The Lord Williams of Oystermouth
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Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the
Bishop of Monmouth The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth. The episcopal see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, whi ...
and
Archbishop of Wales The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The four historic Welsh dioceses had previously formed part of the Province of Canterbury, and so came unde ...
, Williams was the first Archbishop of Canterbury in modern times not to be appointed from within the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
. Williams's primacy was marked by speculation that the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
(in which the Archbishop of Canterbury is the leading figure) was on the verge of fragmentation over disagreements on contemporary issues such as
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
and the ordination of women. Williams worked to keep all sides talking to one another. Notable events during his time as Archbishop of Canterbury include the rejection by a majority of dioceses of his proposed Anglican Covenant and, in the final general synod of his tenure, his unsuccessful attempt to secure a sufficient majority for a measure to allow the appointment of women as bishops in the Church of England. Having spent much of his earlier career as an academic at the universities of
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and
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
successively, Williams speaks three languages and reads at least nine. After standing down as archbishop, Williams took up the position of chancellor of the
University of South Wales The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wa ...
in 2014 and served as
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of Magdalene College, Cambridge between 2013 and 2020. He also delivered the
Gifford Lectures The Gifford Lectures () are an annual series of lectures which were established in 1887 by the will of Adam Gifford, Lord Gifford. Their purpose is to "promote and diffuse the study of natural theology in the widest sense of the term – in o ...
at the
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in 2013.
Justin Welby Justin Portal Welby (born 6 January 1956) is a British bishop who is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He has served in that role since 2013. Welby was previously the vicar of Southam, Warwickshire, and then Bishop of Durham, serving for ...
succeeded Williams as the Archbishop of Canterbury on 9 November 2012, being enthroned in March 2013. On 26 December 2012, 10 Downing Street announced Williams's elevation to the peerage as a life peer, so that he could continue to speak in the
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. Following the creation of his title on 8 January and its gazetting on 11 January 2013, he was introduced to the temporal benches of the House of Lords as Baron Williams of Oystermouth on 15 January 2013, sitting as a crossbencher. He retired from the House on 31 August 2020 and from
Magdalene College Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mar ...
that Michaelmas, returning to Abergavenny, in his former diocese ( Monmouthshire).


Early life and ordination

Williams was born on 14 June 1950 in Swansea, Wales, into a Welsh-speaking family. He was the only child of Aneurin Williams and his wife Nancy Delphine (known as "Del") Williams (née Morris) –
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
s who became Anglicans in 1961. He was educated at the state sector
Dynevor School, Swansea Dynevor School was a secondary school in Swansea, Wales, at times co-educational and at others for boys only. It was closed in 2002. The school's premises have been re-developed and are now used by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (U ...
, before reading
theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
at Christ's College, Cambridge, whence he graduated with starred first-class honours. He then went to
Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy W ...
, where he studied under A. M. Allchin and graduated with a
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
degree in 1975 with a thesis entitled ''The Theology of Vladimir Nikolaievich Lossky: An Exposition and Critique''. Williams lectured and trained for ordination at the
College of the Resurrection The College of the Resurrection, popularly known as Mirfield, is an Anglo-Catholic theological college of the Church of England in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England. The college was founded in 1902 and describes itself as "A Theological Coll ...
in
Mirfield Mirfield () is a town and civil parish in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury. At the 2011 census it had a population of 19,563. Mirfield ...
,
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, for two years (1975–1977). In 1977, he returned to Cambridge to teach theology as a tutor (as well as chaplain and Director of Studies) at Westcott House; he was
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a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
in the chapel by
Eric Wall Eric St Quintin Wall (19 April 1915 – 11 April 2011) was the second Bishop of Huntingdon from 1972 to 1980 and from then on an Assistant Bishop within the Diocese of Gloucester. The son of a clergyman – Sydney Herbert Wall —, he was born ...
,
Bishop of Huntingdon The Bishop of Huntingdon is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Ely, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Huntingdon, the historic county town of Huntingdonshire, En ...
, at
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(2 October). While there, he was ordained a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
the Petertide following (2 July 1978), by Peter Walker, Bishop of Ely, at Ely Cathedral.


Private life

On 4 July 1981, Williams married Jane Paul, a writer and lecturer in theology. They have two children.


Career


Early academic career and pastoral ministry

Williams did not have a formal
curacy A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
until 1980, when he served at St George's,
Chesterton, Cambridge Chesterton is a suburb in the northeast corner of Cambridge, England, north of Cambridge station, on the north bank of the River Cam. History It is also the name of two electoral wards (West Chesterton and East Chesterton) in the city. The to ...
, until 1983, after having been appointed a university lecturer in
divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...
at Cambridge. In 1984 he became dean and chaplain of
Clare College Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...
and, in 1986 at the age of 36, he was appointed to the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford, a position which brought with it appointment to a residentiary
canonry A canon (from the Latin , itself derived from the Greek , , "relating to a rule", "regular") is a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, i ...
of Christ Church Cathedral. In 1989 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity (DD) and, in 1990, was elected a Fellow of the
British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...
(FBA).


