Verena Lenzen

Verena Lenzen (born April 3, 1957 in Eschweiler near Aachen ) is Professor of Jewish Studies and Theology / Christian-Jewish Conversation and head of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Research (IJCF) at the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Culture and Social Sciences at the University of Lucerne , Switzerland and Co-President of the Jewish / Roman Catholic Discussion Commission of Switzerland .

biography

Verena Lenzen studied Jewish Studies, Catholic Theology , German and Philosophy at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne. After the state examination , he received his doctorate in 1987 and his habilitation in 1995 at the University of Bonn .

On behalf of the German Research Foundation , she carried out several research projects on " Jewish Ethics and Christian Ethics" in Israel and the USA.

She has received numerous scholarships (doctoral scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation , postdoctoral and postdoctoral programs from the German Research Foundation, Heisenberg Excellence Program from the German Research Foundation) and prizes.

Her commitment to the Judeo-Christian dialogue has been reflected in her research and teaching activities (Universities of Bonn, Cologne, Saarbrücken, etc.), in guest lectures at the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem , in lecture tours on an international level (Berlin, Hamburg, New York, Washington, Boston and others) and in the context of adult education. The illustrated children's book Die Reise der Zikaden (Kiel 1997) tells a story on the topic of interreligious dialogue.

On October 1, 2001 Verena Lenzen took over the professorship for Jewish Studies and Theology / Christian-Jewish Conversation as well as the management of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Research (IJCF) at the University of Lucerne.

From 2002 to 2016 she was Vice-President of the Switzerland-Israel Society, Central Switzerland Section.

On July 1, 2019, Pope Francis appointed her consultor to the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism .

Foundations

• President of the University Foundation of the University of Lucerne (since 2015)
• Co-President of the Mount Zion Foundation (since 2001)
• Vice President of the Judaism / Christianity Foundation SJC (since 2001)
• Vice President of the Otto Herz Academic Foundation (since 2001)
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the Bible and Culture Foundation (since 2003)
• Member of the Board of Trustees European Foundation Aachen Cathedral (since 2015)

Honors

• 1990: Ernst-Robert-Curtius-Förderpreis für Essayistik for her scientific-literary performance and dedicated science.
• 2004: Cross of Merit on the ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her academic achievements, her services in the field of improving Judeo-Christian relations and her commitment to equal rights for women in science and society.

Publications

Authorship

• Suicide. A philosophical-theological discourse with a case study on Cesare Pavese. Düsseldorf 1987 (dissertation).
• Cesare Pavese. Lethality in existence and poetry. A portrait. Piper Verlag, Munich 1989 (“Book of the Month” on ORF, Vienna).
• Jewish life and death in the name of God. Studies on the Sanctification of the Divine Name (Kiddush HaSchem). Munich 1995 (habilitation thesis). 2nd revised edition: Pendo Verlag, Munich-Zurich 2002.
• Moses. Pattloch Verlag, Augsburg 1996.
• Shalom Ben-Chorin, A life under the sign of language and Judeo-Christian conversation. Hentrich & Hentrich, Berlin 2013.
• together with Jakob Hessing : Sebalds Blick. Göttingen 2015.

Editing

• Schalom Ben-Chorin and Verena Lenzen (eds.): Pleasure in knowledge. Jewish theology in the 20th century. A reader. Piper Verlag, Munich 1988.
• Verena Lenzen (Ed.): Schalom Ben-Chorin, Encounters. Portraits of well-known and unrecognized contemporaries. Bleicher Verlag, Gerlingen 1991.
• Verena Lenzen (Ed.): Schalom Ben-Chorin, Theologia Judaica II. Collected Essays, Volume 2. Verlag Mohr, Tübingen 1992.
• Shalom Ben-Chorin: Works. Edited and introduced by Verena Lenzen with the assistance of Avital Ben-Chorin. Gütersloh publishing house, Gütersloh.
  • Volume 1: Youth on the Isar. (2001)
  • Volume 2: I live in Jerusalem. A commitment to past and present. (2003)
  • Volume 3: Dialogue with Martin Buber. (2004)
  • Volume 4: Brother Jesus. The Nazarene from a Jewish perspective. (2005)
  • Volume 5: Paul. The Apostle of the Nations from a Jewish perspective. (2006)
  • Volume 6: Mother Mirjam. Mary from a Jewish perspective. (2006)
• Memory as the origin of the future. Peter Lang Verlag, Bern, 2008; Judaica et Christiana, Simon Lauer and Clemens Thoma, Volume 22: On the anniversary symposium of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Research at the University of Lucerne (September 17-19, 2006)
• The study of Judaism and the Jewish-Christian encounter; together with Denis Maier and Stefan Heinzmann, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2013.

Web links

• Website of Verena Lenzen at the University of Lucerne
• Jewish / Roman Catholic Discussion Commission of Switzerland (JRGK)
• Verena Lenzen: Preserving what is one's own and opening up to others. To the Judeo-Christian conversation. In: "The Image of the Other" Ed. Jewish / Roman Catholic Discussion Commission of Switzerland (JRGK) (PDF; 396 kB)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Jewish / Roman Catholic Discussion Commission of Switzerland
2. ^ Nomina di Consultori della Commissione per i Rapporti Religiosi con l'Ebraismo. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office , July 1, 2019, accessed July 1, 2019 (Italian).