Archbishop Rowan Williams today announced his resignation as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He has served for ten years in the post, taking up the office when he was only 51 years old. Normally, it is anticipated that Bishops in England serve until the age of 70. So, although he will continue playing an active role in the church, as the 35th Master of Magdalene College, Williams’ resignation as Archbishop is, in my mind, a sad loss for the church.
He has filled the office with unsual grace, wisdom, and gentleness. He is by all accounts a deeply thoughtful man who found himself caught up in a time of almost overhwelming turmoil in the international life of the Anglican Church. He was required to attempt to balance impossible polarities and work towards union between apparently irreconcilable opposites.
Although he was frequently criticized and sometimes mocked for his faith, he always seemed to me to be a person of deep and profound faith.
His thinking was frequently more subtle than could be easily contained in a sound byte. This made it hard for some people to appreciate the depth of his spirituality. But I imagine he was not surprised to find that himself criticized for never giving easy answers.
As brilliant as his mind is, Rowan Williams understands profoundly the limited nature of human language and thought.
In his beautiful book, The Wound of KNowledge, Williams wrote,
God can never be contained in human concepts. Moses ascends into a cloud and darkness beyond the scope of intellect, where God offers himself directly to the vision, without the intervention of any form or idea. Here, then, the pilgrimage of the understanding is seen not (as for the Gnostic) in terms of acquisition but in terms of stripping away, the stripping of multiple and diffuse kinds of apprehension to the simplicity of a single-hearted vision.
This is a deep call to recognize that faith operates in a dimension that cannot be contained by human thought or human concept. It is a humble recognition that we human beings are limited in our capacities to contain the deep mysteries of life.
This awareness may not make for simple theological constructs, but it certainly creates room for a deep spirit that has the capacity to thrive in the complexities of a world in which differences of opinion and worldview are often intense.
It is hard to imagine the pressures and strains that bore down upon Rowan Williams as he struggled to work for the well-being of that noble enterprise that is called the worldwide Anglican Communion. He seems to have held profoundly the vision of a community with the capacity to look beyond cultural differences in the interest of a shared commitment to the transcendent value of love known in the person of Jesus Christ.
I pray that, as Rowan Williams moves into a new chapter in his ministry in the church, he may feel deeply that he has served nobly in the impossible situation he was given and that he may find peace and nurture in the new path he is taking.
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Andrew Sullivan today posted an intesting quote and a link to a powerful article about the Archbishop:
The Legacy Of Rowan Williams
The current archbishop of Canterbury just announced his resignation. I didn’t think much of him until reading this truly superb profile by Paul Elie in the Atlantic.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/03/the-velvet-reformation/7292/
More tributes here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9148610/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-resigns-tributes-to-Rowan-Williams.html.
Among the more heart-felt, this from the Labour party leader, Ed Miliband:
In the last three years I have grown to appreciate more and more the fine qualities of Archbishop Rowan – his kindness, his sharp intellect, his dedication to striving for harmony between peoples, especially within the Christian family, his courage and his friendship.
He had the mark of a true Christian, as opposed to a partisan Christianist: a deep discomfort with wielding power.
9 comments
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March 16, 2012 at 4:46 pm
John
Hi Christopher: I will try to come back to your blog to leave a more substantial comment over the weekend, but my initial response is: good news that Williams is stepping down! Please understand that I have nothing against the man personally, but as the de facto leader of the Anglican fold, I firmly believe Williams failed, both politically and morally. The only difficulty I foresee is that Williams may be replaced by someone even more conservative than Williams – and at the end of the day, he was more conservative in power than people tend to admit. It is time for the Church of England to leave the dark ages and to extend full equality to women within the church. I also believe there is no justifiable reason to deny gays or lesbians full equality within the church, including freedom to enjoy the blessing of marriage and freedom to hold any office in the church while actively engaged in a monogamous, committed, loving long-term relationship. These are basic considerations, and it is astounding that we are still hung up on them. If this splits the church, so be it. We must resolve these matters and move on, because the church has much more important modern and postmodern issues to grapple with, from inequality and environmental destruction, to issues associated with science and technology, We need a 21st century church, not an institution that preserves archaic and unjustifiable privilege.
March 16, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Tress
I totally disagree with John.
I do not claim any expertise on this matter , but for what it is worth—-
My understanding is that the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head , both spiritual and temporal of the Anglican communion..
The concerns raised in the church about what is de rigeur , is i suppose the temporal part . who does what and , whether such and such a belief is acceptable at this time.
This difficult path, it seems to me , has been trodden with grace and honesty by Rowan Williams.
His great shining example has been to expand the spiritual horizon to the extent of his great intellect and Celtic intuition.surely this is the greater
accomplishment.
I regret his leaving , and wish him well.
March 16, 2012 at 9:29 pm
John
A number of assessments of Dr. Williams – besides my own – are certainly possible. Here is one from today’s Guardian in the UK, by Giles Fraser: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/mar/16/rowan-williams-failed-bridge-chasm – please give it serious consideration. In the end, was Dr. Williams really a “great shining example”? I beg to differ.
March 17, 2012 at 9:51 am
jaqueline
John, we already knew you disliked Williams, it’s OK for others to see the light in him don’t you think? Being right is not the point here.
And…bridging chasm? What does that mean? Does bridging a chasm mean it gets bridged from only one side? How much less easy and more complicated is it to try and find the good in each side and try and find a way to bring them together. And what if neither side wants to get together…is that the mediator’s fault? Perhaps the beauty of Williams is that he was the blend …within himself. And like so many hybrids he is not good enough for the purists.
You see I hear disdain for Williams from the conservative intellectual Anglicans, and I think it is hilarious that here is a liberal guy sharing the same disdain…
Ahhh perhaps in disdain for Williams do the two sides find common ground…mission accomplished!
March 16, 2012 at 11:42 pm
jaqueline
Well, I reckon a man who can have a civil debate with Richard Dawkins and get Dawkins to admit to being an agnostic ( that’s right ) has got to have something going for him.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/science-vs-god-richard-dawkins-takes-on-archbishop-of-canterbury-7440051.html
March 17, 2012 at 12:43 am
Tress
I made it clear, that the opinion was my own , and I am saddened that you chose to mock my hyperbole.
To negative opinions whether published or not, I can only borrow an answer from one greater than all of us.
“So you say”
March 17, 2012 at 9:41 am
jaqueline
Tress, I am assuming you are replying to John’s post, not to mine?
March 17, 2012 at 10:36 am
Rob
I liked Archbishop Rowan Williams and wish him the best in his future undertakings. To my mind he at least tried to accomodate the vast diversity of the Anglican world of worship and its everchanging demands to hold on to its faith admid the secular world demands. It is a tough job with challenges just like a mini United Nations.
I’d have hoped he would have continued for another ten years as he had great knowledge but also adapted to the call of faith and its role in todays world,.
It is quite easy for secular newspapers to take a shot… that is their job.
Well done Rowan Williams..
March 17, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Tress
Dear Jacqueline ! of course it was john’s post . to which i replied !
I am sorry , i did not make that clear! but at 1,45 a.m just wanted to close out the the conversation with him.’
I did take the time to read your reference , and it was very apposite.
i always enjoy your comments.affectionately .Tress