Bernhard Casper

Bernhard Moses Casper (* 1931 ) is a German philosopher and Roman Catholic theologian . He was a professor of Christian philosophy of religion at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau .

Life

After graduating from high school in Aschaffenburg in 1949, he studied philosophy and theology in Freiburg im Breisgau from 1949 to 1951 , particularly with Eugen Fink , Max Müller and Bernhard Welte and from 1951 to 1956 philosophy and theology at the Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana in Rome . After ordination in 1955 as a priest of the diocese of Würzburg , he was Bernhard Weltes' research assistant from 1956 to 1959 at the "Chair for Theological Frontier Questions" of the Theological Faculty of the Albert Ludwig University. After receiving his doctorate in 1959 with a dissertation on social anthropology and the understanding of the church by Schelling student and lay theologian Friedrich Pilgram , he was pastor in the parish, hospital and university pastoral care from 1959 to 1963 and as a pastor for Burg Rothenfels (Rothenfels) . In 1964 he worked with Klaus Hemmerle and Peter Hünermann in research on the religious-philosophical and theological relevance of historical-dialogical thinking and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. After his habilitation in 1968 for the subject “Christian Philosophy of Religion” with the work “The dialogical thinking”. Establishment of a working group to develop the reception of Husserl and Heidegger through contemporary French religious philosophy. In 1971 he became a member of the discussion group “Jews and Christians” of the Central Committee of German Catholics. From 1971 to 1978 he taught as a full professor for fundamental theology at the Theological Faculty of the University of Augsburg (founding of a working group on "Basic Research on Religious Theory" of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation . Member of the "Scientific Council" and the "Science and Theology" working group of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria ). From 1973 to 1978 he was consultor of the Papal Secretariat for the Non-Believers. From 1975 to 2006 he was a member of the advisory board of the Cusanuswerk Episcopal Study Fund . Since 1976 he has been participating in the research colloquia of the Istitituto di Studi Filosofici "Enrico Castelli" of the University of La Sapienza on basic questions of philosophical anthropology and from 2002 to 2012 he was a member of the "Consiglio direttivo" of this institute. From 1978 to 1999 he taught as a full professor for Christian philosophy of religion in Freiburg im Breisgau. Frequent research colloquia with Emmanuel Levinas and Paul Ricoeur . In 1979 he became co-editor of the collected writings of Franz Rosenzweig . In 1995 he was awarded the Doctor honoris causa by the Philosophical Faculty of the Institut Catholique de Paris . In 2004 he became an honorary member of the International Franz Rosenzweig Society. From 2006 to 2011 he was editor of the collected writings of Bernhard Weltes. From 2007 onwards he holds lectures on basic anthropological questions in postmodernism and in the events of globalization: Participation in the annual "Festival of Filosofi lungo l'Oglio" in the provinces of Brescia and Cremona (Italy). In 2012 he was awarded the Premio Internazionale di Filosofi lungo l'Oglio. “Un libro per il presente” awarded.

He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Archivio di Filosofia (Archives of Philosophy), Rome, of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Yearbook for Philosophy of Religion in Freiburg and of the Comité Scientifique for the edition of the works of Emmanuel Levinas in Paris. He is honorary chairman of the Bernhard Welte Society. He is an honorary citizen of the city of Travagliato .

Book publications (selection)

• "Hostage for the other - maybe just a tough name for love". Emmanuel Levinas and his hermeneutics diachronic there-his . Alber, Freiburg. / Munich 2020. ISBN 978-3-495-49080-8

• Dialogic thinking. Franz Rosenzweig, Ferdinand Ebner and Martin Buber . Herder, Freiburg Basel Vienna 1967. New edition with an excursus on Emmanuel Levinas. Alber, Freiburg / Munich 2020. ISBN 9783495489307

• Basic questions of the human. Studies on the humanity of man . Schöningh, Paderborn 2014. ISBN 978-3-506-77883-3

• In the face of the other. Emmanuel Levinas - Elements of His Thought . Schöningh, Paderborn 2009. ISBN 9783506767714

• The event of prayer. Basic lines of a hermeneutics of religious events . Alber, Freiburg / Munich 1998. ISBN 978-3-495-47894-3

• Nature and limits of criticism of religion. Feuerbach, Marx, Freud . Echter, Würzburg 1974. ISBN 978-3-429-00370-8

• Ed .: Phenomenology of the Idol . Alber, Freiburg / Munich 1981. ISBN 978-3-495-47453-2

• Ed .: Calling God. Phenomenological approaches . Alber, Freiburg / Munich 1981. ISBN 978-3-495-47454-9

• with Walter Sparn ed .: Everyday Life and Transcendence. Studies on Religious Experience in Contemporary Society . Alber, Freiburg / Munich 1992. ISBN 978-3-495-47739-7

Web links

• Website at the University of Freiburg