Robin Griffith-Jones
Encyclopedia
Robin Griffith-Jones is a Church of England
priest, Master of the Temple in London
.
He was educated at Westminster School
and New College, Oxford
, before working at Christie's
for some years. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
.
In 1999 he was appointed Master of the Temple in London, the title given to the senior clergyman of the Temple Church
: his official title is currently the "Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple"; this is not used on the official website, but is confirmed by the Middle Temple website, and has been used by him in interviews. Prior to this he was Chaplain of Lincoln College, Oxford
from 1992–1999, and a Curate
in Liverpool
from 1989-92.
He is the son of Mervyn Griffith-Jones
QC
, who was the prosecutor at the Lady Chatterley
trial and the Common Serjeant of London
at The Old Bailey.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
priest, Master of the Temple in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, before working at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
for some years. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
.
In 1999 he was appointed Master of the Temple in London, the title given to the senior clergyman of the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
: his official title is currently the "Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple"; this is not used on the official website, but is confirmed by the Middle Temple website, and has been used by him in interviews. Prior to this he was Chaplain of Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
from 1992–1999, and a Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
from 1989-92.
He is the son of Mervyn Griffith-Jones
Mervyn Griffith-Jones
John Mervyn Guthrie Griffith-Jones, CBE MC QC was a British judge and former barrister. He is most famous for leading the prosecution of Penguin Books in the obscenity trial in 1960 following the publication of D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, who was the prosecutor at the Lady Chatterley
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a novel by D. H. Lawrence, first published in 1928. The first edition was printed privately in Florence, Italy with assistance from Pino Orioli; it could not be published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960...
trial and the Common Serjeant of London
Common Serjeant of London
The Common Serjeant of London is an ancient British legal office, first recorded in 1317, and is the second most senior permanent judge of the Central Criminal Court after the Recorder of London, acting as deputy to that office, and sitting as a judge in the trial of criminal offences.The Common...
at The Old Bailey.
Books
- 2000: The Four Witnesses: the Rebel, the Rabbi, the Chronicler, and the Mystic. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco ISBN 9780062516480
- 2004: The Gospel According to Paul: the Creative Genius Who Brought Jesus to the World. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco ISBN 0060730668
- 2006: The Da Vinci Code and the Secrets of the Temple: the Master of The Temple. Norwich: Canterbury Press ISBN 9781853117312
- 2008: Mary Magdalen: the Woman whom Jesus Loved. Norwich: Canterbury Press ISBN 1853118184