Ruth Gledhill
From Philosopedia
Ruth Gleldhill (1959 - )
Gledhill, the daughter of the local vicar, grew up in Gratwich, a village near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England.
Interested in journalism, she worked with the Uttoxeter Advertiser and then with the Birmingham Post and Mail, the Daily Mail in 1984, and The Times in 1987. In 1989, she became religion correspondent of The Times. At City University, she tutors journalism students.
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Author
With Tim Webb in 1983, she co-authored a guide to Birmingham entitled Birmingham is not a Boring City. She also edited The Times Book of Prayers and The Times Book of Best Sermons, (Universal Graphics Books) which for six years was published in connection with The Times Preacher of the Year Award.
Journalist
A controversial thinker, she wrote in 2007 an article, "It is time for the Anglican Luthers to divorce," concluding, in a strong criticism of Peter Akinola and other anti-gay leaders in the church, that
- Historically, there are always critical moments — and for the Anglican Communion this is just such a moment. The Church of England was founded in the first place on the divorce of a king. It defies the reason that gave it birth, therefore, that it should now be resist its own internal divorce in the name of Church unity. The price for this notional unity, if pursued at all costs, will be continuous factionalism over an issue that is giving the Church a bad name and making it appear obsessed with sex.
- An obsession with unity is blinding Anglican leaders from seeing the truth now facing them. It would be a better, braver and more realistic course of action to separate. It is time for the Anglican Communion to divide up the assets and divorce.
Peter Mullen, 66, chaplain to the London Stock Exchange, "should have his bottom spanked," she wrote in October 2008, for writing in an article,
- Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan SODOMY CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH and their chins with FELLATIO KILLS.
Mullen, the rector of St. Michael's Cornhill and St. Sepulchre without Newgate in the City, also called for all gay pride parades - which he brands "obscene" - to be outlawed. In another internet posting, the rector wrote a poem condemning the blessing of two gay priests at a "wedding" which the Rev Martin Dudley performed at his church St. Bartholomew the Great in the City, a work that starts,
- The Bishop of London is in a high huff,
- Because Dr Dudley has married a puff;
- And not just one puff - he's married another:
- Two priests, two puffs and either to other.
For an example of her journalistic style, see "Articles of Faith" (12 May 2011), in which she analyzes the sermon given by the Bishop of London at the time of the royal wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton
Selected Articles
Journalisted includes over 1,300 articles by Gledhill. Following are some selected news accounts in the London Times that show her craft:
- June 2011
- Vatican is accused of delaying report on Irish child abuse scandal
- May 2011
- Academics at Oxford consider rebranding “theology” as “religious studies.”
- English and Welsh Catholic bishops advised to return to not eating meat on Fridays
- Archbishop of Canterbury condemns killing of bin Laden.
- Five Roman Catholic adoption agencies have closed since laws came into force requiring
- them to recruit gay couples, making it harder for some of the most vulnerable children
- to be found a home.
- Kate Middleton will not promise to “obey” Prince William at their marriage – she will pledge to “love and cherish.”
- April 2011
- Catholics to welcome new priest . . . and his wife and 8 children.
- Nearly 4,000 of the nation’s 47,000 churches are in poor or very poor condition,
- needing an average of £80,000 spending on each for repairs.
- Vicar Nicholas Holtam, approved by the Queen to become the new Bishop of Salisbury,
- has become the first clergyman married to a divorcee to be made a bishop.
- March 2011
- Three former Anglican bishops are elevated to “Monsignor” by the Pope.
- An Increase is noted in Church of England members defecting to Catholic Church
- Ancient Bible scholars "framed" Eve as the architect of "Original Sin" out of sexism,
- according to a leading academic. Far from being responsible for the "Fall of Man",
- she was actually the wife of God himself, according to atheist Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou,
- senior lecturer in the Hebrew Bible at the University of Exeter
- Jews not to blame for Jesus’s death, says the Pope.
Twitterer
Her online twitter page has a large following, and her views online are popular.
Selected Works
(See a listing of Gledhill's Times articles.)
- Seventh Times Book of Best Sermons (Paperback - Dec. 2001
- Sixth Times Book of Best Sermons (Paperback - Sept. 1, 2001)
- The Fifth Times Book of Best Sermons
- (with Margaret Brearley, Paperback - Mar. 2000)
- The Fourth Times Book of Best Sermons (Paperback - Feb. 1999)
- Times Best Sermons of 1998 (Paperback - May 1998)
- Times Best Sermons of 1996 (Paperback - Dec. 1998)
- Times Book of Prayers (Paperback - Nov. 1997)
- At a Service Near You (Paperback - Apr. 4, 1996)
- Times Book of Best Sermons (Paperback - Nov. 16, 1995)
- Birmingham is Not a Boring City
- (with Tim Webb, Paperback - Sept. 1983)
Personal
Gledhill is married to Alan Franks, a Times feature writer, poet, and musician. He has four children, and the two have a son, Arthur.
Websites
- public profile
- at The Times.
- website
- that contains additional photographs.)
