Rowan Williams is a complex, creative and versatilethinker. Not only a theologian and church leader, he is also a poet, atranslator, a literary critic, a social theorist and historian. His imaginativevision brings together the streams of modern literature, patristic theology,Russian orthodoxy, German philosophy and Welsh piety. In this lucid and elegantguide, Benjamin Myers explores Williams' thought from the 1960s to the present.He shows that Williams has developed an immensely resourceful - anddistinctively Christian - response to some of the major social, moral andintellectual challenges of our time.
Christ the Stranger
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About the Author
Benjamin Myers is lecturer in systematic theology at Charles Sturt University's School of Theology in Sydney. He is author of many essays in theology and literature and writes at the popular blog, Faith and Theology.
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Benjamin Myers is Lecturer in Systematic Theology at Charles Sturt University in Sydney, Australia. He writes about contemporary theology, Protestant intellectual history, and literature.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ben Myers renders clear the obscure. Rowan Williams is a complex and, for many, a confusing modern theologian. Add to that the fact that he has for the last decade or so been embroiled in controversy over contentious issues in the Anglican communion. Myers offers a deep and sympathetic, but also critical, reading of Williams' theology.
Myers lays bare the intellectual and spiritual roots of Williams' theology. Specifically, he shows the way in which William's thought has been shaped by sustained engagements with Wittgenstein, MacKinnon, Augustine, Russian Orthodox theology, Freud, Gillian Rose's Hegelianism, and various forms of ascetic practice. This provides an interpretive framework for understanding Williams' sometimes difficult writings, and illuminates the theological background to some of his more controversial decisions (e.g., his positions on Sharia law and homosexuality, respectively).
The book is not heavy-handed or polemical. Myers often lets Williams' positions speak for themselves. This charitable approach makes this an ideal book for readers sympathetic or critical to Williams. If one is already positively disposed towards Williams, this book will be eminently helpful in showing the way his thought has been formed over the decades. The reader with sharp disagreements will discover where the disagreement truly originates.
While Myers seems sympathetic towards much of Williams' thought, this does not turn the book into iconography. Myers demonstrates a patient and loving listening to the thought of Williams. While the book is not without celebrations and criticisms, for the most part the reader is left to make up her own mind with regard to the legitimacy and import of Williams' thought.
The charitable approach taken in the book is combined with a lovely writing style that is colourful and concise. The book makes a compelling case in the space of 132 pages, and does so as a real "page-turner". This is a rare feat, especially for a theological book. As such it is a wonderful example of theological writing.
Myers lays bare the intellectual and spiritual roots of Williams' theology. Specifically, he shows the way in which William's thought has been shaped by sustained engagements with Wittgenstein, MacKinnon, Augustine, Russian Orthodox theology, Freud, Gillian Rose's Hegelianism, and various forms of ascetic practice. This provides an interpretive framework for understanding Williams' sometimes difficult writings, and illuminates the theological background to some of his more controversial decisions (e.g., his positions on Sharia law and homosexuality, respectively).
The book is not heavy-handed or polemical. Myers often lets Williams' positions speak for themselves. This charitable approach makes this an ideal book for readers sympathetic or critical to Williams. If one is already positively disposed towards Williams, this book will be eminently helpful in showing the way his thought has been formed over the decades. The reader with sharp disagreements will discover where the disagreement truly originates.
While Myers seems sympathetic towards much of Williams' thought, this does not turn the book into iconography. Myers demonstrates a patient and loving listening to the thought of Williams. While the book is not without celebrations and criticisms, for the most part the reader is left to make up her own mind with regard to the legitimacy and import of Williams' thought.
The charitable approach taken in the book is combined with a lovely writing style that is colourful and concise. The book makes a compelling case in the space of 132 pages, and does so as a real "page-turner". This is a rare feat, especially for a theological book. As such it is a wonderful example of theological writing.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Bruce Hamill
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Christ the Stranger is beautifully written, hard to put down and fulfils its promise of critical engagement in a way which makes Rowan Williams more rather than less interesting. highly recommended
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book will challenge your faith (in a good way) forcing you to seriously evaluate you approach to your relationship with God.
