The Historical Society of the Episcopal Church is pleased to announce the awarding of the 2025 Robert W. Prichard Prize to Dr. Jacob Chatterjee, Faculty of History at the University of Oxford. The prize honors the best Ph.D., Th.D., or D.Phil. dissertation on the history of the Episcopal Church—including its roots in the 17th- and 18th-century British colonies that became the United States—as well as the Anglican Church within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Dr. Chatterjee’s dissertation, “The Idea of Happiness in Anglican Religious Culture, 1625–1751,” was submitted in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy in History at Balliol College, University of Oxford. The work explores a major cultural transformation within the Church of England during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, arguing that between 1642 and 1751, there was a profound shift in the prevailing conception of happiness and the highest good within Anglican religious life.

The Prichard Prize is awarded every three years and named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Robert W. Prichard, a former HSEC board member and president, and a respected historian and author in the field. Applications are reviewed by a selection committee, with the final award determined by the HSEC Board of Directors. The committee welcomes dissertations that explore Episcopal and Anglican history in conversation with broader themes in church or secular history, provided the Anglican or Episcopal aspect remains central to the work.

For over a century, the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church has promoted the preservation, research, and dissemination of Episcopal and Anglican history. Founded in Philadelphia in 1910 as the Church Historical Society, its membership includes scholars, educators, clergy, laity, and anyone who shares interest in the church’s historical legacy.

More information about the Prichard Prize and other HSEC grant programs can be found at hsec.us/grants.