Why Study the Past? The Quest for the Historical Church

Name: Why Study the Past? The Quest for the Historical Church
Price: 17.55 USD
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ISBN: 9780802876478

By: Rowan Williams

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / 2018 / Paperback

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Product Description

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Why should we study the past? What is church history good for? In this thoughtful volume, respected theologian and churchman Rowan Williams opens up a theological vision of history, making it relevant to the church today. He suggests that studying history plays a crucial role in understanding who we as human beings – and how we have become who we are.

Now including a new preface in this American edition, Why Study the Past? beautifully shows how church history informs and illuminates our Christian identity and human solidarity in the often-confusing present.

Product Information

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Title: Why Study the Past? The Quest for the Historical Church
By: Rowan Williams
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 135
Vendor: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Publication Date: 2018

Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 (inches)
Weight: 7 ounces
ISBN: 0802876471
ISBN-13: 9780802876478
Stock No: WW876478

Publisher's Description

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Christianity Today, Award of Merit, History/Biography (2006)

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.

Author Bio

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Rowan Williams served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012 and is now Master of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. His many other books include The Lion's World: A Journey into the Heart of Narnia, Tokens of Trust: An Introduction to Christian Belief, and Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer.

Editorial Reviews

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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."