Blog
Sermon for the Feast of St Thomas Aquinas
29 January 2017 1. Yesterday was the feast of St Thomas Aquinas, a happy day for the Church — or for me at least. I developed something of an unlikely interest in St Thomas’ major work, the Summa Theologiae, when I was about 24. It was intended as an introductory work for thirteenth century university…
Read MoreRowan Williams: Tokens of Trust, Pt. 1
In this introductory theology, published in 2007, Williams discusses the major articles of the Apostles’ Creed. The Latin Creed was the ancient symbolon of the West–the sign, or signet ring, or token of Church membership. This Creed, recited at every baptism, is the pattern of our trust in God. I believe in God the Father Why trust…
Read MoreThe Needling of Love: Hadewijch
Aelred of Rievaulx: God is Friendship
“Here we are, you and I, and I hope a third, Christ, is in our midst.” “Come now, beloved, open your heart, and pour into these friendly ears whatsoever you will, and let us accept gracefully the gift of this place, time, and leisure.” So begins the work On Spiritual Friendship by Aelred, Abbott of…
Read MoreRowan Williams, Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life (2016)
Rowan Williams teaches us that discipleship is about stillness. It is a contemplative stance towards to the world — “an openness to the real roots of transforming action” (17). This is a happy vision at a time when Christianity is marketed as some kind of verbalistic ideology [1]. We are not ideologues, but wayfarers on a…
Read More