The Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize
On November 19, 2025, the Trinity Forum will award the first annual Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize for Excellence in Writing on Faith and Public Life.
Honoring the Legacy of Michael Gerson
Michael J. Gerson was a White House speechwriter and senior policy adviser, a Washington Post columnist and one of America’s most influential and eloquent commentators. He also possessed one of the most important consciences of his generation. That conscience was shaped by his deep Christian faith, and his work relied on the Christian tradition to call America to greater justice. His faith touched almost every aspect of his work.
“I think the reality here is that scrubbing public discourse of religion or religious ideas would remove one of the main sources of social justice in our history,” Gerson told The New York Times in 2005. “Without an appeal to justice rooted in faith, there would have been no abolition movement, no civil rights movement, no pro-life movement.”
In November 2022, Gerson died from complications due to cancer, leaving a huge void.
Top essays by Michael from the Washington Post
Saying goodbye to my child, the youngster, August 2013
The defiant hope of Christmas: God is with us, December 2020
This Christmas, hope may feel elusive. But despair is not the answer. December 21, 2021
Amid war, acts of justice and kindness are just as important as missiles, March 2022
Why I will never live without a dog again, July 2022
War’s horrors may shake our faith. But God is here, even amid the pain, April 2022
The mission from which Pope Francis can never retire, June 2022
Frederick Buechner was a writer tuned in to the frequency of grace, August 22, 2022
The report on Southern Baptist abuses is a portrait of brutal misogyny, May 2023
The Prize
The Trinity Forum, with support from the College Board and the Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation, will honor and extend Michael Gerson’s legacy through an annual prize to emerging writers whose work on faith and public life embodies his conscience and courage.
The first honoree of the Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize will be named at a public event on November 19. The event will take place at the National Cathedral, which held a special place in Gerson’s life.
Each year’s awardee will be given a cash prize of $10,000, funded by the College Board. The Trinity Forum and its 30 Senior Fellows will continue to engage with the prize winners as their careers progress. The goal is to provide support and mentorship as they deepen their focus on faith and public life.
The Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize will benefit: the awardees, both from the increased visibility of their work and from relationships with and support from Trinity Forum Senior Fellows; the profession of journalism, by elevating insightful new writers within its ranks; and Americans who will find encouragement and inspiration from those who write incisively on faith and public life.
The Selection Committee consists of:
- Peter Wehner, Chair, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow, contributing writer at The Atlantic and contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.
- David Brooks, New York Times columnist and best-selling author.
- Christine Emba, Senior Fellow, The American Enterprise Institute and contributing writer at the New York Times.
- Russell Moore, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow, Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today.
- Karen Swallow Prior, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow, contributor, Religion News Service.
The Selection Committee will rely on submissions from a wide network of individuals, including journalists and writers, public intellectuals and those in the faith community. Committee members will consider candidates whose work is featured in a wide range of outlets, from established media to Substack and other online journals.
The inaugural Prize will be awarded on the evening of November 19, 2025 at the Washington National Cathedral. Learn more details and register to attend here.
Sponsor the 2025 Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize
The Trinity Forum
Founded in 1991, the Trinity Forum is committed to keeping the Christian intellectual tradition alive and fostering its renewal for future generations. It works for the renewal of society by cultivating, curating and disseminating the best in Christian thinking for the common good, and by helping leaders to think, work, and live wisely and well. Its work focuses on three areas: Faith and Public Life; Arts and Humanities; and Spiritual and Character Formation.
Its programs include the Trinity Forum Conversations Podcast, episodes of which are downloaded 7,000-8,000 times, biweekly Online Conversations which routinely draw 1,000-2,000 registrants, and Evening Conversations conducted for live, in-person audiences.
Please reach out with any questions here.
2025 Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize Sponsors
$25,000 sponsors:
President and Mrs. George W. and Laura Bush
The Honorable and Mrs. Don and Penny Evans
The Gates Foundation
The Honorable and Mrs. Joel and Laura Kaplan
More Perfect
$10,000 sponsors:
The Honorable and Mrs. Josh and Ann Bolten
Mr. and Mrs. David and Katherine Bradley
The Honorable and Mrs. Stephen J. and Ann Hadley
The Krauthammer Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
The University of Pennsylvania’s Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society
$5,000 sponsors:
Mr. David Campaigne with BlueTrust
Professor John DiIulio, Jr.
The Honorable Sara Fagen
The Honorable Ari Fleischer
The Honorable Karen and Mr. Jerry Hughes
The Honorable and Mrs. Frank R. and Deborah S. Jimenez
The Honorable Ann Thomas (AT) and Mr. Murray Johnston
The Honorable Harriet Miers
The Honorable and Mrs. Edmund and Karen Moy
The Honorable Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Sagamore Institute
Mr. Greg Shaw
Mr. Fred Smith
The Honorable Margaret Spellings
The Honorable Charity Wallace
Other sponsors:
Aspen Institute — Religion & Society
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
The Honorable Gregg and Rev. Julie Petersmeyer
Redeeming Babel
The Honorable Karl Rove