INTRODUCING...

Charles B. Jones

Subjects: Theology and History of Interfaith Dialogue

Born in 1957, Dr. Charles B. Jones attended college at Morehead State University, Kentucky, then attended the Divinity School of Duke University, earning the Master of Theological Studies degree in 1988. He went directly from there to the University of Virginia, earning a Ph.D. in 1996 in History of Religions with an emphasis on East Asian Buddhism. He is an associate professor in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, where he teaches courses in world religions and interreligious dialogue. He is also a frequent lecturer for the Smithsonian Associates and Cathedral College, and has spoken to many church forums on issues of religious diversity and dialogue. His books include Buddhism in Taiwan: Religion and the State 1660- 1990 (University of Hawaii Press, 1999) and The View From Mars Hill: Christianity in the Landscape of World Religions (Cowley, 2005), as well as several articles on Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In 2003 he was invited to Saudi Arabia for the conference "Islam and the Dialogue of Civilizations" sponsored by the government, and was a participant in the consultation of the Anglican Communion's Network for Interfaith Concerns, in Bangalore, India later that same year. He currently resides in Maryland with his wife Brenda and his son, near his daughter and grandchildren.