Ready to retire, Williamson reflects on faith

Whether from behind a desk or a pulpit, Dean of Religious Life Joseph Williamson has been dispensing guidance and encouragement to members of the Princeton community for more than a decade now.

Williamson's tenure at the University is coming to an end, however. He announced earlier this month that he will resign his position at the end of the academic year.

One of the University's most thoughtful and soft-spoken spiritual guides, Williamson acts as liaison between all the religious groups on campus. That is no easy task, as he must understand and respond to the needs of a long list of groups, ranging from the Center for Jewish Life to the Muslim Students' Association to Agape.

And according to most of the people with whom he works, Williamson succeeds. Indeed, he is described as one of the University's most ecumenical religious leaders — a natural for this job.

Journey

Williamson's path to Princeton has been a long and winding one. Growing up as a minister's son in a small town in Massachusetts, his first encounter with religion came from listening to his father's conservative, evangelical Protestant sermons each Sunday.

"My dad was a very strong and committed human being. He wasn't the type to go along with the crowd," Williamson said. "I would say that dedication was one of the most important factors in my own maturation."

When he went off to college — attending East Nazarene College near Boston — Williamson used the opportunity to begin learning about other religions and Christian denominations.

His father supported him, encouraging Williamson to read a wide range of theological texts.

But Williamson's broadening knowledge had brought with it complications. By the time he graduated from college and entered Nazarene seminary school, he found himself struggling with some of the most basic tenets of his faith.

" 'Christian perfection.' I thought it was ludicrous that we used that phrase," Williamson said, referring to the belief that a Christian could live his life completely without sin.

Williamson began challenging professors — and even his father — about this and other components of his faith.

Not finding the answers he sought, Williamson left the church he had been a part of since his childhood and became a minister in the United Church of Christ, which he described as a more doctrinally liberal denomination.

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

His departure was not easy on his father. "He felt I was denying a faith he felt was authentic," Williamson said.

Since those days spent trying to find his own religious path, Williamson has studied and interacted with people of all religions. He has read and listened to individuals with a broad range of political views.

And in the process, he said he has learned that having strong beliefs in one particular faith does not preclude understanding other faiths.

"I enjoy exploring for myself," he said. "It doesn't mean I have to dilute my own understanding or my religious commitment."

According to his colleagues and students, Williamson's legacy at Princeton will lie in his ability to increase cooperation among the different faiths on campus.

"He has always had a vision for what a faith community could and should be like," said Assistant Dean of Religious Life Deborah Blanks. "He is a prophet with honor at Princeton. He has brought a prophetic voice, a moral authority, and has shown us what it means to be part of a faith community."

For Williamson, the job has been about encouraging students with whom he interacts to gain a better sense of understanding and ownership of their faiths.

"When I was in college I made an intellectual commitment to understand my faith," he said. "Dealing with students now, I certainly try to share my faith perspective. I'm not trying to impose my beliefs. I'm just trying to provide encouragement."

Students say Williamson's perspective and the strength of his faith have been his most influential contributions to religious life at Princeton.

"His own faith in no way interferes," Muslim Student Association president Aliya Shariff '01 said. "In fact, his level of faith makes him so excited to encourage others in their different faiths."

He and his wife plan to move to Baltimore at the end of the year. He has no definite plans for a career there. Despite the theological knowledge he has amassed, Williamson admitted that he too, finds himself searching.

"I'm still probing and seeking, myself," he said. "I am always curious to find out what it is that energizes someone's faith, what it is that drives them."