Description
The Descent of the Dove brings the most significant of Charles Williams’s theological writings to the modern reader. Tracing the history of the church through the activity of the Holy Spirit, this unconventional and imaginative historical study offers a fresh and accessible perspective on spirituality in the church. By studying the crisis points of theological conflict, Williams remains convinced that theological tensions are not only reconcilable, but indispensable for the church.
Willams’s work offers the reader a unique analysis of church history by illuminating the crucial role of spirituality in church life, providing salient insights for those interested in the development of the church.
About the Author
Charles Williams (1886-1945) was an influential theologian, poet and author, and a member of the famous literary group ‘the Inklings’ alongside C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. He also lectured on literature in Oxford, tutoring at St. Hilda’s College until 1945, and was an Editor at Oxford University Press.
Contents
I. The Definition of Christendom
II. The Reconciliation with Time
III. The Compensations of Success
IV. The War of the Frontiers
V. The Imposition of Belief
VI. Consummation and Schism
VII. The Renewal of Contrition
VIII. The Quality of Disbelief
IX. The Return of the Manhood
Postscript
Chronological Table
Index
Endorsements and Reviews
When I started reading Williams, I was a sectarian ‘related’ only to a small coterie of people who lived and thought and prayed like me. When I finished, I was part of a congregation centuries deep and continents wide. I started with a spirituality that was almost totally subjective; then I found myself in something large-creational and incarnational. I’m not sure this is what Williams intended, but it is what happened. ‘Unintended consequences’ are common in spirituality.
Eugene H. Peterson
