Anna Fedele’s book “Looking for Mary Magdalene” has received the Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion for Analytical-Descriptive Studies of the American Academy of Religion.

Looking for Mary Magdalene: Alternative Pilgrimage and Ritual Creativity at Catholic Shrines in France

The Awards for Excellence and Best First Book in the History of Religions recognize new scholarly publications that make significant contributions to the study of religion. The awards honor books of distinctive originality, intelligence, creativity, and importance; books that affect decisively how religion is examined, understood, and interpreted.

The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world’s largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It was originally founded in 1909 and  is today a nonprofit member association, serving as a professional and learned society for scholars involved in the academic study of religion. It has some 10,000 members world-wide.