The Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize
On October 13, 2026, the Trinity Forum awarded the second annual Michael J. Gerson Prize for Excellence in Writing on Faith and Public Life to Brad East.
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. Michael was shaped by his deep Christian faith, and his writing drew from the Christian tradition to call America to greater justice. In particular, he’s remembered for linking that tradition to the global health efforts he championed, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR.
“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.
Trinity Forum Evening Conversations featuring Michael Gerson:
View a selection of Michael Gerson’s writing from the Washington Post here.
View a selection of Michael Gerson's writing from the Washington Post here
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 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 2022
The report on Southern Baptist abuses is a portrait of brutal misogyny, May 2023
The 2026 Prize
On October 13, 2026, the Trinity Forum presented the second annual Michael J. Gerson Prize for Excellence in Writing on Faith and Public Life. The award honors and extends Michael Gerson’s legacy by recognizing emerging writers whose work embodies his conscience and courage.
The Trinity Forum engages with the prize winners as their careers progress, providing support and mentorship. Each awardee receives a cash prize of $10,000. Support for the award is provided by generous donors, including College Board and the Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation. Sponsorships are used to defray the costs of the event and program and administrative costs associated with the prize.
The 2026 Selection Committee consisted of:
- Peter Wehner, Chair, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow, contributing writer at The Atlantic and contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.
- Christine Emba, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributing writer at the New York Times.
- Russell Moore, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow, Editor at Large, Christianity Today.
- Karen Swallow Prior, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow, contributor, Religion News Service.
This year’s awardee was announced on October 13, at the Trinity Forum Evening Conversation at the National Press Club in Washington DC.
Special thanks to our sponsors for their support of the 2026 Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize:
College Board
Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation
Frank R. and Deborah S. Jimenez
Josh and Ann Bolten
Edmund and Karen Moy
Sponsor the Michael J. Gerson Memorial Prize
The 2026 Recipient of the Michael J. Gerson Prize for Excellence in Writing on Faith and Public Life
The first honoree, Matthew Loftus, was named in November 2025. His first book, Resisting Therapy Culture: The Dangers of Pop Psychology and How the Church Can Respond, was published in 2026, and featured in a Trinity Forum Online Conversation.
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.