Rufus Matthew Jones

St Paul the Hero Rufus Matthew Jones

Rufus Matthew Jones, the great American Quaker philosopher, was born in South China, Maine, in 1863. He received his B. A. degree from Haverford College in 1885, an A. M. in 1886, and an LL. D. in 1922. From 1917 to 1927, and again from 1934 to 1944, he was chairman of the American Friends Service Committee for European Relief which was founded in 1917 largely through his efforts. He was serving as honorary chairman in 1947 when the Committee was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.; He is the author of a large number of works, predominantly on mysticism. He died in 1948 at Haverford. St Paul the Hero was one of Rufus Jones' few excursions into children's literature, but it was received with great acclaim, and we can only be sorry that he did not continue in this genre. It tells in a thrilling narrative the story of Saul who became St Paul, combined with intimations of the deep inner level of understanding that characterizes the many works on mysticism for which Rufus Jones is most well known.