Thomas Schirrmacher

Last updated
Thomas Paul Schirrmacher
Thomas Paul Schirrmacher 2019.jpg
Official office photo of the WEA
Born (1960-06-25) 25 June 1960 (age 64)
Nationality German
CitizenshipGerman
Employer(s) World Evangelical Alliance, Martin Bucer Seminary
Known forChristian moral philosophy, human rights, religious freedom
Spouse Christine Schirrmacher

Thomas Paul Schirrmacher (born 25 June 1960) is a German Christian moral philosopher and a specialist in the Sociology of Religion and religious freedom. He is known as a global human rights activist and holds a chair in Theology (Ethics, Missiology, World Religions).

Contents

Schirrmacher served the World Evangelical Alliance as secretary general from 2021–2024 and as chair of the Theological Commission. He is also an Anglican realignment bishop.

Since 2014 he is president of the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights [1] and of the International Institute for Religious Freedom. [2]

Biography

Family

Thomas Schirrmacher was born on June 25, 1960 [3] to the German professor of Telecommunications engineering Bernd Schirrmacher and his wife Ingeborg. His grandfather is the history professor Friedrich Wilhelm Schirrmacher while his great-grandfather is Carl Friedrich Schirrmacher, Director of the Danzig St. Petri School. [4] The Schirrmacher family are Huguenots who were exiled from Salzburg in the 18th century and subsequently settled in Danzig, Prussia.

Thomas Schirrmacher is married to Christine Schirrmacher who is a professor of Islamic Studies in Bonn, Germany.

Education

Thomas Schirrmacher studied theology from 1978 to 1982 at STH Basel (Switzerland) and since 1983 Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Religion at University of Bonn. He earned a Drs. theol. in Missiology and Ecumenism at Theological University (Kampen/Netherlands) in 1984, and a Dr. theol. in Missiology and Ecumenics at Theological University of the Reformed Churches (Kampen/Netherlands) in 1985, a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology at Pacific Western University [5] (today: California Miramar University) in Los Angeles (CA) in 1989, a Th.D. in Ethics at Whitefield Theological Seminary in Lakeland (FL) in 1996, and a Dr. phil. in Comparative Religion and Sociology of Religion at University of Bonn in 2007. In 1997 he got honorary doctorates (D.D.) from Cranmer Theological House and in 2006 from ACTS Academy of Higher Education in Bangalore.

Career

Thomas Schirrmacher and Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations (2022) Thomas Schirrmacher and Antonio Guterres 2022.jpg
Thomas Schirrmacher and António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations (2022)

Between 1982 and 1986 Schirrmacher was pastor of several church communities in Bonn. From 1996 to 2018, Thomas Schirrmacher was rector of the private Martin Bucer Seminary, a theological seminary seated in Bonn (Germany) with campuses in several countries [6] which he founded, and where he continues to teach systematic theology (especially ethics) as well as comparative religion studies and is vice president for International Affairs. From 1994 to 1998 Schirrmacher was professor of missions at the Philadelphia Theological Seminary, known today as Reformed Episcopal Seminary, and since 1995 he is professor for systematic theology at the Whitefield Theological Seminary. [7] He is also a professor for the sociology of religion at the West University of Timişoara [8] and lecturer in the Advanced Programme “Human Rights and Religious Freedom” at Oxford University (Regent's Park College, Oxford). [9]

Schirrmacher at the President of Albania 2015 Schirrmacher at the President of Albania 2015.jpg
Schirrmacher at the President of Albania 2015

Schirrmacher was chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gebende Hände gGmbH (German: Giving Hands charitable Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung), an internationally active relief organisation, and now is its senior advisor. [10] He is member of the commission for religious freedom of the World Evangelical Alliance. He also is their speaker for human rights. [11] According to media he is one of the leading experts on the topic of persecution of Christians. [12] Several times he was speaking as expert on human rights in the German Parliament. [13] In October 2015 he was the only evangelical member of the Catholic synod on family led by Pope Francis. [14] He is president of the International Society for Human Rights, [15] manager of the Religious Liberty Commission of the German and the Swiss Evangelical Alliance, and president of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) [16] with regional offices for most continents: Brasilia (Latin America), Brussels/Bonn (Europe), Cape Town (Africa), Colombo and Delhi (Asia), which cooperates with the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief. [17]

Thomas Schirrmacher discussing the new WEA brochure with Pope Francis when visiting the Pope when he fulfilled a decade in office. (March 2023) Thomas Schirrmacher discussing the new WEA brochure with Pope Francis.jpg
Thomas Schirrmacher discussing the new WEA brochure with Pope Francis when visiting the Pope when he fulfilled a decade in office. (March 2023)

In 2016 he was ordained as bishop of the Communio Christiana [18] (a church in the Anglican realignment). [19] On October 27, 2020, Schirrmacher was elected the next General Secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance. His term of office began in March 2021. [20] In March 2024, Schirrmacher resigned from his position due to health problems resulting from a long Covid disease. [21]

Another main focus of the work of Schirrmacher besides religious freedom in the area of human rights is the fight against human trafficking.

