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Emeritus Professor Robert Maynard Jones
Emeritus Professor Robert Maynard Jones (born 1929) a Christian and a Welshman, best known as Bobi Jones is probably the most prolific Welsh writer in the history of the language. A versatile master of poetry, fictional prose and criticism, he is now in his seventies and still producing work of a high standard. He was born in Cardiff in 1929, educated at the University of Wales and University College, Dublin, Professor Jones held the chair in Welsh at Aberystwyth from 1980 until his retirement. (see also R Geraint Gruffydd)
The 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
The Christian
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Bobi Jones
Bobi Jones is a Christian leaning firmly on Calvinism. He attended a denominal Chapel in Aberystwyth up until a Welsh Evangelical Church was established in the town. He therefore followed the trend of evangelicals of the time in leaving the old denominations (see also Evangelical Movement of Wales and Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones). He found that evangelical churches best suited his reformed theology. He has a regular article in the magazine of the Evangelical Movement of Wales discussing the rich heritage of the Welsh hymn.
The Welshman
Bobi Jones is a Welsh Nationalist and is a strong supporter of the Welsh language. He would argue that culture and the nation are ordinations of God therefore sustaining their existence is a form of praise before 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 how he contributed to the struggle is somewhat unique. Many Welsh scholars such as R Tudur Jones contributed to the struggle through their support of pressure groups such as Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg; while on one hand Bobi Jones was a supporter of such campaigns he also had his own ideas.
The logo of CYD, of which Bobi Jones was a founder Being a Welsh learner himself he held that the key to the restoration of the Welsh language was winning over the non-Welsh speakers of Wales as opposed to putting all energy in campaigning for the rights of existing Welsh speakers. He felt that the Welsh speaker was too fast in his protest for rights from the government and held back from doing something positive himself. Bobi Joness positive contribution was to engage in teaching Welsh to adults. He was the founder of CYD which stands for Cymdeithas y Dysgwyr (Learners Society). CYD is a society which arranges night classes for Welsh learners throughout Wales. He is their honorary President to this day. Despite being a Republican he taught Welsh to Prince Charles when the latter attended Aberystwyth University in the summer of 1969 leading up to his coronation as Prince of Wales.
Sources
- Jones, Bobi : 'Gweld gwerth' in magazine 'Taliesyn' : 200?
- Jones, Bobi : 'Language regained'
- Emyr, John : 'Bobi Jones' : 75th volume in the 'Writers of Wales Series' published on behalf of the Welsh Arts Council
Other Welsh Christian Figures on Wikipedia
External links
- CYD (http://www.aber.ac.uk/~welwww/)
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