Just been listening to a podcast of Archbishop Rowan Williams being inteviewed about his recent study of Dostoevsky. Discussing one of the readings from The Brothers Karamazov in which the devil / atheist case is being made, Williams in a characteristic tone of affectionate dismissiveness describes such contemporary populist atheists as "second rate intellectual journalists". Nothing second rate about the range and depth of Rowan Williams own thinking, theology and spirituality.
As a deep dyed Baptist I'm one of Rowan Williams' critical admirers from the outisde. He is complex, and can sometimes propose and promote impractical solutions to problems of serious import in the world Church. He adopts ethical positions with which I differ, but never lightly and never without learning much - both about the arguments, and how to argue as a Christian. He can be theologically difficult because in his own theological reflection and his commitment to work within the great ecumenical Christian tradition, consistency isn't allowed to hinder legitimate and therefore necessary development of thought. In his list of the sins of the life of the mind, inconclusiveness isn't as dangerous as closed certainty.
Set me wondering about 20th and 21st Century Archbishops of Canterbury I rate along with Rowan Williams. Two really. William Temple whose social theology and grasp of both Gospel and society had considerable promise cut short by an early death; and Michael Ramsey whose oddity of character never seemed to obscure the sanctity and ecumenical persistence of one committed to the the world Church. Both these previous Archbishops have numerous entries in my stored quotations and references gleaned over years of reading and which used to be called commonplace books- and maybe each should get a post to remind us of their achievement, and remind us too why Rowan Williams is an important presence on our national stage.
As for Rowan Williams himself, I hope that despite the heavy criticism he has received, some of it more or less to the point, but even more of it unfair and uninformed, he is able to go on encouraging Christians to think and to care about God, the Church and the world. My sense of the man is that holiness in him is real to the point of tangibility. That by the way, may be why he is such an uncomfortably innocent yet shrewd pastor of souls, and why he gets into trouble for adopting provisional positions and being unembarrassed about uncertainty.
The self-confident certainties and rhetorical assuredness of the seasoned ecclesial politician would make for firmer leadership - but they aren't qualities that naturally grow out of holiness that while not otherworldly, has deep life-giving roots in the priorities of that other world. Personal holiness isn't a vote winner amongst the pragmatists and managers - but it carries a different kind of attractiveness and authority that doesn't depend on him always being right. He is a man who fully deserves the time it takes to pray for him - a complex man in a complex world, and one whose mind and heart are, I believe, important gifts to the whole Church.
Amongst the intellectual and spiritual interests of this Archbishop is a deep grasp of Russian theology; the tradition of the Holy Fool is a strong and subversive element of Russian spirituality, (think of Dostoevsky's The Idiot). There is sufficient evidence in the holiness and wisdom, the political unpredictability and otherwordly trustfulness of Rowan Williams to suggest he is not altogether unfamiliar with the cost and consequence of being a fool for Christ's sake.
I've just finished Shortt's biography, which is fair in its criticism and right in its sympathy and affirmation of Williams style of being Archbishop. Amongst its strengths I think, is Shortt's willingness to recognise and try to explain this hard to categorise combination of intellectual complexity, spiritual wisdom, theological polyphony, pastoral instinct and political uncertainty.
So he is a man who deserves our prayers, not least because he is a man defined by his own praying.
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