Professor Rowan Williams reflects on the use and meaning of words. In this fascinating interview, Professor Williams talks about the limits of language and how words can point beyond themselves to things which cannot be captured in words alone. He suggests that this is what happens in theology and in poetry. Liturgy is a big user of words which point beyond themselves and this reflection is a wonderful invitation to those involved in liturgy, and especially those who speak words liturgically, to think more deeply about what they are doing and how they are communicating the divine.
From the Journal of Systematic Theology (October 2024).
Other excerpts from this interview with Rowan Williams are here.