Tracey Rowland, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia, has won the Ratzinger Prize for theology, often described as the field’s equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize.
The award is a stunning win for the Melbourne, Australia-based academic, who is the first Australian and only the third woman to receive the prestigious award.
The Ratzinger Prize is awarded to two individuals each year regardless of their religious denomination.
Pope Francis announced on Oct. 1 that Rowland would share this year’s award with Jean-Luc Marion, a French philosopher and Catholic theologian.
The prize is awarded in three areas: the study of sacred Scripture, patristics and theology.
It is presented by the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation, which was established in 2010 to support theological re-search and to promote studies on the theology and teaching of the retired Pope.
Rowland told The Catholic Weekly, newspaper of the Arch-diocese of Sydney, she was “surprised but not totally shocked” to find she had been chosen for the award given that she has published much about the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, including two books that have been translated into other languages.