ISSR 2025 Book Prize
Professor Fraser Watts, Executive Secretary of the International Society for Science and Religion
This is the sixth year of the Book Prize of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR). Each year, three prizes are awarded for the best recent books in the field of science and religion. ISSR is pleased to announce the award of the following with the 2025 Prize:
In the academic category, the prize goes to Emily Qureshi-Hurst for Salvation in the Block Universe: Time, Tillich, and Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Qureshi-Hurst investigates a particularly challenging and under-explored issue on the interface of science and theology, i.e. how the “block universe” theory of time can be reconciled with a Christian understanding of personal salvation. She provides a very clear exposition of the block universe; she then turns to Paul Tillich for a theological account of personal salvation and discusses how that should be interpreted; and finally argues that the two can be reconciled. These are complex matters, but the book is written with exceptional clarity and lucidity.
In the category of books for a general readership, the prize goes to Francis Collins for The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust (Little Brown & Worthy Books, 2024).
Collins is one of the most influential contemporary biomedical scientists, having served as director of the international Human Genome Project and the US National Institutes of Health. Here he draws on four sources of wisdom: truth, science, faith and trust, and argues that they work best together. His own personal wisdom is fully apparent in this beautifully written book of guidance on how to find a road to wisdom amid the manifold problems of our time.
In the category of books for professionals and educators, the prize goes to Beth Singler for Religion and Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction (Routledge, 2024).
There is currently both much excitement, but also widespread social concern, about AI, including how it relates to religion. In this dispassionate and informative book, Singler approaches the relationship between the two as a social scientist, and examines their complex “entanglements”, including rejection, adoption, and adaptation. She has provided a much-needed educational resource on one of the hottest current topics on the interface of religion and science.
In a strong field, there were several other books which would have been very worthy prize-winners. Among them was Thought Experiments, Science, and Theology, by Yiftach Fehige (Brill, 2024), and Playing God: Science, Religion and the Future of Humanity, by Nick Spencer and Hannah Waite (SPCK, 2024). Both deserve recognition for their excellent contribution to the field.
The ISSR book prize aims to be a catalyst for transforming careers and sparking innovation by identifying the best new books on science and religion. The field is diverse and growing, showing that work can be written on a range of topics, and by a wide diversity of authors. The 2025 Prize continues to demonstrate the vitality of the field and the innovation and diversity that are increasingly apparent. We salute the achievements of the prize-winning authors and the many others who have written outstanding books.
We hope to make YouTube videos of discussions about the prize-winning books available on our channel in the coming months.
Judging of books was undertaken by a panel appointed by the International Society for Science and Religion.
