Paul Jones (bishop)
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Paul Jones (25 November 1880 – 4 September 1941) was the Episcopal Bishop of
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(1916–1918), a socialist, and a prominent
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
. He is included in the ''book of Lesser Feasts and Fasts'' of the Episcopal Church. His feast day is September 4.


Early life and education

Jones was born in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It ...
, to Sarah Eastman Coffin Jones and Henry Lawrence Jones, rector of St. Stephen's parish. Paul Jones attended the local grammar school, then
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. During summers he worked near home, once as a strikebreaker, and once learning accounting in a mine company's front office. After graduating in 1902, Jones traveled to
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and attended the
Episcopal Divinity School The Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is an unaccredited theological school in New York City. Established to train people for ordination in the American Episcopal Church, the seminary eventually began training students from other denominations. T ...
. He learned about social action theology, including works of Frederick D. Maurice. Before Jones graduated in 1906, Utah's rugged Missionary Bishop Franklin Spencer Spalding (like himself a clergyman's son) addressed the students. This prompted Jones to volunteer to serve in that diocese. After receiving a pay raise, Jones married Mary Balch in
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in June 1913. They had a daughter and son, Barbara Spalding Jones (b. 1915) and David Balch Jones (b. 1923), both of whom survived him. He would later receive
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from
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(L.L.D in 1934), and Meadville Theological School (D.D. in 1937).


Ministry

Jones accepted a position at the mission church of St. John in
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and also ministered to students at the nearby Utah Agricultural College. He also cleared a farm in the mountains (that was later donated to St. John's Church), as well as traveled to remote parishes in the large missionary district. Bishop
Ethelbert Talbot Ethelbert Talbot (October 9, 1848 – February 27, 1928) was the fifteenth presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. He is credited with inspiring Pierre de Coubertin to coin the phrase, "The important thing in the Olympic Games is not so much t ...
of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania had ordained him a deacon after his graduation, and by year's end, Bishop Spalding had ordained him a priest. His rank increased from associate of the St. John's mission to priest-in-charge in 1911. Jones also served as secretary of the diocesan convocations from 1907 until 1914. Like Bishop Spalding, Jones was a social activist and pacifist, especially after witnessing ill-treatment of miners and railroad workers, as well as discrimination against German immigrants in Salt Lake City. When Bishop Spalding died unexpectedly after being hit by a car, the diocese chose Jones (whom Bishop Spalding had appointed as archdeacon in 1913) as his successor. On December 16, 1914, Presiding Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle (himself a former Missionary Bishop of Utah who had become bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri) led the consecration service, joined by California bishops William Ford Nichols, William Hall Moreland and
Joseph Horsfall Johnson Joseph Horsfall Johnson (June 7, 1847- May 16, 1928) was the first Bishop of Los Angeles in The Episcopal Church. Early life and education Johnson was born on June 7, 1847 in Schenectady, New York, the son of Stephen Hotchkiss Johnson and Elea ...
as well as mostly current or former western missionary bishops Talbot, James Bowen Funsten, Robert L. Paddock, Nathaniel S. Thomas, Benjamin Brewster and Louis Childs Sanford. Bishop Jones' ministry continued to take him to many reservations of Native Americans, as well as among miner and railroad workers. He traveled many miles around the diocese visiting parishes by railroad, stagecoach, motorcar, horse and foot. In the years preceding
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
,
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near Salt Lake City became a detention center for pacifists, a German naval crew, and later German-Americans. The lawyer son of the camp's commander was an active layman in the joint vestry of the two Salt Lake parishes, and also lost a son during military training in 1916. Because of Jones' outspoken opposition to
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, particularly his declaration that "war is unchristian" in August 1917 which received wide press coverage after police raided pacifists meeting in
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(and a complaint filed from the Salt Lake City parishes), Jones was hauled before a special committee of the House of Bishops in
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by year's end. Although the committee initially recommended he remain in his post, Presiding Bishop Tuttle appointed a second committee that never received certain defense documents (including a survey demonstrating overwhelming support for him outside the two Salt Lake City parishes) and recommended Jones take a leave of absence based on his opposition to government policy. By year's end, Jones resigned his see effective April 11, 1918 (Easter Sunday that year being March 31). The United States formally joined
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in February 1918. The resigned bishop became a missionary in tiny Brownville Junction, Maine, on a railroad line to
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and near the end of what became the
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. His Utah missionary see lay vacant until the war's end, when Rev. Arthur Moulton, who had served as a combat chaplain and who also espoused socialist ideals and would work for peace following
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, was chosen Jones' successor. In 1921, Philadelphia's
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invited Jones to address them. Jones helped the
Fellowship of Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR or FOR) is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries. They are linked by affiliation to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR). ...
become international in 1919, and moved to New York and became its secretary for a decade. Although in 1929 Jones was chosen as temporary bishop of
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while the next incumbent was being selected, he never again held a permanent diocese. In 1933, presiding bishop James DeWolf Perry restored Jones's seat, but not his vote, in the House of Bishops. In 1929, Jones accepted a position as chaplain and assistant professor of religion at
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in
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and while there sometimes referred to himself as "Bishop to the Universe." He also became a director of the
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and the
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. Rt. Rev. Jones continued to advocate for black civil rights, social reform and economic justice. On November 11, 1939 (
Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark Armistice of 11 November 1918, the armistice signed between th ...
), he joined bishop William Appleton Lawrence (of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts), and New Yorkers Mrs. Henry Hill Pierce and John Nevin Sayre to found the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship (that in 1966 became the Episcopal Peace Fellowship). Just before his death, Jones helped resettle Jews displaced by the Nazis and advocated a more understanding U.S. relationship with Japan. In 1940, Jones was the socialist candidate for governor of Ohio (and lost by a significant margin to incumbent Republican John W. Bricker as well as Democrat
Martin L. Davey Martin Luther Davey (July 25, 1884March 31, 1946) was an American U.S. Democratic Party, Democratic politician from Ohio. After serving in the US House of Representatives , U.S. House of Representatives, he served as the 53rd governor of Ohio. ...
).


Death and legacy

Jones died of
multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibody, antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone ...
in Yellow Springs, Ohio on September 4, 1941, survived by his wife, daughter and 18-year-old son. A scrapbook of his missionary journeys. as well as issues of his Logan parish newsletter and about his trial is now made available online by
Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...
. In 1957 the
Lambeth Conference The Lambeth Conference convenes as the Archbishop of Canterbury summons an assembly of Anglican bishops every ten years. The first took place at Lambeth in 1867. As regional and national churches freely associate with the Anglican Communion, ...
adopted a statement condemning war as a method of settling international disputes, finding it incompatible with Jesus' teaching and urging extension of the right of conscientious objection. In 1962, the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops passed a resolution recognizing "the validity of the calling of the conscientious objector and the pacifist and the duty of the Church fully to minister to him, and its obligation to see that we live in a society in which the dictates of his conscience are respected.” Since 1994, the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA) has remembered Bishop Jones on the anniversary of his death, September 4., also published at


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Paul American Christian pacifists Anglican pacifists American anti-war activists People from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania People from Yellow Springs, Ohio People from Logan, Utah 1880 births 1941 deaths Deaths from multiple myeloma in the United States Anglican saints American Christian socialists Anglican socialists 20th-century American Episcopal priests Episcopal bishops of Southern Ohio Episcopal bishops of Utah