Giles Fraser - Life and Career

Life and Career

Fraser's father was Jewish and his mother from a Christian background, and Fraser himself was circumcised according to Jewish tradition. He was educated at a fee-paying Christian school (Uppingham School) and became a Christian. He has been involved in social and political advocacy and according to the Daily Telegraph "would be the first to admit that he is fond of the sound of his own voice".

Fraser has contributed to BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day. From 2004 to 2013, he had a weekly column in the Church Times. He has written for The Guardian, the Daily Mail and 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 in 1994, 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 or co-author of several books and is a specialist on the writings of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Fraser has lectured 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 campaigned to raise the profile of the Putney Debates (1647).

Fraser was the founder, and is currently the President, of Inclusive Church and campaigns 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. Fraser resigned as he could not sanction any policy of the chapter of St Paul's to use force to remove the protesters. Fraser has said that it was "a huge matter of regret to leave" St Paul's. "But not for one moment have I thought that I did the wrong thing."