Episcopal ministry

On 5 December 1991, Williams was elected
Bishop of Monmouth The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth. The episcopal see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, whi ...
in the
Church in Wales The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The p ...
: he was consecrated a bishop on 1 May 1992 at St Asaph Cathedral and enthroned at
Newport Cathedral Newport Cathedral (Welsh; ''Eglwys Gaderiol Casnewydd''), also known as St Gwynllyw's or St Woolos' Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth within the Church in Wales, and the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. Its official title is ...
on 14 May. He continued to serve as Bishop of Monmouth after he was elected to also be the
Archbishop of Wales The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The four historic Welsh dioceses had previously formed part of the Province of Canterbury, and so came unde ...
in December 1999, in which capacity he was enthroned again at Newport Cathedral on 26 February 2000. In 2002, he was announced as the successor to
George Carey George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton (born 13 November 1935) is a retired Anglican bishop who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, having previously been the Bishop of Bath and Wells. During his time as archbishop the C ...
as Archbishop of Canterbury — the senior bishop in the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
. The Archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity recognised as '' primus inter pares'' ("first among equals") but does not exercise authority in Anglican provinces outside the Church of England. As a bishop of the disestablished Church in Wales, Williams was the first Archbishop of Canterbury since the English Reformation to be appointed to this office from outside the Church of England. His election by the Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral was confirmed by nine bishops in the customary ceremony in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 2 December 2002, when he officially became Archbishop of Canterbury. He was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 27 February 2003 as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. The
translation Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
of Williams to Canterbury was widely canvassed. As a bishop he had demonstrated a wide range of interests in social and political matters and was widely regarded, by academics and others, as a figure who could make
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
credible to the intelligent unbeliever. As a patron of Affirming Catholicism, his appointment was a considerable departure from that of his predecessor and his views, such as those expressed in a widely published lecture on
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
were seized on by a number of
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
and conservative Anglicans. The debate had begun to divide the Anglican Communion, however, and Williams, in his new role as its leader was to have an important role. As Archbishop of Canterbury, Williams acted '' ex officio'' as visitor of King's College London, the
University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...
and Keble College, Oxford, governor of Charterhouse School, and, since 2005, as (inaugural) chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University. In addition to these ''ex officio'' roles, Cambridge University awarded him an honorary
doctorate in divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
in 2006; in April 2007,
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
and
Wycliffe College Wycliffe College () is an evangelical graduate school of theology at the University of Toronto. Founded in 1877 as an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition, Wycliffe College today attracts students from many Christian denominations from ...
, both associated with the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
, awarded him a joint Doctor of Divinity degree during his first visit to Canada since being enthroned and he also received honorary degrees and fellowships from various universities including
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, and
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. Williams speaks or reads eleven languages: English, Welsh, Spanish, French, German,
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, Biblical Hebrew,
Syriac Syriac may refer to: *Syriac language, an ancient dialect of Middle Aramaic *Sureth, one of the modern dialects of Syriac spoken in the Nineveh Plains region * Syriac alphabet ** Syriac (Unicode block) ** Syriac Supplement * Neo-Aramaic languages a ...
,
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, and both Ancient (koine) and
Modern Greek Modern Greek (, , or , ''Kiní Neoellinikí Glóssa''), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the ...
. He learnt Russian in order to be able to read the works of Dostoevsky in the original. He has since described his spoken
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as a "disaster area" and said that he is "a very clumsy reader and writer of Russian". Williams is also a poet and translator of poetry. His collection ''The Poems of Rowan Williams'', published by Perpetua Press, was longlisted for the
Wales Book of the Year The Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors. Established in 1992, the awards are currently ad ...
award in 2004. Beside his own poems, which have a strong spiritual and landscape flavour, the collection contains several fluent translations from
Welsh poets Welsh poetry refers to poetry of the Welsh people or nation. This includes poetry written in Welsh, poetry written in English by Welsh or Wales based poets, poetry written in Wales in other languages or poetry by Welsh poets around the world. ...
. He was criticised in the press for allegedly supporting a " pagan organisation", the Welsh
Gorsedd of Bards A gorsedd (, plural ''gorseddau'') is a community or meeting of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is spelled gorsedh in Cornish and goursez in Breton. When the term is used without qualification, it usually ...
, which promotes Welsh language and literature and uses
druidic A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Wh ...
ceremonial but is actually not religious in nature. In 2005, Prince Charles married
Camilla Parker Bowles Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...
, a divorcee, in a civil ceremony. Afterwards, Williams gave the couple a formal service of blessing. In fact, the arrangements for the wedding and service were strongly supported by the Archbishop "consistent with the Church of England guidelines concerning remarriage". The "strongly-worded" act of penitence by the couple, a confessional prayer written by
Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry ...
, Archbishop of Canterbury to King Henry VIII, was interpreted as a confession by the bride and groom of past sins, albeit without specific reference and going "some way towards acknowledging concerns" over their past misdemeanours. Williams officiated at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011. On 16 November 2011, Williams attended a Service of worship, special service at Westminster Abbey celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Authorized King James Version, King James Bible in the presence of Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip and Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, Patron of the King James Bible Trust. To mark the ending of his tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, Williams presented a BBC television documentary about Canterbury Cathedral, in which he reflected upon his time in office. Entitled ''Goodbye to Canterbury'', the programme was screened on 1 January 2013.


