Ian Bradley

Ian Campbell Bradley (born 28 May 1950) is a British author, broadcaster and retired academic.

He is Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at the University of St Andrews, the Faculty and School of Divinity, and honorary Church of Scotland Chaplain.

The author of more than 40 books, Bradley has written widely on cultural and spiritual matters, including Celtic Christianity, the Victorian era, Gilbert and Sullivan, religious music, musical theatre, and the spirituality of water, spas and pilgrimage.

Life and career

Early life and education Bradley was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, on Whit Sunday 1950, the first of two sons of civil servants William Ewart Bradley of County Durham and Mary Campbell Tyre of Argyll. He grew up in the southeast of England and was educated at Tonbridge School and New College, Oxford, where he graduated with a "congratulatory first" in 1971 in modern history. He remained at the University of Oxford to complete a doctoral thesis on religion and politics in early nineteenth-century Britain, earning his DPhil degree. He stood as the Liberal candidate for Sevenoaks at the February 1974 general election, coming second place.

Career After leaving Oxford, Bradley took up a post as a general trainee with the BBC. Bradley was ordained to the ministry of the Church of Scotland in 1990, and served as Head of Religious Broadcasting for BBC Scotland between 1990 and 1993. After this, he retired.

He was also associate minister of Holy Trinity Church, St Andrews, and honorary Church of Scotland chaplain for the university. In 2013, Bradley was appointed a Commissioner on the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life.

As a journalist, Bradley has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Tablet and Life and Work as well as often appearing on Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 4. In 2007, he was awarded a Prize for Outstanding Religious Broadcasting for his BBC Radio 4 documentary on the English hymnal.

According to Stephen Bates in his book Royalty Inc.: Britain's Best Known Brand, Bradley preached at Crathie Kirk then stayed the weekend at Balmoral Castle from 14 to 16 September 2002, where he was "driven through the estate by the Queen" and attended a barbecue hosted by Prince Philip, who subsequently wrote to say that he had "much enjoyed" reading God Is Green.

Bradley is the author of more than 40 books. He is married and has two children.