Alan William Jones (March 5, 1940 – January 14, 2024) was a British and American Episcopal priest and dean emeritus of Grace Cathedral in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. 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 The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...

. His PhD thesis explored the

Anglo-Catholicism Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

of Herbert Kelly, founder of the

Society of the Sacred Mission The Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM), with the associated Company of the Sacred Mission, is an Anglican religious order founded in 1893 by Father Herbert Kelly, envisaged such that "members of the Society share a common life of prayer and fello ...

religious order.

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 The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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

from 1985 until January 2009. He also moderated The Forum at Grace Cathedral.

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.

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Alan 1940 births 2024 deaths American Episcopal theologians 20th-century English theologians Alumni of the University of Nottingham English Anglican theologians General Theological Seminary faculty British expatriates in the United States Officers of the Order of the British Empire