2010 General Synod address

On 9 February 2010, in an address to the General Synod of the Church of England, Williams warned that damaging infighting over Ordination of women, the ordination of women as bishops and Homosexuality and Roman Catholic priests, gay priests could lead to a permanent split in the Anglican Communion. He stressed that he did not "want nor relish" the prospect of division and called on the Church of England and Anglicans worldwide to step back from a "betrayal" of God's mission and to put the work of Christ before schism. But he conceded that, unless Anglicans could find a way to live with their differences over women as bishops and homosexual ordination, the church would change shape and become a multi-tier communion of different levels – a schism in all but name. Williams also said that "it may be that the Covenant (biblical), covenant creates a situation in which there are different levels of relationship between those claiming the name of Anglican. I don’t at all want or relish this, but suspect that, without a major change of heart all round, it may be an unavoidable aspect of limiting the damage we are already doing to ourselves." In such a structure, some churches would be given full membership of the Anglican Communion, while others had a lower-level form of membership, with no more than observer status on some issues. Williams also used his keynote address to issue a profound apology for the way that he had spoken about "exemplary and sacrificial" gay Anglican priests in the past. "There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them," he said. "I have been criticised for doing just this, and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression."


Subsequent academic career

On 17 January 2013, Williams was admitted as the 35th List of Masters of Magdalene College, Cambridge, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and served until September 2020. He was also made an honorary Professor (highest academic rank), Professor of Contemporary Christian Thought by the University of Cambridge in 2017. On 18 June 2013, the
University of South Wales The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wa ...
announced his appointment as its new chancellor, the ceremonial head of the university. In 2015, it was reported that Williams had written a play called ''Shakeshafte'', about a meeting between William Shakespeare and Edmund Campion, a Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest and martyr. Williams suspects that Religious views of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare was Catholic, though not a regular churchgoer. The play took to the stage in July 2016, and was received favourably.


Patronage

Williams is patron of the Canterbury Open Centre run by Catching Lives, a local charitable organization, charity supporting the destitute. He has also been patron of the Peace Mala, Peace Mala Youth Project For World Peace since 2002, one of his last engagements as Archbishop of Wales being to lead the charity's launch ceremony. In addition, he is president of WaveLength Charity, a UK-wide organisation which gives TVs and radios to isolated and vulnerable people; every Archbishop of Canterbury since the charity's inception in 1939 has actively participated in this role. Williams is also patron of the T. S. Eliot Society and delivered the society's annual lecture in November 2013. Williams was also patron of the Birmingham-based charity The Feast, from 2010 until his retirement as Archbishop of Canterbury. Williams has been a patron of the Cogwheel Trust, a local Cambridgeshire charity providing affordable counselling, since 2015 and is active in his support. On 1 May 2013 he became chair of the board of trustees of Christian Aid. Together with Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie, and Sir Daniel Day-Lewis, Williams is a patron of the Wilfred Owen Association, formed in 1989 to commemorate the life and work of the World War I poet Wilfred Owen. He is the visitor of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd, a dispersed Anglican religious community of male priests and lay brothers. He also acts as visitor to the New monasticism, new monastic Holywell Community in Abergavenny. He is also a patron of the Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius which promotes ecumenical relationships between the Anglican and Orthodox churches.


Theology

Williams, a scholar of the Church Fathers and a historian of Christian spirituality, wrote in 1983 that orthodoxy should be seen "as a tool rather than an end in itself..." It is not something which stands still. Thus "old styles come under increasing strain, new speech needs to be generated". He sees orthodoxy as a number of "dialogues": a constant dialogue with Christ, crucified and risen; but also that of the community of faith with the world – "a risky enterprise", as he writes. "We ought to be puzzled", he says, "when the world is not challenged by the gospel." It may mean that Christians have not understood the kinds of bondage to which the gospel is addressed. He has also written that "orthodoxy is inseparable from sacramental practice... The eucharist is the paradigm of that dialogue which is 'orthodoxy'". This stance may help to explain both his social radicalism and his view of the importance of the Church, and thus of the holding together of the Anglican communion over matters such as homosexuality: his belief in the idea of the Church is profound. John Shelby Spong once accused Williams of being a "neo-medievalist", preaching orthodoxy to the people in the pew but knowing in private that it is not true. In an interview with the magazine ''Third Way (magazine), Third Way'', Williams responded: Although generally considered an Anglo-Catholic, Williams has broad sympathies. One of his first publications, in the largely evangelical Grove Books series, has the title ''Eucharistic Sacrifice: The Roots of a Metaphor''.


