Jonathan Robert Spencer, FRSE, FBA (born 23 December 1954) is a British social anthropologist and academic.
He studied social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, and graduated with an undergraduate Master of Arts (MA Hons) degree in 1977.
He undertook postgraduate research at the University of Oxford, and graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1986.
[3] Spencer's field of interest include nationalism, politics, violence, Buddhism and Sri Lanka.
Together with his University of Edinburgh colleague, Alan Barnard, the two have produced a history of anthropological theory which continues to be a widely used textbook at institutions of higher education.