Giles Fraser
Encyclopedia
Giles Anthony Fraser is a priest
of the Church of England
. He was Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral
from 2009 until his resignation in October 2011. As Canon Chancellor, Fraser fulfilled the role of a canon
residentiary with special responsibility for contemporary ethics
and engagement with the City of London
as a financial centre
. He is also the director of St Paul's Institute.
Fraser's father was Jewish, and Fraser himself was circumcised. He was educated at a Christian school (Uppingham School
) and became a Christian. His record is one of passionate involvement in social and political advocacy.
Fraser is widely known as a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4
's Thought for the Day
. Since 2004, he has had a weekly column in the Church Times
. He has written regularly for The Guardian
as well as the Daily Mail
and the Socialist Worker
.
Fraser attended Newcastle University, Ripon College Cuddesdon
and the University of Lancaster. He was ordained as a deacon
in 1993 and as a priest
the following year, serving as the curate
of All Saints in Streetly
from 1993 to 1997. From 1997 to 2006, he was a chaplain
and then a lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford
. He is the author and co-author of several books and is a specialist on the writings of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
.
Fraser is also a regular lecturer on moral leadership for the British Army
at the Defence Academy at Shrivenham
.
From 2000 to 2009, he was the Team Rector of St Mary’s Putney
, where he led a successful campaign to raise the national profile of the Putney Debates
.
Fraser was the founder, and is currently the President, of Inclusive Church and is well-known for campaigning for lesbian and gay inclusion within the church.
In October 2011, Occupy London
based their protest outside St Paul's. Fraser said that he was happy for people to "exercise their right to protest peacefully" outside the cathedral and threatened to resign should force be used to remove the protesters. His resignation was subsequently announced on 27 October.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He was Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
from 2009 until his resignation in October 2011. As Canon Chancellor, Fraser fulfilled the role of a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
residentiary with special responsibility for contemporary ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and engagement with the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
as a financial centre
Financial Centre
A financial centre is a global city that is a company and business hub, as well as being home to many world famous banks and/or stock exchanges....
. He is also the director of St Paul's Institute.
Fraser's father was Jewish, and Fraser himself was circumcised. He was educated at a Christian school (Uppingham School
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
) and became a Christian. His record is one of passionate involvement in social and political advocacy.
Fraser is widely known as a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Thought for the Day
Thought for the Day
Thought for the Day is a daily scripted slot on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 offering "reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news", broadcast at around 7.45 each Monday to Saturday morning...
. Since 2004, he has had a weekly column in the Church Times
Church Times
The Church Times is an independent Anglican weekly newspaper. It is published in the United Kingdom on Fridays.The Church Times was founded in 1863 to campaign for Anglo-Catholic principles and has always been independent of the Church of England hierarchy. It was a family concern The Church Times...
. He has written regularly for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
as well as the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and the Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers associated with the International Socialist Tendency...
.
Fraser attended Newcastle University, Ripon College Cuddesdon
Ripon College Cuddesdon
Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England.-History:Ripon College Cuddesdon was formed from an amalgamation in 1975 of Cuddesdon College and Ripon Hall...
and the University of Lancaster. He was ordained as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1993 and as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
the following year, serving as the curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of All Saints in Streetly
Streetly
Streetly is an area which lies mainly in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, England around 8 miles to the north of Birmingham. Streetly lies on the border of Birmingham and Walsall and is part of the West Midlands conurbation. It is adjacent to Aldridge, Sutton Coldfield, Great Barr and Four...
from 1993 to 1997. From 1997 to 2006, he was a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and then a lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He is the author and co-author of several books and is a specialist on the writings of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
.
Fraser is also a regular lecturer on moral leadership for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at the Defence Academy at Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
.
From 2000 to 2009, he was the Team Rector of St Mary’s Putney
St. Mary's Church, Putney
St. Mary's Church , Putney is an Anglican church in Putney, London sited next to the river Thames, beside the southern approach to Putney Bridge. There has been a centre of Christian worship on this site from at least the 13th century, and the church is still very active today...
, where he led a successful campaign to raise the national profile of the Putney Debates
Putney Debates
The Putney Debates were a series of discussions between members of the New Model Army – a number of the participants being Levellers – concerning the makeup of a new constitution for England....
.
Fraser was the founder, and is currently the President, of Inclusive Church and is well-known for campaigning for lesbian and gay inclusion within the church.
In October 2011, Occupy London
Occupy London
Occupy London is an ongoing peaceful protest and demonstration against economic inequality, the lack of affordability of housing in the United Kingdom, social injustice, corporate greed and the influence of companies and lobbyists on government taking place in London, United Kingdom, which started...
based their protest outside St Paul's. Fraser said that he was happy for people to "exercise their right to protest peacefully" outside the cathedral and threatened to resign should force be used to remove the protesters. His resignation was subsequently announced on 27 October.