Moral theology

Williams's contributions to Anglican views of homosexuality were perceived as quite liberal before he became the Archbishop of Canterbury. These views are evident in a paper written by Williams called "The Body's Grace", which he originally delivered as the 10th Michael Harding Memorial Address in 1989 to the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, and which is now part of a series of essays collected in the book ''Theology and Sexuality'' (ed. Eugene Rogers, Blackwells 2002). At the Lambeth Conference in July 1998, then Bishop Rowan Williams of Monmouth abstained and did not vote in favour of the conservative resolution on human sexuality. These actions, combined with his initial support for openly gay Canon Jeffrey John, gained him support among liberals and caused frustration for conservatives.


Social views

His interest in and involvement with social issues is longstanding. While chaplain of Clare College, Cambridge, Williams took part in anti-nuclear movement, anti-nuclear demonstrations at United States bases. In 1985, he was arrested for singing psalms as part of a protest organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament at Lakenheath, an American air base in Suffolk; his fine (penalty), fine was paid by his college. At this time he was a member of the left-wing politics, left-wing Anglo-Catholic Jubilee Group headed by Kenneth Leech and he collaborated with Leech in a number of publications including the anthology of essays to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oxford Movement entitled ''Essays Catholic and Radical'' in 1983. He was in New York at the time of September 2001 attacks, only yards from World Trade Center site, Ground Zero delivering a lecture; he subsequently wrote a short book, ''Writing in the Dust'', offering reflections on the event. In reference to Al Qaeda, he said that terrorists "can have serious moral goals" and that "Bombast about evil individuals doesn't help in understanding anything." He subsequently worked with Muslim leaders in England and on the third anniversary of 9/11 spoke, by invitation, at the Al-Azhar University Institute in Cairo on the subject of the Trinity. He stated that the followers of the will of God should not be led into ways of violence. He contributed to the debate prior to the 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 general election criticising assertions that immigration was a cause of crime. Williams has argued that the partial adoption of Islamic sharia law in the United Kingdom is "unavoidable" as a method of arbitration in such affairs as marriage, and should not be resisted. On 15 November 2008 Williams visited the Tividale Tirupathy Balaji Temple, Balaji Temple in Tividale, West Midlands, on a goodwill mission to represent the friendship between Christianity and Hinduism. On 6 May 2010 Williams met Indian Islamic leader, Mohammed Burhanuddin, at ''Huseini Mosque'' in Northolt, London, to discuss the need for interfaith co-operation; and planted a "tree of faith" in the mosque's grounds to signify the many commonalities between the two religions.


Economics

In 2002, Williams delivered the Richard Dimbleby lecture and chose to talk about the problematic nature of the nation-state but also of its successors. He cited the "market state" as offering an inadequate vision of the way a state should operate, partly because it was liable to short-term and narrowed concerns (thus rendering it incapable of dealing with, for instance, issues relating to the Environmental degradation, degradation of the natural environment) and partly because a public arena which had become value-free was liable to disappear amidst the multitude of competing private interests. (He noted the same moral vacuum in British society after this visit to China in 2006.) He is not uncritical of communitarianism, but his reservations about consumerism have been a constant theme. These views have often been expressed in quite strong terms; for example, he once commented that "Every transaction in the developed economies of the West can be interpreted as an act of aggression against the economic losers in the worldwide game." Williams has supported the Robin Hood tax, Robin Hood tax campaign since March 2010, re-affirming his support in a November 2011 article he published in the ''Financial Times''. He is also a vocal opponent of tax avoidance and a proponent of corporate social responsibility, arguing that "economic growth and prosperity are about serving the human good, not about serving private ends".


Iraq War and possible attack on Syria or Iran

Williams was to repeat his opposition to American action in October 2002 when he signed a petition against the Iraq War as being against United Nations (UN) ethics and Christian teaching, and "lowering the threshold of war unacceptably". Again on 30 June 2004, together with then-Archbishop of York, David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes, 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 Multi-National Force – Iraq, 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". In December 2006 he expressed doubts in an interview on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 about whether he had done enough to oppose the war. On 5 October 2007, Williams visited Iraqi refugees in Syria. In a BBC interview after his trip he described advocates of a United States attack on Syria or Iran as "criminal, ignorant and potentially murderous". He said, "When people talk about further destabilization of the region and you read some American political advisers speaking of action against Syria and Iran, I can only say that I regard that as criminal, ignorant and potentially murderous folly." A few days earlier, the former US ambassador to the UN John R. Bolton had called for bombing of Iran at a fringe meeting of the Conservative Party conference. In Williams's Humanitas Programme lecture at the University of Oxford in January 2014, he "characterized the impulse to intervene as a need to be seen to do something rather than nothing" and advocated for "a religiously motivated nonviolence which refuses to idolise human intervention in all circumstances."


