John Spencer Macauley was born August 22, 1928 to John and Ormah Macauley in Wichita, Kansas. He graduated from Wichita State College and the Epsicopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts before being ordained an Episcopal priest in 1953. He was vicar of St. Paul's in Marysville and St. Mark's in Blue Rapids, Kansas and then in 1956 became rector of Grace Church in Winfield.

After earning a doctorate in 17th century British history from Selwyn College, Cambridge University, England, Macauley came back to Kansas to take an appointment at the University of Kansas as associate professor of Religion and History at the School of Religion. He taught at KU for almost 40 years, retiring in 2003 and becoming professor emeritus.

While living in Lawrence, Macauley served as assisting priest and later rector at Trinity Episcopal Church. He helped found St. Margaret's Episcopal Church and Bishop Seabury Academy, and he co-founded the first Episcopal Native American campus ministry at Haskell University.

Macauley wrote Richard Montague Canon of Windsor and edited The Autobiography of Thomas Secker Archbishop of Canterbury.

John S. Macauley died August 2, 2012 in Lawrence, Kansas.