Previous Winners

2018

Final Judge: Dr Sean Ryan
Roehampton University

1^st place
Victoria L
Does God Exist?

2^nd place 
Stefan W
The Problem of Evil and Suffering

3^rd place
Sophie R
The Problem of Evil and Suffering

Runners-up 
Edward K
Is Religious Studies Still Relevant in the 21^st Century?

Alma K
What is Freedom?
 

2019

Final Judge: Prof Richard Price
formerly of Heythrop College, University of London

1^st place
Olivia B M C
Why we need the box

2^nd place
Ema T
How can I ever know what’s real?

3^rd place
Kyle R
What is the meaning of life?

Runners-up
Mahak M
What is 'goodness’?

Ulk G
What is the purpose of life?
 

April 2020

Final Judge: Dr Elizabeth Burns
SOAS, University of London 
(London-wide competition)

1^st place
Olivia B M C
Our rights and responsibilities during the Covid-19 crisis

2^nd place
Precious A
The ever-present existential question: What is the meaning and purpose of life?

3^rd place
Libby M C
Is Abortion Ever Justified?

Runners-up
Alysha M D
Is Abortion Ever Justified?

Yusra O
What is the role of religion in society?

Our thanks are extended to all the other schools which expressed interest in the competition and those who entered, as far as the Midlands.
 

October 2020

Final Judge: Dr Helen Constigane
St Mary’s University
(London-wide competition)

1^st place
Hannah M
The Problem of Evil and Suffering

2^nd place
Sirjan N
The Problem of Evil and Suffering

3^rd place
Kyle R
What is ‘goodness’?

Runners-up
Olivia C
The Significance and Inevitability of Philosophy in all things

Sergi N
Can we Truly Know Anything?
 

April 2021

Final Judge: Dr Stephen Law
The Royal Institute of Philosophy
(National competition)

1^st place
H Purnell
James Allen’s Girls' School
The birth narratives have nothing to do with the doctrine of the incarnation

2^nd place
E Tobin
James Allen’s Girls' School
What solution to the problem of evil and suffering do Irenaean-type theodicies offer?  

3^rd place
L Roberts
Blessed William Howard Catholic High School
Is Abortion Morally Right?

Runners-up
J Burnham
Horndean Technology College
Is voluntary Euthanasia Ever Moral?

E Molyneux
The Bishops' Bluecoat CE High School
What is Goodness? 

S K Narang
St Mary's and St John's CE School
Can Capitalism be Ethical?

A Elson
Crookhorn College
What would happen if God was confirmed to exist?  

O Collins
St Mary's and St John's CE School
In Defence of Semantics and Complexity

E Clark
The Bishops' Bluecoat CE High School
Is morality clear?

D Dagra
Pleckgate High School
The Purpose of Life
 

October 2021

Final Judge: Dr Sr Gemma Simmonds
The Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology
(National competition – advertised by NACE)

1^st place 
I Mukadam
St Mary's and St John's CE School
Is it possible to create an efficacious normative ethical?

2^nd place 
A Bobby
St Mary's and St John's CE School
What is the role of religion in society?

3^rd place
C Uwakwe
St Mary's and St John's CE School
What is the role of religion in society?

Runners-up
S I Shafi

E McKean
 

June 2022

Final Judge: Prof Richard Price
formerly of Heythrop College, University of London

1^st place
R. Chan
James Allen's Girls' School
Are Humans Inherently Evil?

2^nd place
A. Patel
Pleckgate High School
Music in Religion

3^rd place
J. Chan
St Mary's and St John's CE School
How Does Jesus Want us to Live?

Runners up
A. Abbas

B. Bediako

S. Ebrahim

S. Khan

K. Rad

January 2023

Final Judge: Dr Ahmad Achtar 
formerly of Heythrop College, University of London

1^st place
L. Rossi-Fermo
St Mary's and St John's CE School
How do I know what is real?

2^nd place
J. Zanmin
St Mary's and St John's CE School
Could we be the only intelligent beings in the entire universe?

3^rd place
Z.A. Bullard IV
St Mary's and St John's CE School
What give true happiness?

Runners up
A. Opulskyte

D. Laoye
 

Academic Year 2023/24

Final Judge: Dr Kristian Akselberg (Internal SMSJ competition)
Editor for the Theological journal Analogia, Fellow of St Alban & St Sergius, Oxford

1^st place
Z.A. Bullard IV
St Mary's and St John's CE School
What is truth and how do we use it?

2^nd place
J. Cowell
St Mary's and St John's CE School
The Problem of Evil and Suffering

3^rd place
M. Hobbs
St Mary's and St John's CE School
Finding Meaning and Joy

Academic Year 2023/24

Final Judge: Dr Kristian Akselberg (National SMSJ competition)
Editor for the Theological journal Analogia, Fellow of St Alban & St Sergius, Oxford

1^st place
L. Almaz
Pleckgate High School
Does God Exist?

2^nd place
N. Steele
St Mary's and St John's CE School
Having Faith; What Difference Does it Make to Living?

3^rd place
G. Desmond
James Allen's Girls' School
How Do I Know What is Real?

Runners up:

from SMSJ, James Allen's Girl's School, Lady Margaret High School and Pleckgate High School