R. Tudur Jones
Encyclopedia
R. Tudur Jones was a Welsh Nationalist
and a Protestant Christian
. He was the most important Christian scholar in Wales
during the 20th century and is hailed as the giant of Protestantism
in Wales during a century that saw Wales, as a whole, turn against its traditional Reformed Protestant theology
.
, north Wales but soon the family moved to Rhyl
. Christian faith
was the foundation of family life as his parents experienced the spiritual zeal of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival
. The family were members of the local Welsh Congregational Church
and while other children recited verses on the Sunday morning, as it is a tradition in Nonconformist churches, he would recite a whole chapter. Though being raised as a Christian, it is said that the turning point in his life was at an evangelistic
crusade at Rhyl Pavilion where he believed he encountered God.
Jones' interest in Church History first started when he was a pupil at Rhyl Grammar School. There his history teacher, S. M. Houghton, taught him about the Puritans and he read New Testament Greek
with the headmaster. After Grammar School he won a Scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford
. His father, however, insisted that he attend the University of Wales
instead. He graduated in 1942 from the University of Wales, Bangor with a degree in Philosophy
and afterwards went on to a B.D.
in Theology
in Bangor
. Then he left Bangor for Mansfield College, Oxford
where he researched for his DPhil.
. After only two years he left Seion to pursue an academic career. In 1950 he was appointed as tutor
in Church History at Bala-Bangor Theological Seminary
, Bangor, north Wales, and by 1965 he had risen to be the principal of Bala-Bangor, which post he held until the Welsh Congregationalists merged their two Colleges, Bala-Bangor and the Memorial College, Aberystwyth
in 1988. After his semi-retirement in 1988 he accepted a post as an honorary lecturer in the Theology Department of the University of Wales Bangor, a post he held until 1997.
(see also his fellow Welsh Christian scholars Bobi Jones
and R. Geraint Gruffydd
), he distanced himself from the pietistic
evangelicalism that rose from the ashes of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. He opposed liberal theology
and feared humanism
's effect on the people of Wales.
and his support of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society). He was vice president of Plaid Cymru
for a period and stood elections in the party’s name in Anglesey
during the 1959 and 1964 elections. His nationalistic arguments are best put forward in his book The Desire of Nations where he notes that his nationalism "asks nothing for itself that it does not wish for others."
Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism emphasises the distinctiveness of Welsh language, culture, and history, and calls for more self-determination for Wales, which may include more Devolved powers for the Welsh Assembly or full independence from the United Kingdom.-Conquest:...
and a Protestant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. He was the most important Christian scholar in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the 20th century and is hailed as the giant of Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in Wales during a century that saw Wales, as a whole, turn against its traditional Reformed Protestant theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
Early life
Jones was born at Tyddyn Gwyn, LlanystumdwyLlanystumdwy
Llanystumdwy is a village and community on the Llŷn Peninsula of Gwynedd in Wales, although it is not regarded as being part of Llŷn, but belonging instead to the local region of Eifionydd...
, north Wales but soon the family moved to Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. Christian faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
was the foundation of family life as his parents experienced the spiritual zeal of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival
1904-1905 Welsh Revival
The Welsh Revival was the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. While by no means the best known of revivals, it was one of the most dramatic in terms of its effect on the population, and it had repercussions that reached far beyond the Welsh border, triggering a series of...
. The family were members of the local Welsh Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
and while other children recited verses on the Sunday morning, as it is a tradition in Nonconformist churches, he would recite a whole chapter. Though being raised as a Christian, it is said that the turning point in his life was at an evangelistic
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
crusade at Rhyl Pavilion where he believed he encountered God.
Jones' interest in Church History first started when he was a pupil at Rhyl Grammar School. There his history teacher, S. M. Houghton, taught him about the Puritans and he read New Testament Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
with the headmaster. After Grammar School he won a Scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
. His father, however, insisted that he attend the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
instead. He graduated in 1942 from the University of Wales, Bangor with a degree in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and afterwards went on to a B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
. Then he left Bangor for Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Of the colleges that accept both undergraduate and graduate students Mansfield College is one of the smallest, comprising approximately 210 undergraduates, 130 graduates, 35 visiting students and 50...
where he researched for his DPhil.
Career
Returning from Oxford in 1948, now married, Jones was ordained as minister of Seion Welsh Congregationalist Chapel, AberystwythAberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
. After only two years he left Seion to pursue an academic career. In 1950 he was appointed as tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
in Church History at Bala-Bangor Theological Seminary
Bala-Bangor Theological Seminary
Bala-Bangor was a theological seminary belonging to the Welsh Independents , an association of Welsh congregationalists. It was founded in Bala, Gwynedd in 1842 under the principalship of Michael Jones , who was followed by his son Michael D. Jones .During Michael D...
, Bangor, north Wales, and by 1965 he had risen to be the principal of Bala-Bangor, which post he held until the Welsh Congregationalists merged their two Colleges, Bala-Bangor and the Memorial College, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
in 1988. After his semi-retirement in 1988 he accepted a post as an honorary lecturer in the Theology Department of the University of Wales Bangor, a post he held until 1997.
Theology
Most of Jones' publications were of an historical nature. Nevertheless his theology and his opinions on doctrine would surface regularly in his work. He was a firm Calvinist, and although it is tempting to classify him as EvangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
(see also his fellow Welsh Christian scholars Bobi Jones
Bobi Jones
Emeritus Professor Robert Maynard Jones , generally known as Bobi Jones, is a Welsh Christian academic, one of the most prolific writers in the history of the Welsh language. A versatile master of poetry, fictional prose and criticism, he is now in his seventies and still producing work of a high...
and R. Geraint Gruffydd
R. Geraint Gruffydd
Professor Emeritus R. Geraint Gruffydd , MA DPhil DLitt FLSW FBA is a scholar of Welsh language and literature. He is a graduate of Bangor University and Jesus College, Oxford He commenced his studies at Oxford in 1948...
), he distanced himself from the pietistic
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
evangelicalism that rose from the ashes of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. He opposed liberal theology
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
and feared humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
's effect on the people of Wales.
Nationalist
Jones not only contributed to Wales at a spiritual level but also got involved in the nationalist struggle through his leadership role in Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
and his support of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society). He was vice president of Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
for a period and stood elections in the party’s name in Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
during the 1959 and 1964 elections. His nationalistic arguments are best put forward in his book The Desire of Nations where he notes that his nationalism "asks nothing for itself that it does not wish for others."
Publications
Jones is listed to have published over 341 books and articles mainly on the history of the Church. Among his main publications on Church history are Hanes Annibynwyr Cymru (History of the Welsh Congregationalists) and Ffydd ac Argyfwng Cenedl – Cristnogaeth a Diwylliant yng Nghymru 1890-1914 (Faith and the crisis of the Nation – Christianity and Culture in Wales 1890-1914). He also published some work giving political discussion such as his book on nationalism The Desire of Nations.Resources
- Davies, Gwyn, Light in the Land - Christianity in Wales 200-2000 (2002)
- Pope, Robert : A Giant of Welsh Protestantism – R. Tudur Jones 1921-1998 (2003)