Reviled and adored in equal measure, and constantly in the news for his controversial statements, this newly updated biography explores both the public and private sides of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
This major new edition of Rupert Shortt's acclaimed biography of Rowan Williams provides fresh insight into the life and thought of perhaps the most gifted Christian leader of our time. Unburdened by national office, the former Archbishop has spoken more candidly than ever about the multiple conflicts - over gay clergy, women bishops and the place of faith in the public square - that rocked the Anglican Church and wider society during his decade at the helm.
This excellent biography of the Primate of all England is theologically heavyweight, psychologically perceptive and sometimes strikingly critical. - The Sunday Times
There is something refreshingly timeless in the well-rounded portrait of Rowan Williams that emerges from these pages. - The Mail on Sunday
'Fascinating' - The Telegraph
Sympathetic and balanced - The Times
'Outstanding' - The Guardian
Deeply encouraging in terms of insights into this sensitive, intellectual and complex figure - The Times
Shortt shows with commendable honesty why it is the world might judge and misunderstand, but leaves the reader with the discomfiting suspiscion that Jesus would surely approve - The Times
An intriguing new insight into the personal life of an archbishop better known for his liberal views and intellectual agility - The Daily Mail
Rupert Shortt is religion editor of The Times Literary Supplement and a former Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford. He writes for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and the London Evening Standard. His books include Benedict XVI (2005), Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack (2012), Rowan's Rule: The Biography of the Archbishop (2014) and God Is No Thing: Coherent Christianity (2016).