Religious Studies News

The American Academy of Religion offers Awards for Excellence in order to give recognition to new scholarly publications that make significant contributions to the study of religion. These awards honor works of distinctive originality, intelligence, creativity, and importance — books that affect decisively how religion is examined, understood, and interpreted.

Awards for Excellence are given in four categories: Analytical–Descriptive, Constructive–Reflective, Historical, and Textual Studies. Not all awards are given every year. More than one book may win an award in a given category. In addition, there is a separate competition and prize for the Best First Book in the History of Religions. For eligibility requirements, awards processes, and a list of current jurors, please see the Book Awards rules.

The AAR is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Awards for Excellence in Religion and the Best First Book in the History of Religions:

Analytical-Descriptive Studies
Amira Mittermaier. Dreams that Matter: Egyptian Landscapes of the Imagination. University of California, 2011.
Constructive-Reflective Studies
Willie James Jennings. The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race. Yale University Press, 2010.
Historical Studies
Johan Elverskog. Buddhism and Islam on the Silk Road. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.
Textual Studies
Ross Shepard Kraemer. Unreliable Witnesses: Religion, Gender, and History in the Greco-Roman Mediterranean. Oxford University Press, 2011.
Best First Book in the History of Religions
Andrew Nicholson. Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History. Columbia University Press, 2011.