Archbishop announces 2009 Michael Ramsey Prize shortlist

Michael Ramsey Prize logo

"I am delighted both with the quality and variety of the shortlisted work and at the prospect of joining with an extremely distinguished panel to judge and then award the Prize this year at the Hay Festival. What better way to make sure that the best of contemporary theological writing gets into the mainstream of critical thinking and reflection – exactly where it should be found."

The shortlisted books will be read by the seven MRP judges who will come together in Hay-on-Wye on 27th May 2009 to choose the winning title.

The shortlisted titles are:

The judges are The Archbishop of Canterbury; his wife theologian and teacher Jane Williams; the winner of the 2007 Prize and Dominican friar Fr Timothy Radcliffe; the celebrated writer and commentator AN Wilson; Dr Elaine Storkey, lecturer, writer and broadcaster; Canon Dr Paula Gooder, the New Testament expert and Rev Alison Fulford, a working mother and priest who won the "People's Judge" competition.

The winner of the £15,000 prize will be announced at a Gala Prizegiving Lunch at the Guardian Hay Festival on 28th May 2009.

As in 2005 (Tom Wright, bishop of Durham) and 2007 (Timothy Radcliffe OP) the Michael Ramsey Prize for 2009 will be awarded to the author of a theological work that is judged to contribute most towards advancing theology and making a lasting contribution to the faith and life of the Church.

Further information can be found at the Michael Ramsey Prize website:

http://www.michaelramseyprize.org.uk/