C.S. Lewis Essay Prize

In recent years philosophy of religion has once again become a fixture of the academic philosophical landscape. A rapidly increasing number of scholars who are among the most prominent philosophers in the world have produced first rate philosophical scholarship that has changed our understanding of religion in general and of specific religious claims and doctrines. However, these hard won discoveries have had little to no impact on the lives and thought of most lay religious believers. The C.S. Lewis Essay Prize is aimed at providing incentives for scholars involved in the “Problem of Evil in Modern and Contemporary Thought" to prepare essays related to their work that would be of interest to a non-academic audience, and to publish those essays in venues of wide readership.

During the 2010-2013 academic years, scholars will be working on a wide range of scholarly projects that bear on the problem of evil under the auspices of funding provided by the “Problem of Evil in Modern and Contemporary Thought” project. This essay prize has been established to provide up to ten awards of $3000 each to essays published in popular venues that present the state of the art or make new progress on the topics funded through the project during those years.

Essays must be at least 1,000 words in length and must be published in a popular, non-academic publication with a circulation of at least 12,000. Publications can be religious in orientation (e.g., Christianity Today, First Things, Christian Century) or secular (e.g., Harper’s, Times Literary Supplement, The National Review). Selected online publications will also be considered (e.g. Slate.com). Essayists are encouraged to consult with the Program Director to determine the suitability of a proposed venue for prize eligibility.

Entries must accepted for publication between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2013. To be considered, a copy of the published essay must be submitted for review on a rolling basis by June 30, 2013. Awards may be made annually on September 1 2011 through September 1, 2013. Winners will be selected by a panel appointed by the board for the Center of Philosophy of Religion.

Hard copies of entries should be sent to:

C.S. Lewis Essay Prize
c/o Michael Rea, Director
Center for Philosophy of Religion
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Questions about the prize and eligibility should be sent to cprelig@nd.edu.