Bobi Jones

Emeritus Professor Robert Maynard Jones (born 1929), generally known as Bobi Jones, is a Welsh Christian academic and one of the most prolific writers in the history of the Welsh language. A versatile master of poetry, fictional prose and criticism, he was born in Cardiff in 1929, educated at the University of Wales, Cardiff (now Cardiff University) and University College Dublin. Jones held the chair in Welsh language at Aberystwyth from 1980 until his retirement. (See also R. Geraint Gruffydd)

"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

Bobi Jones is a Christian leaning firmly to Calvinism. He attended a denominational chapel in Aberystwyth until a Welsh Evangelical Church was established in the town. He therefore followed a trend among Evangelicals of the time in leaving the old Christian denominations (see also Evangelical Movement of Wales and Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones), on finding that evangelical churches best suited his reformed theology. He has a regular column in the Welsh-language magazine of the Evangelical Movement of Wales, 'Y Cylchgrawn Efengylaidd', discussing the rich Christian heritage of Welsh literature.

Jones is a Welsh nationalist and is 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.

...
Wikipedia