Alois Grillmeier

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Coat of arms of Alois Cardinal Grillmeier

Alois Grillmeier (born January 1, 1910 in Pechbrunn / Upper Palatinate , † September 13, 1998 in Unterhaching near Munich ) was a Roman Catholic theologian and Jesuit . From 1948 he was professor of dogmatics and the history of dogma and from 1994 cardinal .

Life

Alois Grillmeier was a son of the farmer Joseph Grillmeier (born August 26, 1874 in Pechbrunn near Konnersreuth ; † April 19, 1943 there) and his wife Maria, née Weidner (born August 5, 1879 in Ödwalpersreuth near Windischeschenbach ; † April 7, 1941 in Pechbrunn), had eight siblings and was a grandson of the miller Ludwig Grillmeier (born August 19, 1843 in Pechbrunn), who married Margerthe Lindner (born July 29, 1847 in Kleinbüchlberg near Mitterteich ), a daughter of the farmer , on April 24, 1866 Johann Lindner in Kleinbüchlberg and his wife Katharina nee Zintl.

Alois Grillmeier attended the Alte Gymnasium in Regensburg from 1920 to 1929 and on April 11, 1929 joined the Jesuit order . The novitiate was followed by periods of study at universities of the order: from 1931 to 1934 philosophy at the Berchmanskolleg in Pullach near Munich, from 1934 to 1936 theology in Valkenburg in the Netherlands, then until 1938 at the Philosophical-Theological University of Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt am Main . Grillmeier was ordained a priest on June 24, 1937 ; the first Mass he celebrated on August 8, 1937 in his hometown Pechbrunn. After studying in Rome 1939/1940 which followed 1942 Promotion to Doctor of Theology at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg . In the same year he was drafted for military service in World War II, but in 1944 he was dismissed because of his membership in the Jesuit order.

From 1944 Grillmeier was a lecturer for fundamental theology and dogmatics at the university in Pullach near Munich, from 1948 he was a full professor for dogmatics and the history of dogma at the Mauritius College (the theological faculty of the Jesuits) in Büren. From 1950 until his retirement in 1978 he was professor of dogmatics and the history of dogma at the Jesuit theological faculty of the Philosophical-Theological University of Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt am Main . His main work is the multi-volume story of the christological dogma Jesus the Christ in the faith of the church , which is also available in English, French, Italian and Spanish and was continued by Theresia Hainthaler . Grillmeier founded an institute for the history of dogmas and councils at the university in the 1950s , which after Grillmeier's death in 1998 renamed the institute for the history of dogmas and liturgy and renamed the Alois Cardinal Grillmeier Institute for the history of dogmas, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue in 2018 has been.

From 1962 to 1965 Grillmeier took part in the Second Vatican Council as a council theologian appointed by Bishop Wilhelm Kempf and was a member of its theological commission from 1963. Communicating the reforms of the council was very important to him: from 1963 to 1966 he made four trips to Zambia and Malawi to explain and disseminate the council's resolutions. Grillmeier wrote comments on parts of the central constitutions Lumen gentium , Gaudium et spes and Dei verbum . He also published writings to convey other topics of the council, such as the renewal of religious life and the priestly image as well as Mariology .

From 1964 to 1977 Grillmeier was chief editor of the journal Scholastik , which was renamed Theology and Philosophy in 1966 , scientific advisory board (1972) and consultor of the ecumenical foundation Pro Oriente in Vienna (1979) and a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (from 1993).

In 1977 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Catholic Theological Department of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , and in 1990 from Otto Friedrich University Bamberg . On November 26, 1994, in recognition of his theological services, Pope John Paul II accepted him as a cardinal deacon with the title deaconry of San Nicola in Carcere in the college of cardinals . Due to his already high age of 84 years , John Paul II exempted him from the obligation to receive episcopal ordination .

On June 25, 1995, Alois Grillmeier made a last visit to his birthplace in Pechbrunn. He died on September 13, 1998 in Unterhaching near Munich and was buried in the cemetery of the Berchmanskolleg in Pullach.

Publications (selection)

  • The Council of Chalcedon . History and present. Edited by Alois Grillmeier and Heinrich Bacht, 3 vols. Würzburg 1951–1954; 5th edition ibid 1979.
  • The logos on the cross. On the christological symbolism of the older depiction of the crucifixion. Munich 1956.
  • Light of the peoples? The understanding of the church of Vaticanum II. Kevelaer 1965.
  • Christian in Christian tradition. 1965; 2nd edition London / Oxford 1975.
    • Extended German revision: Jesus the Christ in the faith of the church. 3 volumes in 5 sub-volumes, Herder: Freiburg, 1979ff.
  • Wandering Church and the nascent world. Bachem: Cologne, 1968.
  • Ermeneutica moderna e cristologia antica. Brescia 1973.
  • With him and in him. Christological Research and Perspectives. Herder: Freiburg, 1975; 2nd edition 1978. ISBN 3-451-17126-0 .
  • Fragments on Christology. Studies on the early church image of Christ. Edited by Theresia Hainthaler, Herder: Freiburg, 1997. ISBN 978-3-451-26411-5 .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The spelling "Aloys" can be found mainly in older and English publications.
  2. ↑ Who is who? The German who's who. Founded by Walter Habel. Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin. 24th edition. Schmidt Römhild, Lübeck 1985, ISBN 3-7950-2005-0 , p. 407.
  3. ↑ Theresia Hainthaler: "Jesus Christ is the Lord" (Phil 2:11) . On the work of Alois Cardinal Grillmeier SJ (1910–1998). In: Theology and Philosophy . tape 74 , 1999, ISSN  0040-5655 , pp. 85–97 ( sankt-georgen.de [accessed June 14, 2019]).
  4. ↑ The institute is reconstituted. Alois-Kardinal-Grillmeier-Institute for the History of Dogmas, Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, October 30, 2018, accessed on June 14, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Grillmeier, Alois
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grillmeier, Aloys
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Catholic theologian, dogmatist, clergyman (Societas Jesu) and cardinal
DATE OF BIRTH January 1, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Pechbrunn ( Upper Palatinate )
DATE OF DEATH September 13, 1998
Place of death Unterhaching near Munich