We are excited to announce that Up with Authority by Victor Austin, published by T&T Clark in
2010, has been shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize 2013. The prize will be
awarded to the author of the book which, in the opinion of the judges, does
most “to advance theology and make a serious contribution to the faith and life
of the Church”.
The Michael Ramsey Prize was founded in 2005 by the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to encourage good theological
writing and to emphasise his personal support for ground-breaking work in this area.
(For more information on the Prize,
please visit www.michaelramseyprize.org.uk)
About Up With Authority:
Authority is something we experience every day, but is it necessary? Many think that it is not, and that it exists only as a remedy for some defect in us. Victor Lee Austin sets about exploring the higher and nobler functions of authority, and in doing so reveals its human importance as more than simply a provision for human inadequacies.
A significant contribution to Christian anthropology, the book illuminates an indispensable feature of human sociality: the need for, and the good provided by, authority. In enabling us to do more complex activities, to gain and communicate understanding of the world around us and to flourish in political communities, authority ultimately leads us to enjoy God.
Victor Lee Austin makes a unique contribution to political theology by deliberating the ways that authority functions both socially and epistemologically. The field of ecclesiology is also enriched by the book’s discussion of authority as at once necessary and fallible. Those interested in the work of Michael Polanyi, Yves Simon, or Oliver O’Donovan will find these authors brought into the broader conversation about authority in an engaging way.
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