Tokens of Trust

This book is, essentially, a description of Christian Theology in terms of the following questions: "Who or what do you trust? Who or what is worth trusting? What is the difference between belief in the modern sense and what Christians mean when they say 'I believe?'" Archbishop Williams presents, in simple language, a discussion of these questions through the eyes of the Apostles' Creed. A good devotional for the committed Christian, and a good groundwork for the person who is considering joining the church.

This year, my church had a Lenten study on the Nicene Creed. The discussion was lively. As the weeks went on, it seemed to me that there were at least two different approaches to the Nicene Creed: one that was analytical and logical, and another that was more meditative and poetic. I would summarize the first approach as wondering, "how much of the Creed can I say without crossing my fingers behind my back?" and the second approach as wondering, "God is big, I'm not, it's a mystery, so why couldn't this be true?" Full disclosure here: I fall into the second set. The experience of this study inspired me to go back and reread Tokens of Trust, a book on Christian belief by Rowan Williams. Dr. Williams is the current Archbishop of Canterbury, and his speeches and his writings can be rather dense. But this book is based on a series of talks presented in Canterbury Cathedral during Holy Week, 2005, so the content is fairly accessible. Dr. Williams' book fits neither of the two approaches I described above. He uses the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed to structure his book, discussing God, creation, Jesus, and so on, but his approach considers the very word "belief" as meaning something other than pure intellectual assent. He points out that the words "I believe in one God" might remind us of questions like "Do you believe in ghosts?" or UFO's, or the Loch Ness monster, but that isn't what they originally meant or should mean to us. The meaning is closer to what I mean when I say I believe in my husband. I have confidence in him. I trust him. For Dr. Williams, the Creed is "a series of statements about where I find the anchorage of my life, where I find solid ground, home." Dr. Williams discusses why we might consider God trustworthy before he even approaches the question, is any of this is actually true? Does God exist? He admits that he doesn't have the decisive argument to prove the existence of God; instead, he points to the examples of believing people who are themselves trustworthy. Indeed, as his discussion proceeds, he makes the point that Jesus himself "is supremely the one who makes God credible, trustworthy." Rather than quoting half the book (where would I stop?), I encourage you to read it. The book is enriched throughout by a carefully selected series of illustrations: some works of art by the Welsh artist David Jones, and various other photographs that support the text. The images are striking. In particular, some of the works by Jones are themselves suitable subjects for meditation.

Convincing, beautifully written, clear and cogent theology. How and why we should wholly trust God.

This is a beautifully written book. When reading it one feels surrounded by God's love. You don't want the book to end. It will be by my bedside for years to come to read and reread. It is the type of book one wishes they could remember every word and every line.

Based on talks given at Canterbury Cathedral in the weeks before Easter,2005, this beautifully written primer on Christianity by Archbishop Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the Church of England and 100,000,000 Anglicans worldwide, should be read by anyone interested in the marvellous questions presented: What does it mean to believe in God? Can God be almighty amidst so much evil and disaster? What is the purpose of the church? What does it mean to follow Christ in today's fragmented world? Once one accepts that God is good and can be trusted, then thought, action and prayer start to make sense. The author discusses statements about belief that were forged in the first three hundred years of the church's history: the creeds. He also examines the records of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. This is a book to be sipped slowly, reflected upon, discussed. Archbishop Williams shows and shares with the reader what it means to put our hands into the hands of God, "into a darkness that is God's welcoming touch." A little gem.