World Communion of Reformed Churches

5 June 2013

Award of Lombard Prize for theological essay on “paradise” marks World Environment Day

A Nigerian theology student has won the top honour for the 2013 Lombard Prize for

his paper on how the biblical concept of “paradise” affects contemporary attitudes

towards the earth’s human and natural resources.

Victor Audu, a student at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria, was awarded

USD600 for his essay examining how ideas of paradise might serve as a source of

inspiration for the renewal of social and economic structures in global society.

Results of the essay competition were announced today by the General Secretariat of

the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) to mark World Environment Day.

Audu, a member of the Reformed Church of Christ in Nigeria, writes that the concept

of paradise enshrined in the first chapters of Genesis can be conceptualized as “the

key for building economic and social structures that could be a rousing model for a

just society.”

An award of USD400 went to Maria Elisabeth Voorwinden, a Dutch student at the

Institut Protestant de Théologie, in Montpellier, France. Voorwinden, who is a

member of the Protestantste Kerk in Nederland, submitted an essay entitled "L'homme

économe, le créateur créé et décentré" (Economic man: the creator created and

sidelined)

In addition to cash prizes, both winners will be awarded scholarships to WCRC’s

Global Institute of Theology scheduled to be held in Costa Rica in July 2014.

The competition is open to theology students or pastors 35 years of age or younger.

Essays were received from India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Cameroun,

and the Netherlands.

WCRC’s Executive Secretary for Theology and Communion, Douwe Visser, says, “It is

significant that these awards are announced in connection with World Environment Day

because of the theme of paradise, a biblical concept of the deep roots of our

natural environment.”

Applicants were asked to reflect on the biblical concept of “paradise” as it is

developed in the first chapters of the book of Genesis. The concept of paradise as a

time and place where all forms of life thrived in harmonious relationships has

served churches in the Reformed tradition as a model for building social and

economic structures of society.

Submissions were judged for their presentation of issues related to the theme and

for their theological reflection on those questions. Jury members for the English

essays were Jason Goroncy (New Zealand), Christopher Dorn (USA), Viktoria Koczian

(Hungary), and Douwe Visser (the Netherlands). Liz Vuadi Vibila (Congo) and Visser

reviewed the French-language submissions.

The prize is named after the Genevan banker, Georges Lombard, who served from 1948

to 1970 as General Treasurer to one of WCRC’s predecessor organizations, the World

Alliance of Reformed Churches. WCRC coordinates the competition on behalf of the

Lombard Prize Committee. The prize was last awarded in 2009.

Visser, whose office administers the competition on behalf of the General Secretary,

says, “We congratulate the winners and are grateful to the Lombard Darier Hentsch

Bank for making the award possible.”

The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) represents 80million Christians in

108 countries. Through WCRC, member churchesengage in ecumenical dialogue, promotion

of church unity, theologicalstudy and worldwide initiatives supporting climate,

economic andgender justice and church mission.

Media Contacts:

Kristine Greenaway

Office of Communications

World Communion of Reformed Churches

Email: kgr@wcrc.ch

tel: +233 546 131 782

www.wcrc.ch