There was yet another full house for the appearance of Rowan Williams for The Ballie Gifford Event. He was joined by Baroness Julia Neuberger, Britain's second woman rabbi and Senior Rabbi of the West London Synagogue who chaired the session.
Williams was the Archbishop of Canterbury until the end of 2012, then became the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge in January 2013.
Neuberger asked first how Williams felt society had changed in the last thirty to forty years. Williams replied that there had been drastic changes with the global economy closing down and life becoming much more difficult for a large section of the population. There have been social changes also with the politics of gender coming much more to the fore. He indicated that he thought that the subject had become much more relevant in the early seventies, however, Neuberger thought that her awareness started much earlier, in fact when she was at school and had to sing, "let us now praise famous men..." !
On his background, Williams said he had been an only child and had always enjoyed reading. He had suffered meningitis at the age of two and had been permanently deaf in one ear since then. All this encouraged him to read more widely. Asked about relationships with the government, he said that most people do not have an opportunity to question the policies of government and there is a matter of how you manage public debate.
He went on to say that there is a misconception that different races feel pain and discomfort differently - why should, say, an African feel pain any less than a European? Neuberger agreed and reminded the audience that even in Britain we had been carrying out open heart surgery on babies without an anaesthetic until about twenty years ago.
On learning, knowledge and truth Williams was asked if there was an absolute limit on learning. He did not think so and said that when learning to play an instrument like say, the cello, people can learn to play, but it is the quality of your playing which marks you out from others.
When asked about his support for the charity Christian Aid, he said that he was passionate about providing practical help at the grass roots and trying to make people take responsibility for their lives. He said he was particularly anxious to see the rehabilitation of child soldiers. These people need to be helped so that they simply do not become asylum seekers, but are actually able to make a contribution to their own country.
When asked if he felt that he had let down the Church over the treatment of the gay and lesbian community, he said that this was what he was told by his gay and lesbian friends, however, he would have to wait for a few more years to see if he was proved to have done the right thing or not.
On the subject of the discussion, "Is Britain Losing Faith in the Church" he said that it was certainly true that fewer people felt they should regularly attend worship on a Sunday. The churches were not as full, but people still looked to the church as an institution for solidarity and to set an example in their lives.
Should the Church of England be disestablished and should the next coronation be a multi-faith event? Williams defended the status quo and said that his personal view was that things should remain as they are, however, when questioned about the title "Defender of the faith" by Julia Neuberger, he accepted that the word "faith" might well be made plural.
This was a fascinating hour with two exceptional academics and church leaders which was hugely stimulating for everyone attending. It is a pity it could not have been televised.