I recently argued that Rowan Williams's time at Canterbury has been dominated by his denigration of the liberal state. But I added, in passing, that there was another side to my view of this complex theologian: he has also deepened my understanding of the ritual basis of Christianity. I want to expand on this.
To put it bluntly, he has helped me to see that Christianity is not essentially a big idea that we must try to spread, by arguing for its truth, but a cultural tradition, centred on the church's ritual. In other words, he has helped me to see the intellectual strength of Anglo-Catholic tradition.
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