Unity of the Anglican Communion

Williams became Archbishop of Canterbury at a particularly difficult time in the relations of the churches of the Anglican Communion. His predecessor, George Carey, had sought to keep the peace between the theologically conservative primates of the communion such as Peter Akinola of Nigeria and Drexel Gomez of the West Indies and liberals such as Frank Griswold, the then primate of the US Episcopal Church. In 2003, in an attempt to encourage dialogue, Williams appointed Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, as chairman of the Lambeth Commission on Communion, to examine the challenges to the unity of the Anglican Communion, stemming from the consecration of Gene Robinson as Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, Bishop of New Hampshire, and the blessing of same-sex unions in the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, Diocese of New Westminster. (Robinson was in a same-sex relationship.) The Windsor Report, as it was called, was published in October 2004. It recommended solidifying the connection between the churches of the communion by having each church ratify an "Anglican Covenant" that would commit them to consulting the wider communion when making major decisions. It also urged those who had contributed to disunity to express their regret. In November 2005, following a meeting of Anglicans of the "global south" in Cairo at which Williams had addressed them in conciliatory terms, 12 primates who had been present sent him a letter sharply criticising his leadership which said that "We are troubled by your reluctance to use your moral authority to challenge the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada." The letter acknowledged his eloquence but strongly criticised his reluctance to take sides in the communion's theological crisis and urged him to make explicit threats to those more liberal churches. Questions were later asked about the authority and provenance of the letter as two additional signatories' names had been added although they had left the meeting before it was produced. Subsequently, the Church of Nigeria appointed an American cleric to deal with relations between the United States and Nigerian churches outside the normal channels. Williams expressed his reservations about this to the General Synod of the Church of England. Williams later established a working party to examine what a "covenant" between the provinces of the Anglican Communion would mean in line with the Windsor Report.


Position on Freemasonry

In a leaked private letter, Williams said that he "had real misgivings about the compatibility of Freemasonry, Masonry and Christian profession" and that while he was Bishop of Monmouth he had prevented the appointment of Freemasons to senior positions within his diocese. The leaking of this letter in 2003 caused a controversy, which he sought to defuse by apologising for the distress caused and stating that he did not question "the good faith and generosity of individual Freemasons", not least as his father had been a Freemason. However, he also reiterated his concern about Christian ministers adopting "a private system of profession and initiation, involving the taking of oaths of loyalty."


Opinion about hijab and terrorism

Williams objected to a proposed French law banning the wearing of the hijab, a traditional Islamic headscarf for women, in French schools. He said that the hijab and any other religious symbols should not be outlawed. Williams also spoke up against the scapegoating of Muslims in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings on underground trains and a bus, which killed 52 and wounded about 700. Response to the 2005 London bombings, The initial blame was placed on Al-Qaeda, but Muslims at large were targeted for reprisals: four mosques in England were assaulted and Muslims were verbally insulted in streets and their cars and houses were vandalised. Williams strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and stated that they could not be justified. However, he added that "any person can commit a crime in the name of religion and it is not particularly Islam to be blamed. Some persons committed deeds in the name of Islam but the deeds contradict Islamic belief and philosophy completely."


Creationism

The response of Williams to a controversy about the teaching of creationism in privately sponsored academies was that it should not be taught in schools as an alternative to evolution. When asked if he was comfortable with the teaching of creationism, he said "I think creationism is, in a sense, a kind of category mistake, as if the Bible were a theory like other theories" and "My worry is creationism can end up reducing the doctrine of creation rather than enhancing it." Williams has maintained traditional support amongst Anglicans and their leaders for the teaching of Theistic evolution, evolution as fully compatible with Christianity. This support has dated at least back to Frederick Temple's tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury.


Interview with ''Emel'' magazine

In November 2007, Williams gave an interview for Emel (magazine), ''Emel'' magazine, a British Muslim magazine. Williams condemned the United States and certain Christian groups for their role in the Middle East, while his criticism of some trends within Islam went largely unreported. As reported by ''The Times'', he was greatly critical of the United States, the Iraq War, and Christian Zionism, Christian Zionists, yet made "only mild criticisms of the Islamic world". He claimed "the United States wields its power in a way that is worse than Britain during its imperial heyday". He compared Muslims in Britain to the Good Samaritans, praised Muslim salat ritual of five prayers a day, but said in Muslim nations, the "present political solutions aren't always very impressive".


