The 2026 AAR Book Awards cycle is now open and you will notice several changes we’ve made to the program to clarify and expand our book award categories.
The Best First Book in the History of Religions Award is now the Best First Book in Religious Studies, covering a broader realm of all approaches to religious studies.
Our previously existing categories under the “Awards for Excellence in…” have been revised and we’ve added a new category to reflect our commitment to recognizing outstanding work in applied and pedagogical or public approaches.
Nominations may be submitted in the following categories:
- Best First Book in Religious Studies
- Religion and the Arts Book Award
- Best Work in Textual or Historical Studies (Previously two separate categories)
- Best Work in the Study of Practices, Communities, or Lived Contexts (Previously analytic-descriptive studies)
- Best Work in Theoretical, Philosophical, or Critical Studies (Previously constructive-reflective studies)
- Best Work in Applied, Public, or Pedagogical Approaches (New)