Martin Stöhr

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Martin Stöhr (born August 30, 1932 in Singhofen ; † December 4, 2019 ) was a German Protestant theologian , university professor , academy director and chairman of institutions for Christian-Jewish dialogue .

Live and act

Martin Stöhr was the son of a pastor couple and graduated from high school in Bad Ems . From 1951 to 1956 he studied Protestant theology and sociology in Mainz , Bonn and Basel with Karl Barth . The personal friendship with the theologian Helmut Gollwitzer , who had a strong influence on him , also came from his studies in Bonn .

He made vicariates in Rüsselsheim and East Berlin , then after his ordination he became a pastor in Wiesbaden-Amöneburg . From 1961 to 1969 he was a student pastor at the Technical University of Darmstadt . From 1968 to 1985 Stöhr was a member of the regional synod of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau . From 1969 to 1986 he was director of the Evangelical Academy Arnoldshain . From 1986 to 1997 he taught theological subjects such as ecumenism, interreligious dialogue and the history of theology of the 20th century at the University of Siegen without a doctorate , but with the recently awarded honorary doctorate (Heidelberg) . Around the mid-1990s, the University of GH-Siegen awarded him an honorary professorship.

Early on he was interested in the Jewish roots of Christian theology, and for this reason he advocated Christian-Jewish dialogue and reconciliation throughout his life. He traveled to Israel for the first time in 1964, in 1985 at the invitation of the then President Chaim Herzog . From 1965 to 1984 he was the Protestant chairman of the German Coordination Council of the Societies for Christian-Jewish Cooperation (DKR), Father Willehad Paul Eckert and regional rabbi Nathan Peter Levinson were his colleagues in the chair. As early as 1971, under his chairmanship, the council voted in principle for the churches to renounce so-called mission to the Jews , and he was involved in the revision of school materials on Judaism. In doing so, he also subjected such personalities as otherwise valued by him, such as the resistance fighter of the Confessing Church , Martin Niemöller , to criticism for his being caught in anti-Semitic thought patterns.

Stöhr was also a member of the study commission Jews and Christians of the Evangelical Church in Germany , which published memoranda on reconciliation as early as 1975 and 1991. He was also the board spokesman of the Working Group Jews and Christians at the German Evangelical Church Congress. In 1978 he co-founded the Study in Israel program, which allowed over 500 theology students from Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland to study for a year at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. From 1990 to 1998 he was President of the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) and later its Honorary President.

Stöhr had been a member of the Christian Peace Conference since 1961 and took part in the first two All-Christian Peace Meetings in Prague in 1961 and 1964 . In 1964 he was elected to their advisory committee. Stöhr was also actively involved in the German peace movement against nuclear weapons . In the 1990s he took over the chairmanship of the Martin Niemöller Foundation . In this capacity he also appeared as a speaker at anti-war day rallies .

He lived in Bad Vilbel since his retirement .

Teaching

For Stöhr, the New Testament is, strictly speaking, a midrash , a further interpretation of the Old Testament , the Jewish Bible. As a Christian, he understands the Jewish Bible as an independent and equal voice alongside the New Testament, which should not be devalued or appropriated . For him it is not just a promise , law , prehistory or antithesis, which were often understood as provisional and incomplete, but rather a narration of God's story with the people of Israel. The arrogant annexation of the irrevocable election of Israel by the Christian Church must be ended, repented and dealt with; in addition, terms such as people, land and state of Israel must be clearly distinguished. For Christians, moreover, the act of following Christ should be considered more than the doctrine of Christology , which separates us from the Jews.

Honors

Fonts

  • On a way to the Lehrhaus . Lembeck, Frankfurt am Main 2009.
  • Talking about it. Foedus, Wuppertal 1997.
  • "Who hears my speech and does it ..." Foedus, Wuppertal 1997.
  • Contributions to the Katharina Luther House in Torgau . Torgau History Association, Torgau 1997.
  • Jews, Christians and the Ecumenical Movement. Spener, Frankfurt am Main 1994.
  • Don't lose your memory. University, Paderborn 1993.
  • Learning in Jerusalem , learning with Israel . Institute for Church and Judaism, Berlin 1993.
  • Confess guilt - avoid guilt? Evangelical Academy Arnoldshain, Schmitten 1988.
  • The first reformation. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1987.
  • What works in the church? Evangelical Academy Arnoldshain, Schmitten 1986.
  • Buried poisons. Evangelical Academy Arnoldshain, Schmitten 1986.
  • On the seducibility of natural science. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1986.
  • Civil disobedience and constitutional democracy. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1986.
  • For the biblical justification of socio-ethical action. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1985.
  • The Legacy of the Confessing Church. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1983.
  • Abraham's children. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1983.
  • Life - living together - surviving. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1983.
  • Judaism in Christian religious instruction . Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1983.
  • Theological Approaches in Religious Socialism . Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt am Main 1983.
  • Jewish existence and the renewal of Christian theology - attempt to balance the Christian-Jewish dialogue for systematic theology (= treatises on the Christian-Jewish dialogue. Volume 11). Kaiser, Munich 1981 (with Clemens Thoma ).
  • Zionism . Kaiser, Munich 1980.
  • Life and Belief after the Holocaust . Radius-Verlag, Stuttgart 1980.
  • Remember, don't forget. Kaiser, Munich 1979.
  • Conditions of life. Evangelical Academy Arnoldshain, Arnoldshain / Taunus 1975.
  • Disputation between Christians and Marxists . Chr. Kaiser, Munich 1966.
  • Dimensions of peace. Reich, Hamburg-Bergstedt 1961.

literature

  • Hans-Gerhard Klatt, Karl-Heinz Dejung: “The commandments of God are not yet fulfilled!” A biographical congratulations to Martin Stöhr on his 80th birthday. In: Young Church . No. 3 , August 5, 2012, p. 36–48 ( jungekirche.de [PDF; 501 kB ]).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mourning the theologian Martin Stöhr. In: evangelisch.de , December 5, 2019, accessed December 5, 2019.
  2. ↑ Martin Stöhr: The history of Christian violence. In: Compass information service. October 2006, accessed December 6, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Martin Stöhr: For active peace politics and global justice. Speech at the Anti-War Day rally, August 31, 2002, Frankfurt. Network Peace Cooperative , August 31, 2002, accessed December 6, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Stephan cancer: Martin Stohr acknowledged Birthday: The great reconciler between Jews and Christians is 80. In: EKHN.de . August 29, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Ansgar Gilster: Interview project on the history of the Working Group Jews and Christians at the German Protestant Church Congress: Interview with Prof. Dr. Martin Stöhr. In: ag-juden-christen.de. Retrieved December 6, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Martin Stöhr honored with the Niemöller Medal. In: Our Church - Protestant weekly newspaper. November 25, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016 . Martin Stöhr from Bad Vilbel awarded the Niemöller medal. In: EKHN.de . November 25, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2018 . Theologian Martin Stöhr is 85. In: epd.de. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017 ; accessed on December 6, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Stöhr, Martin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH August 30, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Singhofen
DATE OF DEATH 4th December 2019