The following paragraphs describe the field of each award and the rules of eligibility and entry. The deadline for entering books is April 30, 2000. To be eligible, a theology must have a predominantly science emphasis.
Preference is given to first edition works.
A previously published edition of a science and religion work is not eligible unless it contains a new introduction with a substantial theological or scientific contribution that might have been published independently. The intent of the award is to encourage literate and scholarly interpretations of the physical and biological sciences and mathematics with some preference given to health and spirituality or bioethics. Books that are exclusively histories of science are not eligible, nor are biographies of scientists in which a narrative emphasis predominates. The purpose of the award is to recognize comprehensive studies that contribute significantly to historical, philosophical, or religious interpretations of the human condition. History, philosophy, and religion are conceived in sufficiently broad terms to permit the inclusion of appropriate work in related fields.