Dr Ray Barraclough

The Reverend Dr Ray Barraclough grew up on a farm near Clermont in central Queensland, Australia.

He majored in history at the University of Queensland before working as a high school teacher for three years at Childers. He went on to study at an Anglican theological college before gaining his doctorate from Macquarie University, Sydney. His doctoral thesis explored political ideas of the New Testament writers.

Since being ordained as an Anglican priest in the Brisbane diocese, Ray has served as a parish priest, university chaplain and theological lecturer. From 1979 to 1988 he was the Anglican Chaplain to the University of Queensland and from 1989 to 1993 Ray and his wife Dorothy served at St George’s College, Jerusalem, where Ray was senior lecturer. On returning to Australia Ray took up an appointment as lecturer in New Testament at St Francis’ Anglican Theological College in Brisbane.

Concurrent with that position he was also a member of the ecumenical lecturing team drawn from Brisbane’s Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Church seminaries serving the Brisbane College of Theology.

He is also the author of the 2010 book WHY? - The Challenge of Giving Explanations for Tragic Experiences in Life.

Listen to Dr Barraclough speak about his book on the ABC online.