Church Levels

06:43 Reimagining Church Values

06:58 Conclusion and Next Steps