G. Aiken Taylor Award
in American Presbyterian History

The PCA Historical Center is pleased to sponsor an award to recognize outstanding scholarship in the field of American Presbyterian Church History.

The Award is named in honor of G. Aiken Taylor, former editor of The Presbyterian Journal and a key figure in the formation of both the PCA and the ecumenical organization known as the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council [NAPARC].

First prize is a cash award of $500.00. A second prize of $100.00 may also be awarded at the discretion of the judges.

For the 2013 Award, papers must be submitted by email file attachment to the director of teh PCA Historical Center on or before Thurday, 1 August 2013.

G. Aiken Taylor Award:
Announcing a Call for Papers--
The Taylor Award in American Presbyterian History is now open to seminary students from any of the NAPARC denominations. The Award for the best paper on American Presbyterian history is bears a cash prize of $500.00. Deadline for submission of papers for the 2013 Award will be Thursday, 1 August 2013.
 

Eligibility:
The contest is now open to applicants from any of the NAPARC denominations. Each applicant must also currently be enrolled in a degree program at a theological seminary, must be a member of a local congregation and must be in good standing with that congregation, to be eligible for this award.

Format/content: Papers may cover any subject relevant to the field of American Presbyterian History and must demonstrate a high level of scholarship in their composition. Submitted papers must have an identifiable thesis or point which is being argued and proved.

Requirements for submitted papers:

  • Minimum length of 20 pages. Maximum length of 40 pages.
  • Papers shall follow Kate Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th ed.), shall be double-spaced, with numbered pages, and shall include footnotes and bibliography.
  • Each submitted paper shall have a cover page, providing the author's name, address, and school. The author's name shall not be present on the title page or on any page in the body of the paper, but only on the cover page. Papers ignoring this rule will be disqualified.
  • Title page, showing the title of the paper only.
  • The paper shall open with an abstract stating the paper's thesis.
  • Papers shall be submitted in the .PDF file format, and forwarded to the director of the PCA Historical Center as a file attachment, not later than Thurday, 1 August 2013.
  • Each paper shall be accompanied by a letter or email from the student's pastor, certifying that the student is a member in good standing in a member-congregation of one of the NAPARC denominations. For a list of the NAPARC denominations, see http://www.naparc.org/member-churches/

Judging:
Copies of the nominated papers will be forwarded by the PCA Historical Center to a three-member selection committee not later than 15 August 2013.

All entrants will be notified at the conclusion of the judging. We anticipate notification of the 2013 Award winner before the end of the calendar year.

Right of Publication:
The PCA Historical Center reserves the right to publish all prize-winning papers. Publication of these papers elsewhere without written permission is prohibited.

Previous winners of this award include the following:
Mr. Andrew McGinnis, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, for his paper "Re-cognizing B.B. Warfield : Subjectivity in the Theologian We Thought We Knew".

Mr. Otis Pickett, of Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, for his paper, "Lost Moment In Time: John Lafayette Girardeau, Robert Lewis Dabney and the Ecclesiastical Equality of Freedmen, 1866-67"

Mr. John Tweeddale, of Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS, for his paper, "The Primary Seat of the Soul : An Evaluation of Robert L. Dabney's Review of Charles Hodge. Mr. Tweeddale has been accepted into the PhD program at New College, University Edinburgh, where he will be studying the relationship of law and covenant in the theology of John Owen.

Mr. Bruce Benedict, of Reformed Theological Seminary, Oviedo, FL, for his paper, "Charles W. Baird: An American Presbyterian Retrospective". Mr. Benedict is now serving on the staff of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN.

Mr. Jeff Lawrence, of Birmingham Theological Seminary, Birmingham, AL, for his paper, "The Role and Influence of Francis A. Schaeffer in the Founding and Shaping of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Mr. Stephen P. Lewis, of Westminster Theological Seminary, Escondido, CA, for his paper "Evangelize the West Before She Paganizes the East: Issues in Presbyterian Church Planting, 1900 to 1925,"

Mr. Mark Horne, of Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, for his paper "Legal Fiction or Real Union?: John Williamson Nevin's controversy with Charles Hodge over the Imputation of Adam's Sin,"

Mr. Stephen R. Berry, of Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS, for his paper "The Southern Presbyterian Diaconate: A Thornwellian Principle Elaborated by John Lafayette Girardeau."

Mr. Stephen R. Berry, of Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS, for his paper "Sons of God: An Examination of the Doctrine of Adoption in the Thought of John Lafayette Girardeau."

Copies of the above titles may be obtained at a price of $7.50 each, including postage.

Please send all orders to:
PCA Historical Center
12330 Conway Road
St. Louis, MO 63141