Nottingham professor is nominated for Archbishop’s book prize

A Nottingham University professor, who will help choose the next Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, is among five people nominated for a £15,000 theology writing prize from the Archbishop of Canterbury to be presented at this year’s Hay Festival in May 2009.

The Revd Canon Professor Anthony Thiselton, who is also a retired Canon of Southwell Minster, based at St Mary’s Church in Attenborough, has been nominated for his book called ‘The Hermeneutics of Doctrine’.

Professor Thiselton, who lectures in theology at the University of Nottingham, is also actively involved in the appointment of the next Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham and is one of six local representatives on the Crown Nominations Commission, meeting in the next few weeks to choose the new Bishop (see full biography below).

The Archbishop of Canterbury announced the shortlist for the 2009 Michael Ramsey Prize (MRP) and said: “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 titles are:

• Moore, Sebastian        The Contagion of Jesus
• Brown, David              God & Grace of Body: Sacrament in ordinary
• Burridge, Richard        Imitating Jesus
• Thiselton, Anthony      The Hermeneutics of Doctrine
• Bauckham, Richard     Jesus and the eyewitnesses
  

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

A young working mum and priest from Nottingham, the Revd Alison Fulford has been appointed as the ‘peoples judge’ on the panel, which also includes Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, winner of the 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize; AN Wilson, the writer; Dr Elaine Storkey, the lecturer, writer and broadcaster; Canon Dr Paula Gooder, the New Testament expert; the Archbishop; and Jane Williams, his wife, also a distinguished theological writer.

Alison (29) is a working mum who looks after her toddler as well as serving in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham as assistant minister at St Barnabas, Lenton Abbey. She is also taking a part-time MA in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Nottingham. She studied English Literature at Cambridge University and then Theology while training for ordination at Ridley Hall.

Alison was selected for the judging panel through a writing competition which was open to the general public. She said: “I’m really excited to have been chosen to be a judge and I’m looking forward to reading the books that are shortlisted and talking to all the other judgers on the panel.”

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

Professor Thiselton - biography

Anthony Charles Thiselton (71) has written a number of books and papers on Christian theology and the philosophy of religion. He has recently served on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, appointed by the Minister of Health.

Anthony Thiselton is Professor of Christian Theology in the University of Nottingham, where he was also Head of Department for nine years. He is also Research Professor in the University of Chester, and Canon Theologian of Leicester and Canon Emeritus of Southwell. He holds three doctorates (PhD, D.D, D.D.), and has written fourteen books, including a definitive commentary on the Greek text of 1 Corinthians and several volumes on hermeneutics, including a book on doctrine. He has lectured extensively in the USA and Canada, and in the Netherlands, Romania, South Africa and the Far East.

Professor Thiselton is a member of the Church of England General Synod (1995- present), served twenty-five years (some as Vice-Chairman) on the Church of England Doctrine Commission (from 1976), and serves on the Crown Nominations Commission (2000-2007) and the Board of Education. He was appointed by the Ministry of Health to the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (1995-99), and was elected President of the Society for the Study of Theology (1998-2000). Before holding the Chair of Christian Theology at Nottingham he was Principal of St John's College and Honorary Professor in the University of Durham.

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