Dear Colleagues in REA,
Can you think of a leader in writing, teaching, or organizational life beyond religious education who has profoundly impacted the field and practice of religious education?
I’m writing on behalf of the Harper / Wornom Committee to request nominations for the Harper Award. The William Rainey Harper Award is named after the first president of the University of Chicago and founder of the REA. As noted on the REA website, “It is given to outstanding leaders whose work in other fields has had profound impact upon religious education.”
Notice that the award embraces the interdisciplinary and welcoming nature of religious education. Consider authors beyond you love to include in your syllabi or consider educators and justice leaders whose lives and writings have become sources of wisdom for religious education.
According to the records, we have not granted a Harper Award since 2013, and there are currently zero nominations.
Please take a few minutes to submit a nomination to our executive secretary, Jennifer Moe, via email (secretary [at] religiouseducation [dot] net). You simply need to share the name of the person you’re nominating and a brief paragraph describing your rationale.
Three sentences per nomination is sufficient. And, yes, you can submit more than one nomination.
Please submit your nominations by March 21, 2025. That gives you two weeks, but feel free to submit a nomination today or tomorrow if you have someone in mind.
Here is a list of some of our past Harper Awardees:
Robert Jackson, 2013
Parker Palmer, 2010
James Fowler, 2009
Gabriel Moran and Maria Harris, 2003
Martin E. Marty, 1994
Paulo and Elza Freire, 1983
Elie Wiesel, 1975
We look forward to reviewing your nominations.
Grace and peace,
Montague
Chair, Harper / Wornom Committee