The Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies

The Burkitt Medal is awarded by the British Academy each year to a single recipient in recognition of special service to Biblical Studies. The medal is presented to scholars of the Hebrew Bible (in odd years) and the New Testament (in even years). As this year’s recipient, Francis is the latest in an illustrious list of colleagues from across the UK whose work has had a significant influence both on the wider field and beyond the academy.

The British Academy awarded Francis the Burkitt Medal this year in recognition of “his original thought and books in New Testament and early Christianity. His influence can be seen especially in the study and understanding of Paul and in questions of canon and Gospel definition.”

After attending the British Academy’s annual prize-giving in London last week, Francis expressed his gratitude towards the Academy and its awards committee.

“I'm most grateful to the British Academy for this recognition of my work, and I'm especially pleased to be awarded a medal founded by and named after F. C. Burkitt, a Cambridge scholar of an earlier generation whose work I admire and continue to use. The award is also a welcome public acknowledgment of the importance of biblical scholarship not just for churches but also for the wider society."

Head of Department, Professor Simon Oliver, congratulated Francis on this well-deserved recognition.

“Francis Watson is one of the world’s leading scholars of the New Testament and early Christianity. The award of the Burkitt Medal by the British Academy recognises Francis’s outstanding intellectual leadership and his advocacy for the importance of biblical studies within and beyond the academy. We offer our warmest congratulations and immense gratitude to Francis for his scholarship and service.”