Alan Jones (priest)
{{Short description|British-American priest (1940–2023)}}
Alan William Jones {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (March 5, 1940 – January 14, 2024) was a British and American Episcopal priest and dean emeritus of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. A prominent lecturer in Episcopal and academic circles both nationally and internationally, he was a prolific writer of books, articles, and editorial opinions.
Early life
Born in London, England, Jones was the son of Edward Augustus and Blanche Hilda (Hunt) Jones. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Jones received both his MA and PhD from the University of Nottingham. His PhD thesis explored the Anglo-Catholicism of Herbert Kelly, founder of the Society of the Sacred Mission religious order.{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Alan |title=Herbert Hamilton Kelly S.S.M. 1860 - 1950: A Study in Failure |date=1971 |publisher=University of Nottingham |url=http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27617/1/582153.pdf}}
Ordained ministry
Jones was a faculty member of Lincoln Theological College from 1968 to 1971. He subsequently
served as the Stephen F. Bayne Professor of Ascetical Theology at the General Theological Seminary in New York City from 1972 to 1982. During his tenure, he founded and was the first director of the Center for Christian Spirituality. Jones was the dean of the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco from 1985 until January 2009.[http://www.gracecathedral.org/ Grace Cathedral, San Francisco - Episcopal Church for the Episcopalian Online Community] He also moderated The Forum at Grace Cathedral.[http://www.gracecathedral.org/forum/ Grace Cathedral: The Forum]
Personal life and death
Jones' first marriage was to Josephine Franklin Jones, the daughter of Newbery Award-winning author Madeleine L'Engle. They had two daughters and a son. They divorced in 1997. He married Virginia "Cricket" Franche Jones, an interior designer, in 1999.
Alan Jones died at a retirement community in San Francisco on January 14, 2024. He was 83.{{cite news |last1=LeBlanc |first1=Douglas |title=Dean Alan W. Jones of San Francisco, 1940–2024 |url=https://livingchurch.org/2024/01/16/dean-alan-w-jones-of-san-francisco-1940-2024/ |access-date=18 January 2024 |publisher=The Living Church |date=16 January 2024}}
Bibliography
- Journey Into Christ
- Living in the Spirit
- Exploring Spiritual Direction: An Essay in Christian Friendship
- Soul-Making: The Desert Way of Spirituality
- Passion for Pilgrimage, Sacrifice & Delight
- The Soul’s Journey: Exploring the Three Passages of the Spiritual Life with Dante as a Guide
- Living the Truth
- Seasons of Grace
- Reimagining Christianity: Reconnect your Spirit Without Disconnecting Your Mind
- Common Prayer on Common Ground {{cite web | url=https://www.independent.org/aboutus/person_detail.asp?id=3903 | title=Alan W. Jones, OBE }}
References
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Category:American Episcopal theologians
Category:20th-century English theologians
Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham
Category:English Anglican theologians
Category:General Theological Seminary faculty