Memory, Consciousness & Faith — with Rowan Williams
St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace
Is the universe a machine governed by blind laws, or is it a living system with a memory? In this dialogue, Dr. Rowan Williams and I explore the limitations of the mechanistic worldview and the profound implications of seeing nature as alive.
Amongst other things, we look at the paradox of a materialist age obsessed with the disembodied intelligence of AI. Rowan warns against "franchising our own thinking" to machines and losing the embodied wisdom that comes from lived practice. We discuss how true intelligence is not just processing data but remaining open to connection, and why we must safeguard the intuitive parts of the human mind.
Dr. Rowan Williams served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. He is a master theologian and a celebrated poet who brings a rigorous philosophical grasp of the mystical tradition. His insights into St. Augustine and the “divine memory” offer a perfect counterpoint to the scientific questions we explore.
Our conversation took place at the St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in the City of London. A medieval church that survived the Blitz only to be devastated by a bomb in 1993, St Ethelburga’s was rebuilt with a vital new mission. It now stands as a beacon for healing divisions across culture, conflict, and faith. It was a privilege to discuss the resilience of memory in a place that so powerfully embodies it.
I hope the essays and talks I share through Substack will help to stimulate fresh thinking and encourage a more holistic approach to science. However, this is by no means my full-time job. I am mainly engaged in scientific research across several fronts, some of which I have yet to discuss publicly, and I regularly publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals (see the research section of sheldrake.org for details). I also summarise my research findings in an ongoing series of videos called Findings, which I publish here on Substack.
Traditional funding institutions are reluctant to pay for these kinds of exploration, so the generosity of people who support my work makes this research possible. But if you can’t contribute financially, don’t worry. I am happy to share ideas, and much of my content will remain free and open-access.
Rupert Sheldrake