Andrew Johnson, assistant professor in the School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, was recognized for his book which won the Religion News Association's 2018 Excellence in Nonfiction Religion Book Award.
“If I Give My Soul: Faith Behind Bars in Rio de Janeiro” is a description of prison in Brazil and Pentecostal Christianity among those incarcerated.
An excerpt from the judges comments read “Talk about shoe-leather reporting! The author of his book spent weeks at a time as a prisoner in the Brazilian prison system to understand why pentecostal Christianity is thriving among inmates. With a keen eye and a fearlessness any reporter would envy, he shows the reader (not tells!) how some of Brazil's least fortunate citizens find meaning and direction in the midst of terrible conditions. Well done!”