Asbury Theological Seminary congratulates Dr. Timothy C. Tennent on receiving the 2021 Dunnam Prize for Writing in the Wesleyan Accent for his book For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body. This award is given by the Congregational Elders of Christ Church Memphis and is named in honor of President Emeritus Dr. Maxie Dunnam, whose legacy of nearly 60 books and millions of copies shared throughout the world, has shaped the Christian Writing World for decades.

“Dr. Tennent is another in a long list of outstanding winners of this prize,” Rev. Shane Stanford, Sr. Pastor of Christ Church Memphis, said. “His contribution to the practice of Christian ministry, both from a theological and practical standpoint, means so much for so many.” 

The Dunnam Prize began eight years ago as a way of highlighting both the legacy of Dr. Maxie Dunnam’s contribution to Christian practice and new contemporary voices shaping our faith and is a ministry of Christ Church Memphis. Previous winners include Dr. Maxie Dunnam; Dr. William C. Guerrant, Jr.; Jim & Jennifer Cowart; Dr. James V. Heidinger, II; Rev Carolyn Moore; and Dr. Andrew C. Thompson.

“I am grateful and humbled by this award,” Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, President of Asbury Seminary, said. “God put the writing of this book on my heart to help us examine what an amazing gift the body is, how it was designed, and its role in relating to others, and I am grateful that God is using it to help others explore the Christian vision for the body.”

In For the Body, Dr. Tennent looks at what it means to be created in the image of God and how our bodies serve as icons that illuminate God’s purposes. Dr. Tennent examines topics like marriage, family, singleness, and friendship, and he looks at how the human body has been objectified in art and media today. He also offers a framework for discipling people today in a Christian theology of the body. This book is a call to a deeper understanding of our body and an invitation to recapture the wonder of this amazing gift. It is a theological vision that informs our self-understanding, how we treat others, and how we engage today’s controversial and difficult discussions on human sexuality with grace, wisdom, and confidence. Copies are available on Seedbed, Amazon or your local bookstore.