Descent of the Dove: A Short History of the Holy Spirit in the Church

Charles Williams (1886-1945) was an influential theologian, poet and author, and a member of the famous literary group 'the Inklings' alongside C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. He also lectured on literature in Oxford, tutoring at St. Hilda's College until 1945, and was an Editor at Oxford University Press.

• I. The Definition of ChristendomII. The Reconciliation with TimeIII. The Compensations of SuccessIV. The War of the FrontiersV.The Imposition of BeliefVI. Consummation and SchismVII. The Renewal of ContritionVIII. The Quality of DisbeliefIX. The Return of the ManhoodPostscriptChronological TableIndex

When I started reading Williams, I was a sectarian 'related' only to a small coterie of people who lived and thought and prayed like me. When I finished, I was part of a congregation centuries deep and continents wide. I started with a spirituality that was almost totally subjective; then I found myself in something large-creational and incarnational. I'm not sure this is what Williams intended, but it is what happened. 'Unintended consequences' are common in spirituality.