Rowan Williams

"A comprehensive introduction and guide to Christianity includes core truths, information, and insights for those new to the Christian faith or curious about it, presented in a combination of narrative chapters and question/answer chapters"--Provided by publisher.

"What does it mean to believe in God? Can God possibly be almighty in the midst of so much evil and disaster? How am I to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ's ministry and resurrection? To what purpose is the church called? And what does it really mean to follow Christ in today's broken world? Tying the answers to all these questions together and addressing perplexities such as the possibility of miracles and how to read the Bible, Williams demonstrates that each of the basic tenets of Christian faith flows from one fundamental belief that God is completely worthy of our trust."--Back cover.

Alex Payne would do anything to bring his wife back from the depths of her watery grave. But when a voodoo mambo offers her help, he soon realizes that turning back the tides of life comes not without its repercussions.

"In this original book Rowan Williams sketches out a new understanding of how human beings open themselves to transcendence. Drawing on the French Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain, the Welsh poet and painter David Jones, and the American novelist Mary Flannery O`Connor, Rowan Williams fulfils his ambition for Christianity to engage with contemporary culture, and that a man who holds highest office in the Church has the time and intellectual energy to write such original theology is encouraging for us all. 'Unabashedly erudite in tone, this book may appeal to scholars and readers interested in grappling with a debate that has probably been engaged as long as there have been artists and theologians.' Publishers Weekly 'Discusses important issues in a profound and original way.' Church of England Newspaper."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

The well-worn saying about being condemned to repeat the history we do not know applies to church history as much as to any other kind. But how are Christians supposed to discern what lessons from history need to be learned? In this small but thoughtful volume, respected theologian and churchman Rowan Williams opens up a theological approach to history, an approach that is both nonpartisan and relevant to the church's present needs. As he reflects on how we consider the past in general, Williams suggests that how we consider church history in particular remains important not so much for winning arguments as for clarifying who we are as time-bound human beings. Good history is a moral affair, he advises, because it opens up a point of reference that is distinct from us yet not wholly alien. The past can then enable us to think with more varied and resourceful analogies about our identity in the often confusing present.

"In his remarks upon being named Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams spoke of "the Christian creed and Christian vision (that) have in them a life and a richness that can embrace and transfigure all the complexities of human life." Confidence in that creed, he said, "saves us from being led by fashion." Lost Icons: Reflections on Cultural Bereavement explores Williams' concern that fashion dictates how we understand and respond to the world around us, rather than long-accepted behavioral and relational norms, or icons. Whereas fashion comes and goes, cultural icons arise from generations of conversation, and "represent some of the basic constraints on what human beings can reasonably do and say together if they are going to remain within a recognizably human conversation." Specifically Williams explores images of childhood, our awkwardness at speaking about community, our unwillingness to think seriously about remorse, and our devastating lack of vocabulary for the growth and nurture of the self through time. "All have in common the presupposition that we cannot choose just any course of action in respect of our human and non-human environment," he writes, "and still expect to 'make sense.'" In Lost Icons, he explores how cultural norms have been discarded and how society will suffer without a sense of "soul." "Those who are already familiar with the writings of Rowan Williams will know of his gift of taking the ordinary stuff of human experience and opening it up to show how it can carry us into the mystery of God incarnate. They will not be surprised to discover that in his new book he once again enlightens us." - The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold "How rare it is to find someone who, simultaneously, is thoughtfully and constructively involved both with the main teachings of Christian theology and also with contemporary culture, politics, education, and spirituality. This is a rich book" - David F. Ford, Theology Today "Rowan Williams is one of the deepest and most insightful theologians today. Here he reflects on crucial notions - childhood, charity, remorse, soul - that we depend upon but have allowed to atrophy." - L. Gregory Jones, Dean and Professor of Theology, Duke Divinity School Rowan Williams will be the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

"Archbishop Rowan Williams's study of Teresa of Avila exemplifies his own deep spiritual theology. Together with her contemporary and friend, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila stands at the highest point of Catholic spiritual writing in the troubled age of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. She is also one of the founding figures of modern Spanish literature. Teresa's vivid descriptions of her experiences in prayer have long made her an object of intense interest to psychologists of religion. This book makes use of recent historical research on Teresa and her society and provides a full introduction to all her major works. It shows Teresa as more than just a chronicler of paranormal states of consciousness. She emerges as a genuine theologian in her own right, with a powerful contribution to make to contemporary understanding of God."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

"In this comprehensive collection of his work Rowan Williams, one of the most significant theologians of his generation, tackles many of the most searching questions of theology and society at the end of the twentieth century. This is a book that bridges the gap between the academic, the spiritual and the political." "Overall, Williams presents a theological perspective acutely aware of the cultural and political crises of our time. He suggests that detachment from doctrinal tradition will not solve our problems and argues instead for an imaginative reworking of the doctrinal tradition, formed in an intense dialogue with modernity and postmodernity."--BOOK JACKET.