Giles Fraser lecture addresses the trouble with community

Wednesday 6 March to deliver a free lecture on 'The trouble with community' at York Minster.

Giles Fraser is a priest of the Church of England and is currently the parish priest at St Mary's, Newington, in the Elephant and Castle, London. He was Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral from 2009 until his resignation in October 2011. In this role, 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 was also the director of St Paul's Institute.

In October 2011, Occupy London based a protest outside St Paul's. Fraser said that he was happy for people to "exercise their right to protest peacefully" outside the cathedral. He resigned because he could not sanction any policy of the chapter of St Paul's to use force to remove the protesters.

Since 2004, Fraser has had a weekly column in the Church Times. He has also written for The Guardian, the Daily Mail and Socialist Worker and has contributed to BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day.

The 2012-13 Ebor lectures are organised by York St John University, York Minster, York Institute for Community Theology and the Methodist Church.

Since launching in 2006, the lecture series has established an enviable reputation with prestigious speakers, promoting debate on topical issues and broadening discussion. Past speakers have included the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Rt Revd. and the Rt Hon Richard Harries, Former Bishop of Oxford; Mr Peter Taylor, journalist and BBC Presenter; Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury; Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York; Robert Peston, the BBC’s Business Editor; the Rt Hon Tony Benn, legendary parliamentarian; and Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the Commonwealth, Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks.