Why Study the Past?: The Quest for the Historical Church

Review
Religious Studies Review
“Typical of Williams’s work, the prose is lucid and often beautiful, and he demonstrates his knack for tackling issues which are quite complex, but in a manner which elucidates, clarifies, and leaves the reader with something new to ponder, all without dismantling or glossing over the very complexity he seeks to address.”
The Christian Century
“Others would turn such a topic into a bone-dry lecture, but Williams’s christological vision is thrilling.”
The Living Church
“A refreshing and clear case for the importance of church history in Christian life today.”
The well-worn saying about being condemned to repeat the history we do not know applies to church history as much as to any other area of history. But how can we discern what lessons we need to learn from the many centuries of church history? In this small but thoughtful volume, respected theologian and churchman Rowan Williams opens up a theological approach to history, an approach that is both nonpartisan and relevant to the church’s present needs. As he reflects on how we consider the past in general, Williams suggests that church history remains important not so much for winning arguments as for clarifying who we are as time-bound human beings. Williams particularly addresses North American readers in his new preface to this perennially timely invitation to remember who we are.