Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Lyons, James

Theologian, librarian; born Adelaide, 4 October 1933; died Oxford, England, 18 July 1979, aged 45.

James Lyons was a lively and alert man, somewhat ungainly and severe of appearance at first encounter. One detected early on a single-mindedness of purpose, a rather quaint and old-fashioned courtesy of manner, and a concern for the right word verging on the pedantic. He had a great sense of humour, and was master of the pun. Lyons was a centre of fun in the community, not an entertainer, but one in whom the stranger found acceptance. Foreigners were always attracted to him. Above all he was a person of self-sacrificing helpfulness, which seemed rooted in his deep-seated reverence for the other person. His service to others was based on a profound reverence for humanity. He respected human life in all its forms.

Lyons revered the written word. He had a great care for language. Possessed of powerful, synthetic thought, but not particularly lively or flexible mind, Lyons revered the truth. Over many long, laborious years he wrestled to cull a vision of the Christ of the Cosmos from the writing of Origen and Teilhard de Chardin, so that he might place that vision at the service of the Church.

Before the onset of his fatal illness, Lyons had spent over six years working at his Oxford D Phil thesis. He had an enormous capacity for research that had previously been shown in his work as librarian, first at Canisius College, Pymble, and later at the Jesuit Theological College, Parkville. Indeed, it was said jokingly of Lyons that his secret ambition was to have every word that had ever been committed to print appropriately catalogued and shelved.

Given his doggedness and willingness to undertake laborious tasks, it is not surprising that Lyons had chosen a topic which demanded that he study two difficult thinkers and acquire some mastery over foreign languages, an area in which he did not have natural gifts.

Lyons' area of work also said something of the quality of his vision. For the title of his thesis showed his interest in overarching themes, and his urge to incorporate the whole of reality into an intelligible framework. He had a systematic mind that was never happy with discordance and anomalies.

In his thesis he worked on a very broad theme and with two theologians who had been preoccupied with speculative questions. Lyons was interested in systematic thought that was totally explanatory. As a result, if you cavilled with his interpretation of a passage in Origen, Lyons would broaden the discussion to include almost the whole of theology. This provided illuminating discussion, but rarely promised brevity.

Concern for theological systems that are totally explanatory is often associated unfairly with personal inflexibility. This association certainly did not fit Lyons. His most characteristic qualities were his kindness and ability to laugh at himself.

Once Lyons was asked to act as sub-deacon in a liturgical extravaganza organised by some students. It was a Latin high Mass with all the old frills, followed by solemn Benediction. Lyons agreed and was later criticised by some for giving comfort to the traditionalists. His reply was characteristic: he was angry that, having celebrated 'kitchen table Masses' for radical students, he should be expected to refuse to celebrate with conservative students, and he said that the zest with which he sang his part had done more to lead the students to repent than his abstention would have done.

The indignation at what he took to be pharisaical criticism, the gentle self-depreciation and the sense of priesthood as being for the service of people were all characteristic of Lyons. Theology, however, systematic, was always at the service of Christian faith, never the master of faith.

His characteristic thoroughness and taste for large enterprises meant that Lyons would find it very hard to bring his work to completion. It also followed that when points of his work were questioned, Lyons' reaction was usually to spend a month or so shoring up the threatened points of his system. Any supervisor would have had to weigh the validity of criticism against the magnitude of the response that Lyons made to it. No point was too small to deserve massive attention if it was questioned.

In sickness, Lyons showed not only heroic diligence in research, but indomitable courage and tranquil faith. He earned the respect and affection of all who knew him.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)