August 2024 | LISLE, IL—IVP Academic is thrilled to announce that The Meaning of Singleness by Danielle Treweek has been named the 2024 Australian Christian Book of the Year.
The judges for the award commented: “Taken seriously, this book will change the way churches operate, preachers preach, Christian organizations act, friends befriend, and crucially, how we love and are loved.”
The Meaning of Singleness: Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church offers biblical, historical, cultural, and theological reflections to retrieve a theology of singleness for the church today. Drawing upon both ancient and contemporary theologians, including Augustine, Ælfric of Eynsham, John Paul II, and Stanley Hauerwas, Treweek contends not only that singleness has served an important role throughout the church’s history, but that single Christians present the church with a foretaste of the eschatological reality that awaits all of God’s people.
Treweek said, “One of my hopes is that those who read The Meaning of Singleness might be better equipped to love, respect, and value the single members of their church communities. And, of course, I hope it will encourage unmarried Christians (whether they be never-married, divorced, or widowed) to delight more and more in the intrinsic goodness of their singleness. But I also pray that those who read this book might better understand the vitally important and God-glorifying role singles have to play in the church’s understanding of her own unique identity. I hope my book might help us all to better realize it’s not simply that single Christians need the church, but the church who really and truly needs single Christians.”
The judges added: “This is a work of tremendous scholarship and intellectual acuity. By adopting the perspective of our destiny rather than origin, Treweek demonstrates that in church history, biblical exegesis and Christian theology, singleness has the same eternal significance as marriage. She takes on sacred cows and names Christian leaders who have veered away from the Bible to privilege marriage and devalue singleness. Treweek presents us with a vision of the church that is far more inclusive and faithful to Scripture.”
Danielle Treweek (PhD, St Mark’s National Theological Centre and Charles Sturt University) is the founding director of the Single Minded Ministry and an adjunct teacher at Moore Theological College, Sydney. She also serves as both the Diocesan Research Officer and a member of the Archbishop’s Doctrine Commission within the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia.
The Australian Christian Book of the Year Award has been around since 1981 and is given annually to an original book written by an Australian citizen. The award recognizes and encourages excellence in Australian Christian writing. Entries are judged with an eye to the original nature of the work; literary style, including suitability for the target audience; design, layout, cover, text, and illustrations; and contribution that the book makes in meeting a need for Christian writing in the Australian situation and in the Australian market.
For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.
Since 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP), a subsidiary of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, has been publishing thoughtful Christian books and content to equip Christians for a vibrant life of faith. IVP products speak boldly into important cultural moments and provide innovative resources for leaders in the academy and the church. To learn more, visit ivpress.com.
Contact: Krista Clayton | kclayton@ivpress.com
