Helmut Zander

This article deals with the historian and theologian Helmut Zander. For the politician see Helmuth Zander .

Helmut Zander (born July 13, 1957 in Oberaußem ) is a German religious historian and Roman Catholic theologian .

Live and act

Zander grew up in the industrial community of Oberaussem in the Bergheim district in the Rhenish lignite district west of Cologne. In the local parish of St. Vinzentius he was involved in the Catholic youth . In 1976 he passed the Abitur at the Erftgymnasium in the district town of Bergheim .

He studied history , political science , comparative religion and theology. In 1987 he received his doctorate under Hans-Adolf Jacobsen in Bonn with a thesis on the role of Christians in the peace movements of the two German states. In 2002 he completed his habilitation at the Humboldt University in Berlin with a thesis on the history of theosophy and anthroposophy . Since 2011 he has been a professor for comparative religious history and interreligious dialogue at the theological faculty of the University of Freiburg / Université de Friborg . The focus of his research is the European history of religion and current developments in anthroposophy. He has been a member of the board of the Swiss Society for Religious Studies since 2014.

Zander was best known for a monograph on the history of anthroposophy in Germany (2007) and a biography of Rudolf Steiner , the founder of anthroposophy (2011). This led to an extensive discussion in scientific circles, which was also reflected in publications. Reviewers attested that he had a critical relationship with Steiner and his teaching. The educational scientist Sabine Hering found in her review: "He does not declare war on anyone, he does not justify himself, strictly speaking he does not even explain his interests."

Fonts

• The Christians and the Peace Movements in Both German States: Contributions to a Comparison for the Years 1978–1987 . Duncker & Humblot , Berlin 1989, ISBN 3-428-06641-3 (= contributions to political science , volume 54, at the same time dissertation University Bonn 1987 under the title: Role of Christians in the peace movements of the two German states ).
• Reincarnation and Christianity. Rudolf Steiner's theory of reincarnation in dialogue with theology . Schöningh, Paderborn 1995, ISBN 3-506-79769-7 .
• History of the transmigration of souls in Europe. Alternative religious traditions from ancient times to today . Primus, Darmstadt 1999, ISBN 3-89678-140-5 .
• Anthroposophy in Germany. Theosophical worldview and social practice 1884–1945 . 2 volumes. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-525-55452-4 . ( Habilitation thesis HU Berlin 2002, under the title History of Theosophy and Anthroposophy, 1884 to 1945 ).
• Rudolf Steiner. The biography. Piper, Munich and Zurich 2011, ISBN 978-3-492-05448-5 .
• "European" religious history. Religious affiliation through decision-making - consequences in an intercultural comparison . De Gruyter Oldenbourg, Berlin / Boston 2015, ISBN 978-3-11-041797-5 .
• From demonology to the unconscious. The transformation of anthropology around 1800. Ed. With Maren Sziede . De Gruyter Oldenbourg, Berlin / Boston 2015, ISBN 978-3110379815 .
• Anthroposophy: Rudolf Steiner's ideas between esotericism, Weleda, Demeter and Waldorf education. Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh 2019, ISBN 978-3-506-79225-9

Web links

• Literature by and about Helmut Zander in the catalog of the German National Library
• The mystery of anthroposophy , conversation between Norbert Bischofberger (journalist) and Helmut Zander, great hour of philosophy on February 15, 2009 (video, approx. One hour)
• Critical website on Helmut Zander , by Wolfgang Schad ( ViSdP ) and Lorenzo Ravagli / Agency for Applied Anthroposophy (editor)
• Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy - "There's a lot of religion in there" on deutschlandfunk.de, November 6, 2019

Individual evidence

1. ↑ erftgymnasium.de
2. ↑ Helmut Zander: The Christians and the peace movements in both German states . Berlin 1989, p. 5.
3. ^ Biographical data , University of Siegen.
4. ↑ Media release on the appointment to Friborg
5. ↑ Research focus of Helmut Zander at the Université de Friborg.
6. ^ Board of Directors and Presidium of the SGR.
7. ↑ For the assessment of Zander's work from an anthroposophical point of view, see: Lorenzo Ravagli: Zander's Stories: A Critical Analysis of the Work 'Anthroposophy in Germany' . Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-8305-1613-2 ; Karen Swassjan : Processed Anthroposophy. Balance of a ghost ride . Dornach 2007, ISBN 978-3-7235-1324-8 .
8. ↑ Helmut Zander “The Anthroposophy” deutschlandfunk.de , September 2, 2019.
9. ^ H. Zander: Rudolf Steiner , www.hsozkult.de
10. ↑ See: Rudolf Steiner: Universalgenie? - Universal dilettante? - SWI swissinfo.ch interview with Helmut Zander, on SWI swissinfo.ch March 13, 2011