Rowan Douglas Williams was born in Swansea in 1950 in a Welsh-speaking family from the Swansea Valley. He was educated at Dynevor Secondary School, then at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied Theology. After research in Oxford (on Russian Christianity), he spent two years at Mirfield before returning to Cambridge in 1977, where he spent nine years in academic and parochial work. He and Jane Paul were married in 1981, and have two children, Rhiannon (born 1988) and Pip (born 1996). Jane now teaches at Trinity College, Bristol. From 1986 - 1992, Rowan Williams was Professor of Theology at Oxford. During the 80's Rowan and Jane were able to spend brief periods teaching theology and travelling in India (where Jane grew up) and Southern Africa.
Rowan has written a number of books on the history of theology and spirituality and published collections of articles and sermons - as well as two books of poetry. He has been involved in various commissions on theology and theological education, the Dearing Working Party on Church Schools, and chaired the group that produced the report 'Wales: a Moral Society?' in 1996.
Born 1950
Christ's College, Cambridge, B.A. 1971. M.A. 1975
Wadham College, Oxford, D.Phil 1975
College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, 1975
Deacon 1977. Priest 1978
Tutor, Westcott House, Cambridge, 1977-1980
Honorary Curate, Chesterton St George, Ely 1980-1983
Lecturer in Divinity, Cambridge 1980-1986
Dean and Chaplain, Clare College, Cambridge, 1984-1986
Canon Theologian, Leicester Cathedral, 1981-1982
Canon Residentiary, Christ Church, Oxford 1986-1992
Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, Oxford 1986-1992
D.D. 1989. Fellow British Academy 1990.
Elected:
Bishop of Monmouth 5th December 1991 at St Woolos Cathedral, Newport
Consecrated:
St Asaph Cathedral on the feast of St Philip and St James, 1st May 1992, by the Archbishop of Wales, the Bishops of Bangor, Llandaff, Swansea and Brecon, St David's, Tuam, Glasgow, Gloucester, Kingston, Lancaster and Shrewsbury; the Old Catholic Bishop of Bonn, and Bishop George Noakes, Bishop Ronald Bowlby, Bishop Colin Buchanan, Bishop Ronald Gordon, Bishop Robert Martineau, Bishop Eryl Thomas, Bishop Benjamin Vaughan and Bishop Clifford Wright.
Enthroned:
St Woolos Cathedral on 14th May, 1992.
Elected:
Archbishop of Wales, December 1999.
Enthroned:
at St Woolos Cathedral on Saturday 26th February, 2000.
Nominated as Archbishop of Canterbury
23rd July 2002
Confirmation of election to the See of Canterbury, 2nd December 2002
By Albert H. Lee
chtoday_editor@chtoday.com
