David Cameron’s Christianity has never been grounded in certainty. He described himself in December as a “vaguely practising” Anglican who is full of doubt and unresolved about the big theological issues.
So it is probably just as well that, after a radical overhaul of the rules in 2007, he will be the first Prime Minister without a direct say in the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Previously the prime minister would make a personal choice, with Harold Macmillan nominating Michael Ramsey in 1961.
After changes made in 1977, a Crown Appointments Commission would put forward two names to the prime minister for consideration.
When Gordon Brown came into office he argued that while the Church of England should remain the established Church, there was no justification for the prime minister to influence senior church appointments, including bishops. This powerful piece of patronage was, at a stroke, ended. Now David Cameron will be expected to appoint members to a Crown Nomination Commission, after asking for suggestions from Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband, and Tony Baldry, the Conservative MP who works as a Church Commissioner.
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The Prime Minister will then receive a preferred name from the committee, and a fall-back name. Mr Cameron will be expected to put forward the preferred name to the Queen unless there are exceptional circumstances.
According to senior officials, the second name is now simply a fall-back for use in an emergency, and the Prime Minister effectively has no discretion.
This may yet prove to be a disappointment for Mr Cameron, who apparently had no knowledge in advance of Dr Williams’s resignation.
In his speech at Oxford in December, Mr Cameron said: “I have never really understood the argument some people make about the Church not getting involved in politics. To me, Christianity, faith, religion, the Church and the Bible are all inherently involved in politics because so many political questions are moral questions.”
Whether Tory MPs appreciate how his hands are now tied over the appointment is yet to be seen.