Ray Nothstine is opinion editor at Carolina Journal and a research fellow on Second Amendment issues at the John Locke Foundation. He previously served for over seven years as managing editor of Religion & Liberty, a publication of the Acton Institute, an internationally top-ranked think tank in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

His writings have appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, Detroit News, Charlotte Observer, The Birmingham News, and numerous state policy think-tanks. He has extensive experience in radio and lecturing on public policy and cultural issues, including over a decade of writing and research work on the Second Amendment. He has worked in Christian ministry, journalism, and on the staff of former U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Miss).

Nothstine is a graduate with a Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He also holds a B.A. in political science from The University of Mississippi in Oxford. He currently lives in Garner with his wife and two sons.