Ruth Gledhill

Ruth Gledhill (born 1959) is an English journalist and is a former religion affairs correspondent for The Times, a post she left in 2014.[1] Gledhill was the last full-time newspaper journalist dedicated to religious affairs in the UK. She is currently assistant editor, home and digital, of The Tablet.[2]

Gledhill grew up in Gratwich, Staffordshire, a small village near Uttoxeter, as the daughter of the local vicar.[3] She is married to Alan Franks, a writer for The Times[4] and The Guardian,[5] a playwright and musician.[6] The couple have one son, Arthur.

Gledhill began her career in Uttoxeter with the Uttoxeter Advertiser and then moved to the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Evening Mail before joining the Daily Mail in 1984 and The Times in 1987; she became The Times religion correspondent in 1989.

She co-authored (with Tim Webb)[7] 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, published for six years in connection with The Times Preacher of the Year Award.[8]

Gledhill has argued in favour of the "benefits of schism" within the Anglican Communion, taking a critical stance against Peter Akinola and other church leaders with conservative views on homosexuality.[9]

Gledhill has been shortlisted three times in the British Press Awards[10] and won the Andrew Cross Award for Religious Writer of the Year in 2004[11]

Times religion correspondent Ruth Gledhill films a visit to Auschwitz in November 2008, hosted by Rabbi Barry Marcus and the Holocaust Education Trust, of nine faith leaders headed by Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks and Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. Other faiths represented were Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Zoroastrian.
  1. ^ Turvill, William (15 May 2014). "Fleet Street's last religious affairs position axed as Ruth Gledhill leaves Times after 27 years". Press Gazette. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  2. ^ "The Tablet | International Catholic News & Opinion".
  3. ^ https://insight.sherborneabbey.com/event/truth-and-the-media/
  4. ^ "Search". The Times.
  5. ^ "Alan Franks". The Guardian.
  6. ^ http://alanfranks.com
  7. ^ "Birmingham is Not a Boring City". ISBNdb.com. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  8. ^ "Amazon". Amazon UK.
  9. ^ Gledhill, Ruth (14 February 2007). "It is time for the Anglican Luthers to divorce". The Times. Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  10. ^ http://www.pressawards.org.uk/page-view.php?pagename=Specialist-Journalist-of-the-Year
  11. ^ "Andrew Cross Awards 2004". 3 July 2004.