The Michael Ramsey Prize 2023 Longlist

Re-launched for 2023, the Michael Ramsey Prize shines a spotlight on outstanding, accessible contemporary theological writing written in English by theologians from anywhere in the world. We are thrilled to introduce the 2023 longlist –13 fascinating books to discover, from acclaimed authors and renowned Christian thinkers to debut books which encourage readers in their faith and provide an insightful commentary into our society. 

Exploring theology that speaks to the church today, these books cover topics such as gender, race, migration, suffering, climate change, disability, reproductive loss, sexuality, God’s love and the relevance of Old Testament culture. The longlist is varied and wide-ranging, yet each book addresses questions Christians have throughout their journey of faith and encourages the reader to think deeply about these ideas. 

The longlist has been chosen for how they fulfil the Michael Ramsey Prize’s aims – to inspire theological writing that encourages readers across the world to think deeply, grow in their love of God and one another, and witness effectively their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Find out more about each book on the longlist by clicking on their book covers below:

• A Journey through the World of Leviticus: Holiness, Sacrifice, and the Rock Badger by Mark W. Scarlata (Cascade Books: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2021)
• At The Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches by Naomi Lawson Jacobs & Emily Richardson (Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd, 2022)
• Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism in the Church of England by A.D.A France-Williams (SCM Press, 2020) 
• God is Not a White Man: And Other Revelations by Chine McDonald (Hodder Faith, 2021)
• Holiness and Desire by Jessica Martin (Canterbury Press Norwich, 2020)
• Lifting the Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God by Malcolm Guite
  US Publisher – (Square Halo Books, 2021),
  UK Publisher – (Canterbury Press Norwich, 2022)
• The Dark Womb by Karen O’Donnell (SCM Press, 2022)
• The Love That Is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt (William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2020)
• The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr (Brazos Press, 2021) 
• The Wayfarer: Perspectives on Forced Migration and Transformational Community Development by Barnabé Anzuruni Msabah (Langham Publishing, 2021) 
• This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World by Norman Wirzba (Cambridge University Press, 2021) 
• Where is God in all the suffering? by Amy Orr-Ewing (The Good Book Company, 2020)
• Women and the Gender of God by Amy Peeler (William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2022) 

These books have been selected, from over 110 books recommended by the general public and entered by publishers, as some of the best works of accessible and inspiring theology written from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2022. The period that the works have been written and published in, from the global pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement, the impacts of climate change to protests about gendered violence and inequality, has inspired and shaped theological writing that examines such topics in the light of our faith in a loving and faithful God. 

This year’s winning book will be announced at a prize giving at Lambeth Palace library on 14th December. The winner will receive a £15,000 prize and the opportunity to tour a series of lectures across the UK and USA.