Career
Phillips was educated at The Cathedral School, Llandaff, Dean Close School and Brasenose College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1938. After a curacy at Street Julian, Newport he was Rector of Northolt from 1940 to 1955 and Bloomsbury from 1956 to 1968.
He was Dean of Llandaff from 1968 until 1971 then Gresham Professor of Divinity from 1967 until 1969, and from 1971 until 1973.