History of the prize
The award was established in 1923 following the decision of Professor Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864–1935), elected a Fellow of the Academy in 1905, to strike a number of bronze medals for presentation by the Academy to scholars of biblical studies. After his death in 1935 the awards became known as Burkitt Medals. The medal was first awarded in 1925.
Eligibility
a) In 2021 the Burkitt Medal will be awarded for special service to Hebrew Bible studies.
b) In 2022 eligible nominations must be for special service to New Testament studies.
How to nominate
Nominations for the Burkitt Medal are currently closed. Nominations will open again in December 2021.
2020 winner
Professor Beverly Gaventa for her long and distinguished contribution to New Testament scholarship, to the discipline and Academy through a range of positions of responsibility, and for her mentoring of younger scholars.
Beverly Roberts Gaventa is Distinguished Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Baylor University, as well as Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary. In addition to numerous articles and edited volumes, she has written Our Mother Saint Paul (2007), The Acts of the Apostles (2003), I and II Thessalonians (1998), Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus (1995), and From Darkness to Light: Aspects of Conversion in the New Testament (1986). Her most recent book is When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel according to Paul, published in 2016.
In 2016 Gaventa was president of the Society of Biblical Literature, the largest professional organization of biblical scholars in the world. She is also a member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, the Catholic Biblical Association, the Duodecim Theological Society, and the American Theological Society. She has served on the editorial boards of a number of scholarly journals and is an editor-at-large for Christian Century. She has lectured widely in the U.S. as well as in Canada, Europe, South Africa, and Australia.
“Being named for the Burkitt medal is a singular honor, for which I am deeply grateful to my colleagues in the British Academy.”
– Professor Beverly Gaventa, July 2020
Previous winners
2019 Professor John J. Collins, Yale Divinity School
2018 Professor Christopher Rowland, University of Oxford
2017 Professor Takamitsu Muraoka, University of Leiden
2016 Professor Dr Dr h.c. Barbara Aland, University of Münster
2015 Professor David J A Clines, University of Sheffield
2014 Professor N Thomas Wright, University of St Andrews
2013 Professor Ronald Ernest Clements DD, King's College London
2012 Professor Christopher Tuckett, University of Oxford
2011 Professor Andrew Mayes, formerly Erasmus Smith Professor of Hebrew, Trinity College, Dublin
2010 Professor Ulrich Luz, Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Bern
2009 Revd Professor Ernest Nicholson FBA, formerly Provost of Oriel College, Oxford
2008 Professor Richard Bauckham FBA, FRSE, Professor of New Testament Studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor, University of St Andrews
2007 Professor Jan Alberto Soggin
2006 Professor Graham Stanton
2005 Revd Professor Pierre-Maurice Bogaert, OSB
2004 Professor Morna D Hooker
2003 Professor Bertil Albrektson
2002 Professor Gerd Theissen