First-time author Stephen Driscoll has won the 2025 Australian Christian Book of the Year for his debut work, Made in Our Image: God, Artificial Intelligence and You, which explores the relationship between Christian faith and emerging AI technology.
Driscoll’s book took first place at the SparkLit awards ceremony held in Melbourne on Thursday, Aug. 24. Judges described the work as “a realistic and fearless assessment” of how artificial intelligence could change society, commending the author’s ability to balance wit and gravity in addressing complex moral and theological questions.
On Facebook, Driscoll, who serves as a university campus pastor and calls himself a “tech realist,” said he had “a very out-of-body experience when they read out my name.” He added, “I hope this shows that the Bible (ancient book) has a depth of wisdom even for a topic as modern as AI.”
SparkLit confirmed the award in a Facebook post, noting that Made in Our Image was selected from a shortlist of 10 titles. “Because it is made in our image, AI will make our lives better and worse,” the judges wrote. “We know we can’t rely on humans or market forces to make the right moral calls about the development and implementation of AI, but we can trust the promises of God.”
Driscoll’s publisher, Matthias Media, also extended congratulations, calling the win “an encouragement for a first-time author.”
Driscoll lives in Canberra with his wife, Lauren, and their two children. He serves with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students at the Australian National University, where he disciples Christian students and shares the gospel with nonbelievers.
Greg Clarke, one of the judges, also praised Driscoll’s achievement on social media, calling the accolade “well-deserved.” Michael Collie, national director of SparkLit and a former Christian publisher in Argentina, presented the award in person.
The other shortlisted works included: The Body God Gives by Robert S. Smith (Lexham Press); Confessions of an Amateur Saint by Mandy Smith (NavPress); Godaku Tjukurpa by various authors (Bible Society); Modern Genre Theory by Andrew Judd (Zondervan Academic); Preaching in a New Key by Mark R. Glanville (IVP Academic); Priests of History by Sarah Irving-Stonebraker (Zondervan Reflective); Subjects and Citizens by Michael P. Jensen (Matthias Media); This Teeming Mess of Glory by Matthew Pullar (Resource Publications); and World Christianity by Graham Joseph Hill (Cascade Books).
