Rowan Williams on Liberal Theology
October 23, 2009
What characterizes theological liberalism is its habit of cultural sensitivity and intellectual flexibility that does not seek to close down unexpected questions too quickly.
– Rowan Williams, ‘The Challenge and Hope of Being an Anglican Today’ (2006)
A hallmark of evangelicalism’s self-identity is its separation from theological liberalism. However, when the distinction is leaned on, it can sometimes be hard to see exactly what this distinction consists in, and what is virtuous about the evangelical position. Without, of course, wanting to detract from evangelicalism, I found this quote from the current Archbishop of Canterbury to be quite thought-provoking. Meeting unexpected questions with patience and care sounds like something pretty good, and isn’t incompatible with creedal fidelity.
Rowan Williams on Religious Language
July 29, 2009
I had a conversation yesterday with a friend who is researching the nature of religious language – questions like whether it should be taken seriously as trying to communicate truth in the same way science is, or whether it is closer to expressing emotions that need not be referring to any object. I came across this YouTube video of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Cantebury, presenting his thoughts on the matter. He describes religious language, like the classic Christian creeds, as being like footprints left by a large animal. From it you are able to tell a great deal about the animal, but it is in no way exhaustive.
Do you agree?
