Rowan Williams

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Rowan Douglas Williams, FBA (born 14 June 1950) is the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, a theologian, poet and lecturer.

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The Most Reverend - Right Honourable - FBA - 14 June - 1950 - Anglican - Archbishop of Canterbury - Theologian - Poet - Lecturer

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Rowan Williams was born in Swansea, Wales, into a Welsh-speaking family. He was educated at Dynevor School, Swansea, at Christ's College, Cambridge, and at Christ Church and Wadham College, Oxford where he obtained his doctorate. He has taught theology at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, where he was Dean of Clare College.

Related Topics:
Swansea - Wales - Welsh - Christ's College, Cambridge - Christ Church - Wadham College - Doctorate - Theology - University of Oxford - University of Cambridge - Clare College

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In 1991 he was elected Bishop of Monmouth, and in 1999 he was made Archbishop of Wales. In 2002 he was announced as the successor to George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England and, therefore, leader of the Anglican Communion, even though technically he was not even a member of the Church of England, but the (non-established) Church in Wales. He was enthroned on 27 February 2003.

Related Topics:
1991 - Bishop of Monmouth - 1999 - Archbishop of Wales - 2002 - George Carey - Archbishop of Canterbury - Church of England - Anglican Communion - Church in Wales - Enthroned - 27 February - 2003

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Williams's selection as Archbishop prompted divergent reactions. Many commentators welcomed his evident intellectual gifts and regarded him as a figure who could make Christianity credible to the intelligent unbeliever. On the other hand some evangelical Anglicans were troubled by his opinions on the ordination of women as bishops and on homosexuality, and some also regarded as unorthodox his views on central doctrinal issues such as revelation, sin and salvation.

Related Topics:
Archbishop - Evangelical - Ordination of women - Homosexuality

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He courted controversy in August 2002 when he was inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards, a pseudo-ancient Welsh honorary order which involves "druidic" ceremonies but is not explicitly religious. In March 2004, in a speech at Downing Street and in an article published in The Guardian, he praised Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials, which was described by the Association of Christian Teachers as "shameless blasphemy" and by the Catholic Herald as "fit for the bonfire". Williams' view was that the proper Christian response to Pullman's novel was an intelligent critique that recognised the book's considerable literary merits, rather than a simple condemnation.

Related Topics:
Gorsedd of Bards - Druidic - Downing Street - The Guardian - Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials

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In March 2004 he criticised the ITV television series Footballers' Wives for representing what he saw as the immorality of much contemporary British life, claiming that it reflected "a world in which charity and fairness, generosity, a sense of perspective about yourself are all swept aside."

Related Topics:
2004 - ITV

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On 30 June 2004, together with the Archbishop of York, David Hope, and on behalf of all 114 Church of England bishops, he wrote to Tony Blair, expressing deep concern about UK government policy and criticising the coalition troops' conduct in Iraq. The letter cited the abuse of Iraqi detainees, which was described as having been "deeply damaging" - and stated that the government's apparent double standards "diminish the credibility of western governments". (BBC) (The Scotsman)

Related Topics:
30 June - 2004 - Archbishop of York - David Hope - Church of England - Tony Blair - UK government - Coalition - Iraq

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In September 2004 he admitted that his faith had been tested by the Beslan hostage crisis, in which over 300 people were killed in a terrorist attack on a school in southern Russia. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3627070.stm

Related Topics:
2004 - Beslan hostage crisis - Russia

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On 31 March 2005, he voiced disquiet in a Newsnight interview regarding the use of fear tactics and negativity about issues such as immigration and crime by the various party campaigning in the British elections. He attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the first Archbishop of Canterbury to attend a funeral of a Pope since the break under King Henry VIII. He also attended the installation of Pope Benedict XVI.

Related Topics:
31 March - 2005 - Newsnight - Pope John Paul II - Pope - King Henry VIII - Installation - Pope Benedict XVI

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(The Times Online) - The Times subsequently published a correction of this story.

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In December 2005, he will be inaugurated as the first Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University.

Related Topics:
December - 2005 - Chancellor - Canterbury Christ Church University

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Dr Williams's summer residence is in the Oxfordshire town of Charlbury, and when resident on Sundays, he worships at the local church.

Related Topics:
Oxfordshire - Charlbury

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