Sharia law

Williams was the subject of a media and press furore in February 2008 following a lecture he gave to the Temple Foundation at the Royal Courts of JusticeCivil and Religious Law in England: a Religious Perspective. 7 February 2008 on the subject of "Islam and English Law". He raised the question of conflicting loyalties which communities might have, cultural, religious and civic. He also argued that theology has a place in debates about the very nature of law "however hard our culture may try to keep it out" and noted that there is, in a "dominant human rights philosophy", a reluctance to acknowledge the liberty of conscientious objection. He spoke of "supplementary jurisdictions" to that of the Civil law (common law), civil law. Noting the anxieties which the word sharia provoked in the West, he drew attention to the fact that there was a debate within Islam between what he called "primitivists" for whom, for instance, apostasy should still be punishable and those Muslims who argued that sharia was a developing system of Fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence and that such a view was no longer acceptable. He made comparisons with Orthodox Jewish practice (beth din) and with the recognition of the exercise of conscience of Christians. Williams's words were critically interpreted as proposing a parallel jurisdiction to the civil law for Muslims (Sharia) and were the subject of demands from elements of the press and media for his resignation. He also attracted criticism from elements of the Anglican Communion. In response, Williams stated in a BBC interview that "certain provision[s] of sharia are already recognised in our society and under our law; ... we already have in this country a number of situations in which the internal law of religious communities is recognised by the law of the land as justified conscientious objections in certain circumstances in providing certain kinds of social relations" and that "we have Orthodox Jewish courts operating in this country legally and in a regulated way because there are modes of dispute resolution and customary provisions which apply there in the light of Talmud." Williams also denied accusations of proposing a parallel Islamic legal system within Britain. Williams also said of sharia: "In some of the ways it has been Codification (law), codified and practised across the world, it has been appalling and applied to women in places like Saudi Arabia, it is grim." Williams's position received more support from the legal community, following a speech given on 4 July 2008 by Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, Nicholas Phillips, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. He supported the idea that sharia could be reasonably employed as a basis for "mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution". He went further to defend the position Williams had taken earlier in the year, explaining that "It was not very radical to advocate embracing sharia law in the context of family disputes, for example, and our system already goes a long way towards accommodating the archbishop's suggestion."; and that "It is possible in this country for those who are entering into a contractual agreement to agree that the agreement shall be governed by a law other than English law." However, some concerns have been raised over the question of how far "embracing" sharia law would be compliant with the UK's obligation under human rights law. In March 2014, the Law Society of England and Wales issued instructions on how to draft sharia-compliant wills for the network of sharia courts which has grown up in Islamic communities to deal with disputes between Muslim families, and so Williams's idea of sharia in the UK was, for a time, seen to bear fruit. The instructions were withdrawn in November 2014.


Comments on the British government

On 8 June 2011, Williams said that the British government was committing Britain to "radical, long-term policies for which no-one voted". Writing in the ''New Statesman'' magazine, Williams raised concerns about the coalition's health, education and welfare reforms. He said there was "indignation" due to a lack of "proper public argument". He also said that the "Big Society" idea was viewed with "widespread suspicion", noting also that "we are still waiting for a full and robust account of what the Left would do differently and what a Left-inspired version of Localism (politics), localism would look like". The article also said there was concern that the government would abandon its responsibility for tackling child poverty, illiteracy and poor access to the best schools. He also expressed concern about the "quiet resurgence of the seductive language of 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor" and the steady pressure to increase "what look like punitive responses to alleged abuses of the system". In response, David Cameron said that he "profoundly disagreed" with Williams's claim that the government was forcing through "radical policies for which no one voted". Cameron said that the government was acting in a "good and moral" fashion and defended the "Big Society" and the coalition's deficit reduction, welfare and education plans. "I am absolutely convinced that our policies are about actually giving people a greater responsibility and greater chances in their life, and I will defend those very vigorously", he said. "By all means let us have a robust debate but I can tell you, it will always be a two-sided debate." On 26 November 2013, at Clare College, Cambridge, Williams gave the annual T. S. Eliot Lecture, with the title ''Eliot's Christian Society and the Current Political Crisis''. In this, he recalled the poet's assertion that a competent agnostic would make a better prime minister than an incompetent Christian. "I don't know what he would make of our present prime minister", he said. "I have a suspicion that he might have approved of him. I don't find that a very comfortable thought."


Comments on antisemitism

In August 2017, Williams condemned antisemitism and backed a petition to remove the works of David Irving and other Holocaust denial books from the University of Manchester. In a letter to the university, Williams said "At a time when there is, nationally and internationally, a measurable rise in the expression of extremist views I believe this question needs urgent attention."


Climate and ecological crisis

In October 2018, he signed the call to action supporting Extinction Rebellion.


2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

In March 2022, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Williams urged senior leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the re-opening of diplomatic engagement. On 3 April, on BBC Radio 4's ''Sunday (radio programme), Sunday'' programme, Williams said there was a strong case for expelling the Russian Orthodox Church from the World Council of Churches, saying, "When a Church is actively supporting a war of aggression, failing to condemn nakedly obvious breaches of any kind of ethical conduct in wartime, then other Churches do have the right to raise the question… I am still waiting for any senior member of the Orthodox hierarchy to say that the slaughter of the innocent is condemned unequivocally by all forms of Christianity." On 12 April 2022 Williams called for an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine. He gave his remarks in Chernivtsi, at the "Faith in Ukraine" event, organised by the Elijah Interfaith Institute and the Peace Department.


