Uta Ranke-Heinemann

German theologian and author. From 26 January 1970, she was the first woman in the world to hold a chair in Catholic theology. After her church teaching license was revoked in 1987, she moved to a non-church chair for the history of religion until her retirement in 1990 and became a bestselling author.

Ranke-Heinemann was active in the peace movement. During the Vietnam War, she supported the ban on napalm bombs. She traveled to the Communist North Vietnam. In 1979, she organized food for Cambodia suffering a famine. She taught from 1980 in Duisburg, and from 1985 in Essen. In 1987 Bishop of Essen Franz Hengsbach withdrew her license to teach Catholic theology for disputing the virgin birth of Jesus. This effectively disqualified her from the post she had held for three years. The University of Essen created a new chair for her, for History of Religion. Her principal book dealing critically with sexuality in the Catholic Church, in English Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Women, sexuality, and the Catholic Church, appeared first in 1988, and in many subsequent editions. It was translated to 12 languages.

In 1999, Ranke-Heinemann was a candidate for President of Germany, without party membership, but lost to Johannes Rau, the husband of her niece Christina.

She died on 25 March 2021 in Essen.