Dame Mary Elizabeth Tanner, DBE (née Fussell; born 23 July 1938) is a British academic specialising in the Old Testament.

[1] She studied theology at the University of Birmingham and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) degree.

[4] In the 2008 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) "for services to the worldwide Anglican Communion".

[5] In January 2010, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD) degree by the University of Hull.

[3] In 1998, she was the recipient of a Festschrift titled "Community, Unity, Communion: Essays in Honour of Mary Tanner" and edited by Colin Podmore.