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The Best...TV vicar

Peter Owen Jones
  • Posted at 5:24pm
  • 18 January 2008
  • by RuthMargolis-RT
  • 11 comments

How many Church of England vicars do you know who've confessed to thinking about breasts while meditating with a Shaolin kung fu monk? I know of only one such holy man. Peter Owen Jones: philosopher, warrior, priest. Anyone hoping for an ode to a certain purveyor of ecclesiastic comedy twaddle (that means you, Vicar of Dibley), kindly go and eat your dog collar.

I stumbled across the Reverend back in 2006 when he presented The Lost Gospels on BBC4 - a rousing exploration of the missing New Testament texts. I liked his fedora, his weather-and-strife-lashed under-eye area and those dusty, matted locks. But most of all I drank up his non-preachiness; the earnest, searching musings he poured forth as he trekked, shirt billowing, through a blistering desert backdrop. This wasn't an attempt to make me or anyone else believe in God. He was merely painting in Christianity's rich history.

I think Owen Jones was leaning coquettishly against an Ionic column in the Vatican when he explained how a woman - Mary Magdalene - might actually have been the first pope. This is a man with a sturdy, mature spirituality but one who's not scared to scrutinise and strip back his own religion. OK, he's not the first theologian to offer a sideways glance at Christianity. But he is, to my knowledge, the first to do so while looking disarmingly like Indiana Jones.

Now the craggy Rev - a former advertising executive - is back (woefully, without the hat) in Extreme Pilgrim on BBC2. The three-part series sees him search for spiritual enlightenment by shadowing holy men from around the world. Owen Jones thinks Westerners have lost touch with the essence of spirituality. He's also worried for his own underfed soul, so bounds, tail wagging, into a series of exploratory, spiritual clinches with enlightened folk in China, India and Egypt.

In India a sadhu suggests that Owen Jones meditate while standing on his head. Rather than clenching his buttocks and politely declining like a normal person, he does as he's told. Genitals nestled in a fragile muslin pouch, he gamely puts head to woven mat and summons enlightenment. Atta boy.

But swelling a spirit shrivelled by overexposure to a busy life and Western vices (he smoke roll-ups and drinks) ain't easy. And so come the tears, the self-doubt, the physical pain and a dose of dysentery. For what it's worth, I try to mentally coax him through uncomfortable situations, pausing only to soak up his charisma and his intoxicating willingness to question his mentors and seek enlightenment from every source. It's tiring but totally worth it.

Back home, Owen Jones is a humble clergyman in a small Sussex parish. I bet when he rocked up in the 90s, the congregation swelled and the ladies swooned. Perhaps one over-zealous parishioner even painted "Love you" on her eyelids à la Raiders of the Lost Ark. Tell you what - I would.

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Comments

  • Posted on 09 November 2009
  • at 7:37pm
  • by Kate Butler

I have a ridiculous crush on this man..hope I get over it!

  • Posted on 09 March 2009
  • at 7:28pm
  • by Scheherezade

What a breath of fresh air this man is, on so many levels. PO-J is a real antidote to the usual base fodder that is served up on TV. I have read several reviews of 'Around the World in 80 Faiths' and it seems that some reviewers object to what they call Peter's 'wishy-washy liberalism' - rubbish. It takes a man (or woman) of real faith to be able to step back from their own personal beliefs and re-examine their own faith in the light of what others believe.

I found Peter's ability to present the positive aspects of other faiths inspiring and for me, the central tenet of this series is that all world faiths have a common ground in that they are based on the premise that we must love and respect one another. If that is 'wishy-washy liberalism', well, so be it but to my mind, if all believers started to view things like that, perhaps the world could be a happier place. I wonder if his weekly sermons are as thought-provoking as his recent TV series!

Incidentally, has the weekly attendance at Sunday service risen in the parishes where he is Vicar, I wonder?

Oh, I also missed the hat too...

  • Posted on 02 March 2009
  • at 12:02am
  • by FY

I went to see Peter Owen Jones at St James' church in London last week - he was giving a talk about Extreme Pilgrim and Around the World in 80 Faiths. I got there early to get a seat at the front!! I agree with all the above comments - he is so charistmatic and is a wonderful speaker...and I wouldn't kick him out of bed, either, and I'm nearly 60!!!

  • Posted on 27 February 2009
  • at 12:54am
  • by RP

Peter Owen Jones! A very interesting person - loved the 80 Faiths series (recorded the lot) - what a down-to-earth man! I'm not fond of churches, but could easily go listen to one of his sermons! I find him very intriguing, charming and rather gorgeous (and I'm in my 30s!!!!) :)

  • Posted on 20 February 2009
  • at 10:41pm
  • by Diane

I have found peters latest tv venture "Around the world in 80 faiths" really interesting and entertaining. He is such a lovely grounded down to earth type of guy. I will really miss his series now that its come to an end. I understand his parish is in Sussex where I live. But just where about in sussex is his church???!!!

  • Posted on 11 February 2009
  • at 2:36pm
  • by B

I only became aware of Peter Owen Jones very recently when he conducted a family member's funeral. Later that evening I watched Around the World in 80 Faiths. Whilst it was slightly disarming to see him later the same day cavorting in a pair of underpants, I can honestly say that I was impressed (by the programme, not the pants. On second thoughts...) I was surprised to find such an accessible programme which managed to be interesting and informative, and entertaining and thought provoking at the same time. I only watched the programme as he had struck me as a very charismatic man in the flesh, it's good to see that this translates into his on-screen persona too.

  • Posted on 01 February 2009
  • at 1:19am
  • by Katyaa

I agree, I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed, his voice is so sexy and can you say you've seen a vicar in the bath or naked in a Sweat lodge? He's gorgeous.... xx

  • Posted on 27 January 2009
  • at 9:53pm
  • by Me

I wouldn't kick him out of bed for farting

  • Posted on 10 January 2009
  • at 5:23pm
  • by Kate Ballam

I watched Around the world in 80 Faiths last night and I loved it. I think Peter has got a wonderful speaking voice and he seems very cool and sexy. He made religion sound well interesting and I will be tuning in again next week. This guy rocks.

  • Posted on 27 March 2008
  • at 3:02pm
  • by Annetravels

I watched a small sample of the Reverend's spiritual expeditions and am delighted to say that I was both intrigued and impressed.

Having spent almost 2 years backpacking around the globe alone, I ditched the ties of my Roman Catholic faith and replaced it with a more universal spiritual view, as opposed to the committment to one faith. I think that Peter's experiences have highlighted the fact that, deep down we are seeking that elusive feeling of happiness and inner peace.

It made refreshing viewing to witness Peter's adventure and his views of the broader more spiritually holistic parts of our world... I am interested in reading any material he is likely to produce in the future. Keep up the good work Peter it makes fascinating viewing.

  • Posted on 07 February 2008
  • at 2:11pm
  • by SpursFan

Just so. It's great to encounter someone who can talk about spirituality / religion without sounding smarmy or fey.

The only thing I find distracting is that he looks and sounds exactly like the sculptor Peter Randall-Page. Maybe they went to the same school or something?

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