Winners of 2012 Christian Worldview Essay Contest

The First Prize of $3000 plus 15 books goes to Laura Rader of Suffolk, Virginia, for her essay "Without a Prayer: Ayn Rand and the Close of Her System".

The Second Prize of $2000 plus 10 books goes to Abigail Lashbrook of Newville, Pennsylvania, for her essay "Atlas Fell".

There was no Third Prize Winner this year.

Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to all those who entered the Contest. All entrants had to read the book Without a Prayer: Ayn Rand and the Close of Her System by Dr. John W. Robbins and write an essay about the book.

The First Prize winner is Laura Rader.

Biography: Raised in a Christian home, God has graciously blessed me with family, friends, teachers and mentors who have impacted my faith in countless ways. I am so thankful for my parents, Kathy and Carlton Rader, and my sister - my best friend. They have each inspired in me a love for God, His Word, and His people.

Presently, I am studying accounting at Covenant College atop Lookout Mountain, Georgia and hope to one day become a CPA. Outside of school, I love playing guitar, reading, hiking, drawing, and spending time with family and friends. Even more, I love to laugh. It is here at Covenant that I have been especially challenged not only to think Biblically, but to offer my entire self in proclaiming the preeminence of Jesus Christ in all things. I am so thankful for this opportunity as well as for ministries like the Trinity Foundation who are committed to defending the truths of Scripture.

The Second Prize winner is Abigail Lashbrook.

Biography: I am a twenty-two year old homeschool graduate who hopes to never stop learning! More than anything else, I love to study the Word of God; I also enjoy studying Greek and Latin, history, philosophy, and art, and am continually amazed at how all knowledge, when seen through the lens of Scripture, leads us to see anew the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ! I am currently studying art and completing a graphic art internship at Lamplighter Ministries; learning how to see the beauty of God and communicate it to others through my life and work is my greatest passion in life.

Before reading Without a Prayer, I didn't know the first thing about Ayn Rand, so reading her books, learning about her philosophy, and working through John Robbins' detailed analysis of her philosophy was an excellent exercise in study and research for me. I found it fascinating to observe Mr. Robbins' methods of logical analysis, particularly his use of presuppositions. It was also fascinating to have a glimpse of the ďż˝other sideďż˝ through the reading of Rand's two most famous books, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged; she was a brilliant author and yet at the same time so blind in her hatred for Godďż˝it was sad to see the results of intellect divorced from truth. Being an art student, I found the philosophy of art found in The Fountainhead particularly intriguing, as it gave me many new ideas for study on one of my favorite topics! But Atlas Shrugged was also interesting as a study in political philosophy (and propaganda!), something I had not studied much hitherto. I'm looking forward to reading the thoughts of the other essay winners, as Without a Prayer provides the springboard for limitless discussions and applications!

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