Christopher Jones
Research Fellow
Biography:
Christopher D. Jones is Assistant Professor of Theology at Barry University and an Episcopal Priest. His research interests include moral psychology, ecumenical ethics, Anglican ethics, and science-engaged theological anthropology. He is the author of several articles on virtues and vices and the history of moral theology. Chris received his Ph.D. in theological ethics from Boston College, and has degrees from The University of Oxford, Yale Divinity School, and Taylor University.
Research Project:
Jones’s research considers the vice of acedia and offers strategies to correct the problems it poses for human flourishing. Acedia is a vice that sorrows rather than rejoices at the genuine goods in one’s life. As such, acedia disorders character and makes humans miserable. Since these problems are empirically verifiable, this project critically integrates Thomas Aquinas, psychology, and psychiatry to derive a theological and empirical answer to four questions: How should we understand human flourishing in light of traditional theologies of acedia? How does acedia undermine happiness and wellbeing? How can acedia be corrected to foster flourishing? And what light do the sciences shed on these topics?
Contact: cjones@barry.edu