An historical account of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, published in 2002 for the Seminary’s 150th anniversary, is the co-recipient of the 2003 Francis Makemie Award. The award was presented in November at the annual meeting of the Committee for the Presbyterian Historical Society, the national archives and historical research center of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Many Lamps, One Light: Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, A 150th Anniversary History (Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002) is written by Rick L. Nutt, a professor of religion at Muskingum College and a 1980 graduate of Louisville Seminary. The book tells the story of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary from the founding in 1853 of one of its predecessor institutions until the present. Its contents are organized around two themes. Nutt first shows “the ways in which the school has reflected developments in culture and Christianity in the United States during the last 150 years – how its history mirrors the economic, social, political, intellectual, and ecclesiastical forces that have affected Protestantism and its institutions in the nation.” Second, Nutt explores “how the Seminary has steadfastly retained its educational vision and commitment to serve the church in the midst of unprecedented social change.”

“More than just an institutional history, this book opens a window on all of American Protestantism by its examination of this one seminary,” describes Eerdmans Publishing, who reports that more than 1,700 copies have been sold.

The Makemie Award, named for the Rev. Francis Makemie, organizer of the first American presbytery, recognizes an outstanding book on American Presbyterian or Reformed history.

“I am honored that the Presbyterian Historical Society deems the book worthy of this recognition. I hope the Seminary community feels honored as well, because I simply told the story of an exceptional institution,” said Nutt.

Nutt has written several books on American Protestantism and the Presbyterian Church, including The Whole Gospel for the Whole World: G. Sherwood Eddy and American Protestant Social Mission (Mercer University Press, 1997); Toward Peacemaking: Presbyterian in the South and National Security, 1945-1983 (University of Alabama Press, 1994); Contending for the Faith: The First Two Centuries of the Presbyterian Church in the Cincinnati Area (The Presbytery of Cincinnati, 1991) in addition to his newest publication written about Louisville Seminary.

He is a contributor to the Presbyterian Presence Series by Milton J Coalter, John M. Mulder and Louis Weeks, eds. (Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), and his published book reviews and papers have been presented before the American Society of Church History and the American Academy of Religion.

The 2003 Makemie Award was also given to Bonnie Sue Lewis for Creating Christian Indians: Native Clergy in the Presbyterian Church (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003). The Presbyterian Historical Society presents three more awards annually: the Robert Lee Stowe Award for a historical study of an American Presbyterian or Reformed congregation; the Woodrow Wilson Award for the best published scholarly article on American Presbyterian or Reformed history; and the Patricia Burrus Spaulding Award for the best published scholarly article on an American Presbyterian or Reformed woman or women.