LGBT rights

In April 2022, Williams and several other UK religious leaders signed an open letter to the then prime minister Boris Johnson, urging him to include a ban on conversion therapy targeting transgender people alongside planned legislation to ban conversion therapy targeting sexuality.


Ecumenism

Williams did his doctoral work on the mid-20th-century Russian Orthodox theologian Vladimir Lossky. He is currently patron of the Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius, an ecumenical forum for Orthodox and Western (primarily Anglican) Christians. He has expressed his continuing sympathies with Orthodoxy in lectures and writings since that time. Williams has written on the Spanish Catholic mystic Teresa of Ávila. On the death of Pope John Paul II, he accepted an invitation to attend his funeral, the first Archbishop of Canterbury to attend a funeral of a Pope since the break under Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII. He also attended the Papal Inauguration, inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI. During the Pope's Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom, state visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010, the two led a service together at Westminster Abbey. Williams said in April 2010 that the child Catholic Church sexual abuse cases, sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Ireland had been a "colossal trauma" for Ireland in particular. His remarks were condemned by the second most senior Catholic bishop in Ireland, the Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic), Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, who said that "Those working for renewal in the Catholic Church in Ireland did not need this comment on this Easter weekend and do not deserve it."


Honours and awards

* Life peerage (created 8 January 2013) * Royal Victorian Chain (2012) * Chaplain of the Venerable Order of St John, Order of St John (1999) * Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I (2004) * Order of Friendship of Russia (2010) * Sitara-e-Pakistan (2012) * Membership in the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, 2002 * Fellow of the
British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...
(FBA), 1990 * Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL), 2003 * Founding Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW), 2010 * Honorary doctorates:
University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...
, DD, 2003; University of Wales, DD, 2003; Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät, University of Bonn, Dr. theol. ''honoris causa'', 2004; University of Oxford, DCL, 2005; University of Cambridge, DD, 2006; Wycliffe College,
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
, DD, 2007; Trinity College, University of Toronto, DD, 2007; Durham University, DD, 2007; Rikkyo University, DD, 2009; St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, DD, 2010; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, DD, 2011; King's College London, DD, 2011; DUniv Canterbury Christ Church University, 2012; University of South Wales, DUniv, 2013; University of Warwick, LLD, 2016; Sewanee: The University of the South, DD, 2016; Uppsala University, Sweden, teol. dr ''honoris causa'' 2017; Yale University, 2018; The General Theological Seminary, New York, D.D. Feb. 11, 2019; Huron University College, London, Ontario, London Ontario, Doctor of Divinity, DD 18 March 2019. * Honorary Student of Christ Church, Oxford * Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford * Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge * Honorary Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge * Honorary Fellow of Glyndŵr University, Wrexham * Honorary Fellow of St Chad's College, Durham * Freedom of the City of Swansea, Wales: 31 July 2010. * Freedom of the City of Canterbury, Kent: 17 November 2012. * Freedom of the City, Freeman of the City of London, and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers. * In 2011, he was awarded the President's Medal (British Academy), President's Medal by the
British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...
.


Styles

* 1950–1975: ''Mr'' Rowan Williams * 1975–1977: ''PhD, Dr Rowan Williams * 1977–1986: ''The Rev'd Dr'' Rowan Williams * 1986–1991: ''The Rev'd Canon Prof'' Rowan Williams * 1991–1999: ''The Rt Rev'd Dr'' Rowan Williams * 1999–2003: ''The Most Rev'd Dr'' Rowan Williams * 2003–2012: ''The Most Rev'd and Right Honourable, Rt Hon Dr'' Rowan Williams * 2012–2017: ''The Rt Rev'd and Rt Hon'' The Lord Williams of Oystermouth * 2017–: ''The Rt Rev'd and Rt Hon Prof'' The Lord Williams of Oystermouth


