Tony Jones (theologian)

Tony Jones

Tony Jones is an American theologian, author, blogger, and speaker who is a leading figure in the emerging church movement and postmodern Christianity.^[1][2][3]

Biography

Jones graduated from Dartmouth College in 1990 with a B.A. in classics. He then studied at Fuller Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity and specializing in systematic theology and postmodern philosophy. He then attended Princeton Theological Seminary, but left the school after finishing the coursework for a Ph.D, leaving with ABD status. He later completed his Ph.D. in 2011 with a dissertation on the ecclesiology of the emerging church, which was then edited and published as The Church is Flat.^[4] Jones is ordained within the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.^[5]

Jones began his career as the Executive Director of YouthWorks Missions from 1994 to 1997. He then served as a youth pastor at a church in Edina, Minnesota and a chaplain to the city's police department.^[6] From 2005 to 2008 Jones was National Coordinator of The Emergent Village, an organization in the emerging church movement. Jones left Emergent Village in 2008 after his position was phased out when the organization tried to create more grassroots involvement, but is still actively involved in the movement.^[7][8]

In 2006, Jones co-convened the first meeting^[9] of Emergent church and "Jewish emergent" leaders;^[10] he recounted the episode, which drew criticism from conservative Christians, in his book The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16]} 

Jones serves as an adjunct professor at Andover Newton Theological School, Fuller Theological Seminary, and St. Cloud State University, as well as serving as the Theologian-in-Residence at Soloman's Porch, the church pastored by Doug Pagitt.^[17] Jones' blog, which was formerly hosted by Beliefnet and is currently hosted by Patheos, is one of the most widely read Christian blogs online.^[18]

Jones is the author or editor of eleven books and dozens of academic articles, writing on subjects such as postmodernism, youth ministry, ecclesiology, the emerging church, spiritual formation and theories of the atonement.^[19] He has argued in favor of René Girard's interpretation of the atonement as well as advocating for equal rights for those in the LGBT community.^{[20][21][22][23]}

In 2012 Jones testified before the Minnesota Senate, arguing for changes in the state's laws regarding parental custody following a divorce.^[24]

Personal life

Jones is divorced and lives in Minnesota with his second wife and three children.^[5][25] He is also a duck hunter.^[26]

Bibliography

• Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift, Cultivating Authentic Community, Creating Holistic Connections (Youth Specialties/Zondervan, 2001)
• Soul Shaper: Exploring Spirituality and Contemplative Practices in Youth Ministry (Youth Specialties/Zondervan, 2003).
• Pray (NavPress, 2003).
• Read.Think.Pray.Live (NavPress, 2003).
• The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life (Zondervan, 2005).
• You Converted Me: The Confessions of St. Augustine, editor (Paraclete Press, 2006).
• Divine Intervention: Encountering God through the Ancient Practice of Lectio Divina (NavPress, 2006) (revision of Read.Think.Pray.Live, 2003).
• The Most Difficult Journey You’ll Ever Make: The Pilgrim’s Progress, editor (Paraclete Press, 2006).
• "The Practice of the Presence of God," editor (Paraclete Press, 2007).
• An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, co-editor with Doug Pagitt (Baker Publishing House, 2007).
• Ask Seek Knock: Prayers to Change Your Life (NavPress, 2008) (revision of Pray, 2003).
• The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier ( Jossey-Bass, 2008).
• The Teaching of the Twelve: Believing and Practicing the Primitive Christianity of the Ancient Didache Community (Paraclete Press, 2009)
• The Church Is Flat: The Relational Ecclesiology of the Emerging Church Movement (The JoPa Group, 2011)
• A Better Atonement: Beyond the Depraved Doctrine of Original Sin (The JoPa Group, 2012)
• Questions That Haunt Christianity: Volume 1 (The JoPa Group, 2013)

See also

References

External links