Georges C. Anawati

Georges Chehata Anawati (born June 6, 1905 in Alexandria , † January 28, 1994 in Cairo ) was an Egyptian Dominican , priest and Islamic scholar and Avicenna researcher.

Life

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After training with the school brothers , Georges C. Anawati transferred from the Greek Orthodox Church to the Roman Catholic Church at the age of 16 . After studying pharmacy at the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut , he entered the novitiate of the French Dominican Province in 1943 . In 1939 he was ordained a priest . For several years he devoted himself to the study of classical Arabic literature at the Institut des Langues Orientales at the University of Algiers . Returning to Cairo in 1944, he began in the following years, together with Serge de Beaurecueil and Jacques Jomier, the founding work for the Institut dominicain d'études orientales (IDEO), which opened in 1953 and is dedicated to Islamic studies and the issue of Islamic-Christian dialogue . Until his death he worked from this center of his order for the study of Islam and the promotion of Christian-Islamic dialogue in Cairo, Egypt and worldwide. Since 1951 he was a member of the Institut d'Égypte , in 1978 he was promoted to doctor hc from the University of Leuven , 1984 to doctor hc from the Catholic University of America .

Georges Anawati died in Cairo on January 28, 1994, on the feast day of his revered teacher Thomas Aquinas .

Services

For decades he was a collaborator and advisor in various papal committees for the dialogue between culture and religion and for interreligious dialogue . He had a decisive influence on the declaration of the Second Vatican Council " Nostra Aetate " on the relationship of the Catholic Church to non-Christian religions.

He opened the doors for encounters with Muslims because he was convinced that Christians and Muslims can only shape the future together. In 1965 Pope Paul VI founded the Secretariat for Non-Christians and Anawati were among the first advisors. It was in this secretariat that the declaration “ Nostra Aetate ” of the Second Vatican Council was drafted. He was also an advisor to the Pontifical Council for Culture for 12 years.

Anawati wrote 26 books and over 350 articles: Arabic original texts of Islamic natural science and philosophy, monographs on the philosophy and mysticism of Islam and their influence by ancient Greek philosophy, comprehensive bibliographical overviews, studies on the history and current location of the cultural and religious relationships between Christians and Muslims.

Georges Anawati Foundation

Since 2000, the Georges Anawati Foundation has set itself the task of promoting encounters between people of Christian and Islamic traditions. This will continue Anawati's concern in Germany.

Fonts (selection)

• Essai de bibliographie avicenniene . Le Caire 1950.
• Avicenne et l'alchimie. In: Oriente e Occidente nel Medioevo: Filosofia e Scienze. Rome 1971 (= Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Fondazione Alessandro Volta. Atti dei Convegni 13: Convegno Internationale 9-15 April 1969 ), pp. 285-341.
• Psychologie Avicennienne et psychologie de S. Thomas: Étude comparée. In: B. Köpeczi, J. Harmatta (eds.): Actes du colloque sur Avicenne. Budapest le 3 septembre 1980. Budapest 1984 (= Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. Volume 29), pp. 13-32.
• I love the Muslims because they love God. Invitations to dialogue (= publication series of the Georges Anawati Foundation. Vol. 11). Translated and edited by Hoda Issa. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2014, ISBN 978-3-451-33338-5 .

literature

• Jean-Jacques Pérennès: Georges Anawati (1905-1994). An Egyptian Christian and the secret of Islam (= series of publications by the Georges Anawati Foundation. Vol. 7). Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2010, ISBN 978-3-451-30379-1 .

Web links

• Literature by and about Georges C. Anawati in the catalog of the German National Library
• Georges Anawati Foundation