Discovering Christianity: A guide for the curious

by Rowan Williams

'Rowan Williams offers a typically intelligent, attractive, and beguiling picture of what it means to be a Christian... When I read Williams I feel something coming to birth inside me, whispers from a shore I want to set out for.'Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark Cathedral, London


Internationally acclaimed theologian Rowan Williams invites you to explore with him the vital questions that go right to the heart of


How does Jesus reveal God?
Who or what is the Holy Spirit?
Why do Christians treasure the Bible?
What's the point of theology?


Rowan Williams' guide to the essentials of the faith will get you thinking about God in fresh and exciting ways. It will help you to grasp the way in which the best Christian theology is arrived at through the creative interplay of scripture, tradition and reason. And it will help you develop a broader and deeper appreciation of the positive difference Christianity continues to make in the world today.
Brief, engaging and profoundly simple, this book takes you to the heart of what Christianity is all about, offering food for thought for a lifetime.


Contents
1 What is Christianity?
2 What is faith?
3 What is theology?
4 Why Church?
5 Why scripture?
6 Why tradition?
7 Why reason?
8 Why does it matter?

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Religion

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2025

About the author

Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, is an Anglican bishop, poet, and theologian. He was Archbishop of Canterbury from December 2002-2012, and is now Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and Chancellor of the University of South Wales.

Reviews

[Tom LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook, read by the otherworldly soothing voice of the author himself (don’t listen while driving or operating machinery!). I consider him to be one of my great intellectual heroes.

[Daniël Zevenhuizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een gids voor de nieuwsgierigen. Toch weet ik niet goed wie hiervoor het publiek zou moeten zijn. Uitnodigend, zoals Jezus in het evangelie van Johannes--dat wel. Maar toch ook verfijnd en daardoor bijna ondoordringbaar voor iemand die niet 'al binnen' is in theologisch redeneren en begonnen de Bijbel te lezen.

Dat terzijde: het boekje opent een deur naar de gehele christelijke beleving: van kerk en rituelen naar het lezen van de Bijbel terwijl je meedenkt met eerdere, gezaghebbende lezers. En dat alles om een kerkgemeente te worden--een lichaam waarin alle delen elkaar steunen en verheffen--dat iets laat zien van het licht dat Jezus bracht door de Heilige Geest. Dat wil zeggen: om alles wat duister is in de mensenwereld onder ogen te komen en vanuit erkenning van onze tekortkomingen toch te proberen genadevol naar anderen te zijn.

Persoonlijk weet ik niet of ik al die theologische baggage van het christendom wil, maar Williams schetst het hier in ieder geval als een aannemelijk standpunt.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not for beginners

[Colin Cloutus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rowan Williams' not quite so successful attempt at Mere Christianity. Like Mere Christianity, it is better fitted for someone exploring Christianity (indeed it is called 'DISCOVERING Christianity'), from a culturally churched background or with some experience of the Gospels or church services; it deals with the faculty of faith itself and concept of God, while avoiding the headier dogmatism, elaborating only on the central doctrines like the incarnation, the trinity, and scriptural inspiration.

Williams does a marvellous job of introducing the faith as God's invitation of humanity into the divine life and the supernatural world; to peek through the firmament into the wider unseen reality around them. His characterisation of theology is brilliant: not as a dogmatic school locked up in books, but a verb, a thing which one engages in as soon as they begin asking questions and exploring the implications of God and His existence and nature on reality. When he stays in these more abstract and even mystical areas, he is wonderful.

But by the end of the book, he is doing his best to apologise (in a western guilt sense, not an apologetics sense) for certain Christian doctrines, and in ways which seem to undermine the very Christian belief in the authority of the scriptures. His explanation of the 'Reason' part of the Anglican Trilateral simply seems to convey that Christians are willing to backpedal on certain beliefs because of modern developments. While this may gel well with already philosophical, artistic or imaginative people, for your pedestrian layman who sees things on a more basic level of either true and false, all the set up about Christ's church and the authority of scripture seem rather insignificant if it can all be changed with modern tastes. Williams' rather grovelling theologically-liberal apologies will only appeal to the politically liberal; the vast majority of common sense people looking at it will surely be persuaded that this Christian business is a little silly.

This would be a good book to walk through with someone who is only familiar with a more dogmatic or evangelical sense of Christianity, to help them begin to understand the other fundamental themes of Christ's teaching like love and community, and nurture a deeper understanding of God as a loving Father who invites us into communion with him, beyond the implications of 'being saved' by the atonement. Maybe a fully commited new Christian who has developed some discernment could read through it alone, but I would not advise it. It should be selectively shared and taught from, and the 'group discussion' portion at the back does hint at this catechetical sort of approach.

Besides these drawbacks, this is a wonderful intro to something of the more mystical fundamentals of Christianity that many may overlook, and would be a good addition (selectively) to any catechetical course.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short but sweet set of reflections by Rowan Williams. As always, he depth and eloquence shows through, yet is able to put things quite simply. This is one of several of his smaller popular level books that offer great explanations about essential aspects of the Christian life.

This book had reflections on the meaning of faith, Christianity, theology, church, scripture, tradition, reason--each offering reflections that I think would create a great discussion as it just wets the palate (and there are discussion questions in the back). Beyond that, I wish he included a bibliography or something. I read this book looking for something I can used for an intro to Christian beliefs course I am doing, but I think this is much more popular level (meanwhile his Tokens of Trust or On Christian Theology are much more advanced).

This was a delightful, short read, and as I said, I think it adds to a great collection of shorter, popular level works that this masterful theologian is producing for the church.

[John Howes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting series of short insights into different aspects of Christianity. Definitely not for the beginner though.

[Mr John M. Akroyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crystal clear statement of Anglican beliefs and values.

[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schöne Übersicht über den christlichen Glauben. Erinnert mich an Timothy Keller, nur eben anglikanisch.

[Lindsay John Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good! A little idiosyncratic and obtuse at times (“why did he choose to explain it like that?”)

[Eoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful. The audiobook was read by Rowan himself, which was quite good.

[DP · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Wasn’t expecting this to be a book I’d commend (and I don’t) but was curious how Williams (a brilliant scholar & terrific writer, albeit of a very different tribe) would frame things.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I inhaled this. Even if you've 'discovered' Christianity this has lots of things to get you thinking about how other people discover Christianity.