Thomas Schirrmacher

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Thomas Schirrmacher with Pope Francis on his 82nd birthday (December 17, 2017)

Thomas Schirrmacher (born June 25, 1960 in Schwelm ) is a German Reformed theologian , ethicist , sociologist of religion and human rights expert . As Deputy Secretary General (responsible for theology, theological training, interchurch and interreligious relations, religious freedom, research) and chairman of the Theological Commission, the theological flagship of the 600 million evangelicals who belong to the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). The scholar with multiple doctorates is one of the leading human rights activists in the world, is President of the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights and Director of the International Institute for Religious Freedom. In 2016 he received the episcopal ordination of the Communio Christiana (a church in the Anglican tradition).

life and work

Childhood and family

Thomas Schirrmacher was born on June 25, 1960 as the child of the university professor Bernd Schirrmacher and his wife Ingeborg in Schwelm. His great-grandfather was the historian Friedrich Wilhelm Schirrmacher and his great-great-grandfather, Carl Friedrich Schirrmacher , was director of the Petri School in Danzig . Schirrmacher's ancestors were Reformed Huguenots who came to Prussia from Salzburg and finally settled in Danzig and Königsberg .

He has been married to Christine Schirrmacher , Professor of Islamic Studies , since 1985 .

Academic career and activity

Thomas Schirrmacher studied from 1978 to 1982 theology at the State Independent Theological University of Basel (STH Basel) and received his doctorate in theology in 1985 in the subject "Mission Studies and Ecumenism" at the Theological University Kampen (Netherlands), a state-approved private university. From 1983 he studied comparative religious studies , ethnology and folklore at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn . In 1989 he received his PhD in cultural anthropology from Pacific Western University , a private college . In 1996 he received an honorary doctorate for his work Ethics from Whitefield Theological Seminary ( Lakeland (Florida) ), in 1997 an honorary doctorate from Cranmer Theological House ( Shreveport ), and in 2006 another from ACTS University in Bangalore . In 2007 he received his doctorate from Karl Hoheisel with the dissertation of Hitler's war religion at the University of Bonn with “ magna cum laude ” as Doctor philosophiae .

From 1983 to 1989 Thomas Schirrmacher taught missions and religious studies at the Free Theological Academy in Gießen and from 1990 to 1996 the same subjects and later ethics at the STH Basel. In the United States, he was professor of missiology at the Philadelphia Theological Seminary (1994–1998) and mission and ethics at the Cranmer Theological House (1997–2000). Since 1996 he has been professor of systematic theology ( dogmatics , ethics, apologetics and denominational studies ) at the Whitefield Theological Seminary. Since 2000 he has also been professor for international development at the private William Carey University ( Shillong ) and since 2009 for sociology of religion at the Western University of Timişoara , where he moved from the University of Oradea , where he taught from 2006 to 2009. His extraordinary professorship at the Faculty of Sociology and Psychology of the West University of Timişoara was confirmed in 2014. There he teaches four hours per week in block lessons - from which two Romanian textbooks arose - and supervises the scholarship program. He also teaches in the master's program for social work. He also teaches as a professor or visiting lecturer at theological training institutions in Germany and abroad, for example at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo or the Regent's College at Oxford University.

From 1996 to 2018 Thomas Schirrmacher was Rector of the private Martin Bucer Seminar , which he founded , where he continues to teach systematic theology (above all ethics) as well as missions and religious studies and is Vice President for International Affairs.

He is the author and editor of around 100 books, including an eight-volume Ethics . Translations are available in 17 languages.

Other activities and offices

Human rights, religious freedom and persecution of Christians

Thomas Schirrmacher visits Bujar Nishani, the President of Albania (October 19, 2015)

Schirrmacher is managing director of the working group for religious freedom of the Germans and the Austrian Evangelical Alliance and a member of the commission for religious freedom of the World Evangelical Alliance, of which he is the spokesman for human rights . As director, he heads the International Institute for Religious Freedom (Bonn / Guernsey , Brussels , Cape Town , Colombo , Brasília , Delhi , Tübingen ).

According to media reports, he is one of the leading experts on the subject of persecution of Christians , who also campaigns for the freedom of all religions within the framework of human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the International Society for Human Rights . He has acted as an expert for the Bundestag several times , most recently in the hearing of the Human Rights Committee on November 28, 2018.

In addition to religious freedom , Schirrmacher's second focus in the area of ​​human rights is the fight against human trafficking . He lectures around the world on this subject and speaks to church leaders such as Popes Benedict XVI. and Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I , but also at the Global Media Forum, in front of parliamentary groups and state governments and in German cities under the patronage of mayors.

Ecumenism

In October 2015, Schirrmacher took part in the Catholic family synod convened by Pope Francis . He is considered one of the architects of “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World”, the first document that the Vatican , World Council of Churches and WEA signed together in 2011 - a milestone in church history. The daily newspaper Die Welt calls him one of the leading experts in matters of persecution of Christians and religious freedom and "the Pope's dearest Protestant". Schirrmacher is also an advisor to the Faith and Order Commission, ie the theological commission of the World Council of Churches.

further activities

Schirrmacher is also chairman of the advisory board of the Central Council of Oriental Christians (ZOCD) and a member of the steering committee of the Global Christian Forum. He is the owner of the publishing house for culture and science as well as the founder and advisor of the international aid organization "Gebende Dinge".

