Robert Maynard Jones (20 May 1929 – 22 November 2017), generally known as Bobi Jones, was a Welsh Christian academic and one of the most prolific writers in the history of the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

. A versatile master of poetry, fictional prose and criticism, he was born in

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

in 1929, educated at the

University of Wales, Cardiff Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

(now Cardiff University) and

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

. Jones held the chair in Welsh language at

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

from 1980 until his retirement. He died on 22 November 2017.Bobi Jones: Scholar of Welsh who taught Prince Charles and whose native English became a foreign language
/ref>

Author

"Bobi Jones is an author of great significance, not least for non-Welsh speakers. Himself having learnt Welsh, his work offers an insight, more so than the work of most authors whose first language is Welsh, into the significance of Welsh language and culture, particularly because of the strong intellectual or reflective element in his work. Deeply involved with the language and its culture, passionately committed to the best things in Welsh life, there is in his work - even at moments of high intensity - an element of detachment, an ability to step aside and see the wonder of Wales, its beauty and its tragedy, with an outsider's reflective, almost analytical gaze." – John Emyr

Christian

Bobi Jones was a Christian leaning firmly to

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

. He attended a denominational chapel in Aberystwyth until 1970 when he joined a Welsh

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Church which had been established in the town a few years earlier. He therefore followed a trend among Evangelicals of the time in leaving the old

Christian denomination A Christian denomination is a distinct Religion, religious body within Christianity that comprises all Church (congregation), church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadersh ...

s (see also

Evangelical Movement of Wales The Evangelical Movement of Wales, formed in 1948, came to light as a counter move by reformed Christians to the liberal theology which was gaining influence into the Protestant denominations of Wales during the 20th century. The Movement is a f ...

and Dr

Martyn Lloyd-Jones David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (20 December 1899 – 1 March 1981) was a Welsh Congregationalist minister and medical doctor who was influential in the Calvinist wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he ...

), on finding that evangelical churches best suited his

reformed theology Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

. He had a regular column in the Welsh-language magazine of the Evangelical Movement of Wales, ''Y Cylchgrawn Efengylaidd'', discussing the Christian heritage of Welsh literature.

Welshman

Jones was a

Welsh nationalist Welsh nationalism () emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Culture of Wales, Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self-determination, which includes Welsh de ...

and a strong supporter of the Welsh language. He would argue that culture and the nation are ordained of God and that therefore sustaining their existence is a form of praise to God. His ideas on nationalism and on politics in general are best put forward in his book ''Crist a Chenedlaetholdeb (Christ and Nationalism)'', published in 1994. His view on sustaining the Welsh language and his contribution to it are unique. Many Welsh scholars such as R Tudur Jones contributed through support for pressure groups such as ''

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg The Welsh Language Society (, also often abbreviated to Cymdeithas yr Iaith or just Cymdeithas in English) is a direct action pressure group in Wales campaigning for the right of Welsh people to use the Welsh language in every aspect of their l ...

''. Jones was a supporter of such campaigns, but his major contribution to promoting the language was in teaching Welsh to adults. Having learnt Welsh himself, he held that the key to restoring the Welsh language was to win over the non-Welsh speakers of Wales, as opposed to putting all the energy into campaigning for the rights of existing Welsh speakers. He felt that in addition to protesting over their rights to the government, Welsh speakers should themselves act positively. In adult teaching, he was the founder of CYD: '' Cymdeithas y Dysgwyr'' (Learners' Society), which arranges night classes in Welsh throughout Wales, and remained its honorary President until his death. Though a republican in his views, he taught Welsh to

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

when the latter attended the

University of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a public research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 students studying across three academic facul ...

, in the summer of 1969, leading up to his investiture as

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

Works

*''Y Gân Gyntaf'' (1957) *''Nid yw Dwr yn Plygu'' (1958) *''I'r Arch'' (1959) *''Bod yn Wraig'' (1960) *''Rhwng Taf a Thaf'' (1960) *''Y Tair Rhamant'' (1960) *''Lenyddiaeth Saesneg yn Addysg Cymru'' (1961) *''Emile'' (1963) *''Cyflwyno'r Gymraeg'' (1964) *''System in Child Language'' (1964) *''Tyred Allan'' (1965) *''Man Gwyn'' (1965) *''Cymraeg i Oedolion'' (1965-1966) *''Y Dyn Na Ddaeth Adref'' (1966) *''Yr Wyl Ifori'' (1967) *''Ci Wrth y Drws'' (1968) *''Daw'r Pasg i Bawb'' (1969) *''Highlights in Welsh Literature'' (1969) *''Pedwar Emynydd'' (1970) *''Allor Wydn'' (1971) *''Sioc o'r Gofod'' (1971) *''Traed Prydferth'' (1973) *''Tafod y Llenor'' (1974) *''Ysgrifennu Creadigal i Fyfyrwyr Prifysgol'' (1974) *''Cyfeiriadur i'r Athro Iaith'' (co-author) (3 vol. (1974-1979) *''Llenyddiaeth Cymru'' (1975) *''Gwlad Llun'' (1976) *''

Ann Griffiths Ann Griffiths (née Thomas, 1776–1805) was a Welsh poet and writer of Methodist Christian hymns in the Welsh language. Her poetry reflects her fervent Christian faith and thorough scriptural knowledge. Biography Ann was born in April 1776 ...

: y Cyfrinydd Sylweddol'' (1977) *''Llên Cymru a Chrefydd'' (1977) *''Pwy Laddodd Miss Wales?'' (1977) *'' 'Narrative Structure in Medieval Welsh Prose Tales' '' (1983) *"Selected poems" (1987) *"Ysbryd y cwlwm" (1998) *"Ynghylch tawelwch" (1998) *"Tair rhamant Arthuraidd" (1998) *"Rhy iach" (2004) *"Y Fadarchen Hudol" (2005) *"Meddwl y Gynghanedd" (2005)

Sources

;Notes ;Bibliography *Jones, Bobi: "Gweld gwerth" in magazine ''Taliesin'' *Jones, Bobi: "Language regained" *Emyr, John: "Bobi Jones": 75th volume in the Writers of Wales series published on behalf of the Welsh Arts Council

External links