Jerome Murphy O'Connor, O. P., 1935-2013

I was so sorry to hear of the death of Jerome Murphy O'Connor earlier today.  Not only was he a fine scholar, but he was also a kind-spirited, sweet-natured and generous human being, who always had time for for people.  I was only lucky enough to meet him on a couple of occasions, one time in London as he was exiting an art gallery as I was entering it.

Everyone spoke well of him.

Jerome Murphy O'Connor was a gifted writer, whose prose was always lucid and lively.  His scholarly insights were fascinating, even surprising (like his suggestion that Paul's wife died in a house-fire, or that the Galatians may well have had extraordinarily large moustaches).

See also comments from James McGrath, John Byron, Jim Davila, Jim West, James Tabor and many others.

A sad loss for the guild.