Honors

Publications (selection)

As an author

Essays
Monographs
  • "The divine nationality" and the "belief in Germany's greatness and sacred mission". Hans Naumann as folklorist and Germanist under National Socialism (= Disputationes linguarum et cultuum orbis , Section 5; Folklore and German Studies, Volume 2). New edition, VKW, Bonn 2000, ISBN 3-932829-16-6 (Dissertation University Pacific Western Los Angeles 1989, 606 pages).
  • Hope for Europe. 66 theses . VTR, Nuremberg 2002, ISBN 3-933372-43-7 .
  • Multicultural society. Opportunities and dangers . Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2006, ISBN 978-3-7751-4576-3 .
  • Hitler's war religion. The anchoring of Hitler's worldview in his religious terminology and his image of God . VKW, Bonn 2007, ISBN 978-3-938116-31-9 .
  • The new lower class. Poverty in Germany? Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-7751-4674-6 .
  • Modern fathers. Neither washcloth nor despots . Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-7751-4609-8 .
  • Internet Pornography ... What Everyone Should Know About It . Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-7751-4838-2 .
  • Racism. Old prejudices and new insights . SCM Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-7751-4999-0 .
  • Ethics . VTR, Nuremberg 2009 (8 volumes), ISBN 978-3-933372-55-0 .
  • Fundamentalism . When religion becomes a danger . SCM Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2010, ISBN 978-3-7751-5203-7 .
  • Paul fighting the veil. An alternative interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11: 2-16 . VTR, Nuremberg 2002, ISBN 978-3-933372-45-1 .
  • Corruption: when selfishness comes before the common good (with David Schirrmacher). SCM, Christian Media Foundation Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2014, ISBN 978-3-7751-5524-3 .
  • Oppressed women (with Christine Schirrmacher). SCM, Christian Media Foundation Hänssler, Holzgerlingen 2014, ISBN 978-3-7751-5480-2 .

As editor

  1. Basic considerations . ISBN 978-3-938116-44-9 .
  2. From practical work . ISBN 978-3-938116-45-6 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Thomas Schirrmacher on the website of the Word Evangelical Alliance
  2. Schirrmacher elected President of the International Society for Human Rights ( Memento from July 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  3. On my episcopal ordination • Thomas Schirrmacher . In: Thomas Schirrmacher . June 9, 2017 ( thomasschirrmacher.info [accessed September 25, 2018]).
  4. Review NZZ November 20, 2007
  5. Flyer Master's Program Sociology and Psychology at the West University of Timişoara ( Memento from May 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  6. MA Social Work at the Western University of Timisoara ( Memento from May 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  7. See for example Mack Eventos 32 Seminário Internacional ANAJURE-Mackenzie or guest lecture in the law faculty of the Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in Sao Paulo
  8. IIRF director gives guest lecture on religious freedom at Oxford University
  9. See https://www.bucer.de/mitarbeiter/th-schirrmacher.html .
  10. A detailed list can be found at https://www.thomasschirrmacher.info/bio/buchveroeffnahmungen/ or https://www.buchhandel.de/suche/lösungen?query=(au%3DThomas%20Schirrmacher)%20und%20db% 3Dvlb & sortField = publicationDate
  11. International Institute for Religious Freedom: Thomas Schirrmacher
  12. ^ Till-Reimer Stoldt: Interview with Thomas Schirrmacher. World on Sunday, November 12, 2006
  13. ^ Till-Reimer Stoldt: Welt am Sonntag: Raped, Tortured, Stoned. In: welt.de , February 12, 2006.
  14. DeutschlandRadio: Persecuted Christians, April 3, 2006
  15. Amnesty International: Freedom of Belief as a Human Right , 2000 ( Memento of March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  16. German Bundestag: Ethnic minorities are exposed to a variety of threats
  17. ^ Mission Freedom: Human Trafficking
  18. pro Christian media magazine: The less infallible Pope
  19. pro Christian media magazine: Francis wants more ecumenism
  20. Yearbooks on religious freedom handed over to both popes
  21. ^ Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum
  22. Blog posts by Thomas Schirrmacher ( Memento from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  23. Evangelical Alliance Germany: Prof. Schirrmacher on the subject of "human trafficking" ( Memento from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  24. ^ The Augsburger Zeitung: Slavery - not eradicated in Germany either
  25. Till-Reimer Stoldt: How Pope and Evangelicals want to save the family. welt.de, November 2, 2015, accessed November 6, 2015 .
  26. Today we write history In: Bonner Querschnitte 18/2011 Issue 172 , June 29, 2011.
  27. See, for example, Christianity is too big for opponents or Religious nationalism marches ahead
  28. What the Pope can say for Protestants . This is what Prof. Dr. Daniel Philpott at the Vatican University .
  29. Central Council of Oriental Christians in Germany eV
  30. Global Christian Forum - Current GCF Committee (2016)
  31. ^ Evangelical news agency Idea : Human rights award for Prof. Thomas Schirrmacher.
  32. Thomas Schirrmacher receives the Order of Merit of the Ghassanid royal family for his commitment to human rights in the Middle East
  33. Pakistani human rights lawyer receives Stephanus Prize ( Memento from March 12, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
  34. The yearbooks are available at http://yearbooks.iirf.eu