Archbishop Launches Michael Ramsey Prize
Friday 16th July 2004
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has launched a bid to identify and encourage the most promising theological writers of the current age.The Michael Ramsey Prize, which is being sponsored by the Lambeth Fund and administered by SPCK, commemorates the centenary of the birth of Michael Ramsey, the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. The £15,000 award will recognise a published new work which, in the opinion of the judges, is saying "something new and compelling at the cutting edge of Christian thinking and that will make a serious contribution to the faith and life of the Church". Dr Williams will serve as one of the judges.
The first award will be presented in the summer of 2005 and will be made to the author of a work written (or appearing in translation) in English, and which has been published between January 2000 and June 2004.
Dr Williams said that he was delighted by the enthusiasm which had greeted this proposal: "I have been clear since I came into office that a real priority had to be the encouragement of excellence in the field of theological education. The opportunity to combine this with honouring Michael Ramsey, one of the great theological writers and thinkers of the Anglican church in living memory, was simply too good to ignore. I hope that writers and researchers will be encouraged and that the church will realise the great debt that we owe to those whose work is to deepen our understanding and strengthen our faith."
Information about the prize can be obtained from:
Simon Kingston
SPCK
Holy Trinity Church
Marylebone Road
London NW1 4DU
Telephone 020 7643 0382
Email: prize@spck.org.uk