Charles J. Miller Christian Scholar's Award
Recipient--Annalee R. Ward

The publisher and editors of the Christian Scholar's Review are pleased to announce the recipient of its annual award for best article. The winner of the Charles J. Miller Christian Scholar's Award for volume 40 is Annalee R. Ward, Interim Director of Distance Education at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. Her article, "Gran Torino and Moral Order," CSR 40:4 (Summer 2011) pages 375-392, was selected by a panel of jurors who carefully and thoughtfully read each article published in volume 40; in their estimation "Gran Torino and Moral Order" best achieved the goals of Christian scholarship set by CSR.

Annalee Ward was raised in Christian schools and the Christian Reformed church and has served that denomination
on its Candidacy Committee and in working in the local church on committees, and in liturgy. She came to the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary after many years as a Professor of Communication Arts and Department
Chair at Trinity Christian College. With concerns about Christians' missional ventures in popular culture, she has published chapters on Christian theme parks and museums in two different edited collections. In addition, her interests in ethics, rhetoric, and media, came together in the book, Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Films (2002).

In her award winning essay Ms. Ward explores the moral order of the 2008 film Gran Torino by engaging standpoint theory with Robert Wuthnow's symbolic boundaries of moral order. In a journey of moral enlightenment, learning to
communicate across boundaries anchors the story in hope. Along the way, Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) encounters challenges to his moral structures which may affirm a redemptive read of the film, but the affirmations of his worldview
suggest values counter to the kingdom of God, resulting in the need for a more nuanced read of the film. In offering an evaluation of Ward's essay one juror writes: "Professor Ward both affirms and criticizes Eastwood's moral vision. When Gran Torino criticizes, she affirms its vision. It criticizes violence, affirms cross cultural understanding, and offers an ostensibly Christian vision, which points us toward the Kingdom. On the other hand, Gran Torino affirms dominant power structures by making Walt Kowalski, a white male, the hero. Ward's thesis is well-supported by details from the film. Challenging a too-simple Christian affirmation of the film, Ward pushes us to look again at Gran Torino, and as we look again we discover that there are limits to Eastwood's vision. As she puts it, 'that the boundaries of moral order in Walt Kowalski's world are not perfect is no surprise—it is more like real life. Sin mixes with the best of intentions.' All in all, this was an enjoyable, well-written, and provocative essay that invited me to think carefully and Christianly about an interesting film."

We commend Ms. Ward for an article that is a model of insightful, interdisciplinary Christian scholarship. CSR thanks this year's jurors, Carissa Smith (Charleston Southern University), Scott Waalkes (Malone University), and Eric Jones (Regent University).