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God's Trustworthiness in a Misbelieving World
Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins
A review of the book by Rowan Williams
Tokens of Trust:  An Introduction to Christian Belief (Louisville/London:  Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.  170p.)

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This book is a delightful and thoughtful presentation of the dynamics of faith in practice, rather than an abstract set of beliefs one must accept.  Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, explores the personal and historical meaning of key practices and worship themes in the Christian community of faith.

He addresses the forms and concepts and how they have arisen out of cultural thought.  This book will be helpful for those who wonder if ther is more to it than they have thought.  But he always stays focuses on the personal meaning of Christian faith in practice.  He writes warmly and personally, so we feel we are listening in as he thinks through things.

The reader will find here a very clear and deep commitment to the historical stream of faith while feeling free with the archbishop to acknowledge and bypass the great errors made by the church or certain Christian leaders art various times in our past.  Williams looks at the symbols in Christian worship and evaluates their meaning and value in the changed and changing culture and society we now live in.

This little volume is a tightly designed, with no fluff and waste in his wording.  Williams is a scholar who retains his common humanity and is articulate without becoming arcane.  He draws upon a wide range of sources, referencing Eastern Orthodox practice and mystics, for instance, to give us a broader picture of how Christian believers have expressed their faith in their cultural setting.

The thoughtful practical scholar focuses further on the underlying unity of meaning, intent and focus among all Christian believers.  He assists us also to see how these represent universal values, not parochial concerns of one time or place.

As I read I got the feeling I was involved in a warm, comfortable conversation with a person sharing his deepest understandings of life in thoughtful reflection.

See related reviews and articles on this site:
[review] Faith Discovery Quest
[Review] Practicing the Presence of God
[Review] What's the Good Word?

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OBJ

Read and first review written 15 May 2009
Final review posted on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Thoughts and Resources 12 June 2009

Orville Boyd Jenkins, EdD, PhD
Copyright © 2009 Orville Boyd Jenkins
Permission granted for free download and transmission for personal or educational use.  Other rights reserved.

Email:  orville@jenkins.nu
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