Arms


Works

*
The Theology of Vladimir Nikolaievich Lossky: An Exposition and Critique
' (1975 DPhil thesis) * ''The Wound of Knowledge'' (Darton, Longman and Todd, 1979) * ''Resurrection: Interpreting the Easter Gospel'' (Darton, Longman and Todd, 1982) * ''Eucharistic Sacrifice: The Roots of a Metaphor'' (Grove Books, 1982) * ''Essays Catholic and Radical'' ed. with K. Leech (Bowerdean, 1983) * ''The Truce of God'' (London: Fount, 1983) * ''Peacemaking Theology'' (1984) * ''Open to Judgement: Sermons and Addresses'' (1984) * ''Politics and Theological Identity'' (with David Nicholls) (Jubilee, 1984) * ''Faith in the University'' (1989) * ''Christianity and the Ideal of Detachment'' (1989) * ''Teresa of Avila'' (1991) * ''Open to Judgement: Sermons and Addresses'' (Darton, Longman and Todd, 1994) * ''After Silent Centuries'' (1994) * "A Ray of Darkness" (1995) * ''On Christian Theology'' (2000) * ''Christ on Trial'' (2000) * ''Arius: Heresy and Tradition'' (2nd ed., SCM Press, 2001) * ''The Poems of Rowan Williams'' (2002) * ''Writing in the Dust: Reflections on 11 September and Its Aftermath'' (Hodder and Stoughton, 2002) * ''Ponder These Things: Praying With Icons of the Virgin'' (Canterbury Press, 2002) * ''Faith and Experience in Early Monasticism'' (2002) * ''Silence and Honey Cakes: The Wisdom of the Desert'' (2003) * ''Lost Icons: Essays on Cultural Bereavement'' (T & T Clark, 2003) * ''The Dwelling of the Light—Praying with Icons of Christ'' (Canterbury Press, 2003 ) * ''Darkness Yielding'', co-authored with Jim Cotter, Martyn Percy, Sylvia Sands and W. H. Vanstone (2004) * ''Anglican Identities'' (2004) * ''Why Study the Past? The Quest for the Historical Church'' (Eerdmans, 2005 ) * ''Grace and Necessity: Reflections on Art and Love'' (2005) * ''Tokens of Trust. An introduction to Christian belief.'' (Canterbury Press, 2007 ) * ''Wrestling with Angels: Conversations in Modern Theology'', ed. Mike Higton (SCM Press, 2007) *''Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another'' (New Seeds, 2007) *''Dostoevsky: Language, Faith and Fiction'' (Baylor University Press, 2008); *''Choose Life'' (Bloomsbury, 2009) *''Faith in the Public Square'' (Bloomsbury, 2012) *''The Lion's World - A Journey into the Heart of Narnia'' (SPCK, 2012); *''Meeting God in Mark'' (SPCK, 2014), reprinted as ''Meeting God in Mark: Reflections for the Season of Lent'' (Westminster John Knox Press, 2015) *''Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer'' (Eerdmans, 2014) *''The Edge of Words'' (Bloomsbury, 2014) *''Meeting God in Paul'' (SPCK, 2015) *''On Augustine'' (Bloomsbury, 2016) *''Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian life'' (SPCK, 2016) *''God With Us: The Meaning of the Cross and resurrection - then and now'' (SPCK, 2017) *''Holy Living: The Christian Tradition for Today'' (Bloomsbury, 2017) *''Christ the Heart of Creation'' (Bloomsbury, 2018) *''Being Human: Bodies, Minds, Persons'' (SPCK, 2018) *''Luminaries: Twenty Lives that Illuminate the Christian Way'' (SPCK, 2019) *''The Way of St Benedict'' (Bloomsbury, 2020) *''Looking East in Winter: Contemporary Thought and the Eastern Christian Tradition'' (Bloomsbury, 2021)


Forewords and afterwords

* Foreword to W. H. Auden in ''Great Poets of the 20th century'' series, ''The Guardian'', 12 March 2008. *


References


External links


Archbishop of Canterbury official site

BBC profile

"The Archbishop's guide to Muslim intolerance"
– critical op-ed originally published in Haaretz
"Early Christianity and Today: Some Shared Questions"
, lecture for Gresham College in St Paul's Cathedral on 4 June 2008 (available in text, MP3 and MP4 formats).
Documents of the Early Arian Controversy: Chronology according to Rowan Williams

"Archbishops attack profiteers and 'bank robbers' in City"

Interview of Williams by James Macintyre


* [http://rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org/pages/archbishop-as-patron.html www.rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org]
Interview on climate change with Nick Breeze, London 2013

Interviewed by Alan Macfarlane 1st July 2015 (video)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Rowan 1950 births Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford Alumni of the College of the Resurrection Anglo-Catholic bishops Archbishops of Canterbury Archbishops of Wales 20th-century Anglican archbishops 21st-century Anglican archbishops Bards of the Gorsedd Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Bishops of Monmouth Crossbench life peers Doctors of Divinity 20th-century English Anglican priests 21st-century English Anglican priests Fellows of the British Academy Fellows of Christ Church, Oxford Fellows of Clare College, Cambridge Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales Living people Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People from Swansea People educated at Dynevor School, Swansea British Anglican theologians Anglican pacifists 20th-century Welsh Anglican priests 21st-century Welsh Anglican priests Lady Margaret Professors of Divinity Ordained peers Sub-Prelates of the Venerable Order of Saint John Masters of Magdalene College, Cambridge Staff of Westcott House, Cambridge Welsh-speaking academics Welsh-speaking clergy Anglo-Catholic socialists Welsh Anglo-Catholics Welsh Christian socialists Christian socialist theologians Anglo-Catholic theologians Anglican poets Recipients of the President's Medal (British Academy) Fellows of Merton College, Oxford New Statesman people Life peers created by Elizabeth II 21st-century Anglican theologians 20th-century Anglican theologians Welsh male poets 21st-century Welsh poets