He speaks with church leaders like Pope Benedict XVI, [22] Pope Francis, [23] and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and gives lectures all around the world. He is considered one of the architects of the so-called “Christian witness in a multi-religious world”. [24] He is also consultant of the Faith and Order Commission, the Theological Commission of the World Council of Churches, chair of the Board of Advisors of the Central Council of Oriental Christians in Germany (ZOCD), [25] and Member of the International Committee of the Global Christian Forum. [26] Schirrmacher is also a member of the World Council of Religions for Peace [27] and of the Institute for the Freedom of Faith & Security in Europe (IFFSE) founded by Jewish rabbis. [28]

Thomas Schirrmacher speaking in the orthodox Saint Sophia Cathedral (Washington, D.C.) in 2021 Thomas Schirrmacher speaking in the Orthodox Cathedral in Washington in 2021.jpg
Thomas Schirrmacher speaking in the orthodox Saint Sophia Cathedral (Washington, D.C.) in 2021

He has authored and edited more than 100 books, which have been translated into 18 languages. [29] [30]

Honours

Schirrmacher received the following honours:

Works

Books (selection)

Articles (selection)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fundamentalism</span> Unwavering attachment to a set of irreducible beliefs

Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing one's ingroup and outgroup, which leads to an emphasis on some conception of "purity", and a desire to return to a previous ideal from which advocates believe members have strayed. The term is usually used in the context of religion to indicate an unwavering attachment to a set of irreducible beliefs.

Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the supernatural, but also deals with religious epistemology, asks and seeks to answer the question of revelation. Revelation pertains to the acceptance of God, gods, or deities, as not only transcendent or above the natural world, but also willing and able to interact with the natural world and to reveal themselves to humankind.

Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and American Protestants as a reaction to theological liberalism and cultural modernism. Fundamentalists argued that 19th-century modernist theologians had misunderstood or rejected certain doctrines, especially biblical inerrancy, which they considered the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Schaeffer</span> American theologian

Francis August Schaeffer was an American evangelical theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor. He co-founded the L'Abri community in Switzerland with his wife Edith Schaeffer, née Seville, a prolific author in her own right. Opposed to theological modernism, Schaeffer promoted what he claimed was a more historic Protestant faith and a presuppositional approach to Christian apologetics, which he believed would answer the questions of the age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Barth</span> Swiss Protestant theologian (1886–1968)

Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary The Epistle to the Romans, his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship of the Barmen Declaration, and especially his unfinished multi-volume theological summa the Church Dogmatics. Barth's influence expanded well beyond the academic realm to mainstream culture, leading him to be featured on the cover of Time on 20 April 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Evangelical Alliance</span> Global organization

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is an interdenominational organization of evangelical Christian churches with 600 million adherents that was founded in 1846 in London, England, to unite evangelicals worldwide. WEA is the largest international organization of evangelical churches. It has offices at the United Nations in New York City, Geneva, and Bonn. It brings together nine regional and 143 national evangelical alliances of churches, and over one hundred member organizations. Moreover, a number of international evangelical denominations are members of the WEA. As of March 2021, the Secretary General of the WEA is German theologian Thomas Schirrmacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Theological Seminary</span> Christian seminary in New York City

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a private ecumenical liberal Christian seminary in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University. Columbia University lists UTS among its affiliate schools, alongside Barnard College and Teachers College. Since 1928, the seminary has served as Columbia's constituent faculty of theology. In 1964, UTS also established an affiliation with the neighboring Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Despite its affiliation with Columbia University, UTS is an independent institution with its own administration and Board of Trustees. UTS confers the following degrees: Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Divinity & Social Work dual degree (MDSW), Master of Arts in religion (MAR), Master of Arts in Social Justice (MASJ), Master of Sacred Theology (STM), Doctor of Ministry (DMin), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive Christianity</span> Postmodern theological approach

Progressive Christianity represents a postmodern theological approach, which developed out of the liberal Christianity of the modern era, itself rooted in the Enlightenment's thinking. Progressive Christianity is a postliberal theological movement within Christianity that, in the words of Reverend Roger Wolsey, "seeks to reform the faith via the insights of post-modernism and a reclaiming of the truth beyond the verifiable historicity and factuality of the passages in the Bible by affirming the truths within the stories that may not have actually happened."

Liberal Christianity, also known as liberal theology and historically as Christian Modernism, is a movement that interprets Christian teaching by taking into consideration modern knowledge, science and ethics. It emphasizes the importance of reason and experience over doctrinal authority. Liberal Christians view their theology as an alternative to both atheistic rationalism and theologies based on traditional interpretations of external authority, such as the Bible or sacred tradition.

Helmut Richard Niebuhr is considered one of the most important Christian theological ethicists in 20th-century America, best known for his 1951 book Christ and Culture and his posthumously published book The Responsible Self. The younger brother of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard Niebuhr taught for several decades at the Yale Divinity School. Both brothers were, in their day, important figures in the neo-orthodox theological school within American Protestantism. His theology has been one of the main sources of postliberal theology, sometimes called the "Yale school". He influenced such figures as James Gustafson, Stanley Hauerwas, and Gordon Kaufman.

John Warwick Montgomery is an American-British lawyer, professor, Lutheran theologian, and author living in France. He was born in Warsaw, New York, United States. Montgomery maintains multiple citizenship in the United States, United Kingdom, and France. From 2014 to 2017, he was Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University, Wisconsin. He is currently Professor-At-Large, 1517: The Legacy Project. He was named Avocat honoraire, Barreau de Paris (2023), after 20 years in French legal practise. He continues to work as a barrister specializing in religious freedom cases in international Human Rights law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian ethics</span> Branch of theology that defines virtuous and sinful behavior from a Christian perspective

Christian ethics, also known as moral theology, is a multi-faceted ethical system. It is a virtue ethic, which focuses on building moral character, and a deontological ethic which emphasizes duty. It also incorporates natural law ethics, which is built on the belief that it is the very nature of humans – created in the image of God and capable of morality, cooperation, rationality, discernment and so on – that informs how life should be lived, and that awareness of sin does not require special revelation. Other aspects of Christian ethics, represented by movements such as the social Gospel and liberation theology, may be combined into a fourth area sometimes called prophetic ethics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell D. Moore</span> American evangelical theologian (born 1971)

Russell D. Moore is an American theologian, ethicist, and preacher. In June 2021, he became the director of the Public Theology Project at Christianity Today, and on August 4, 2022, was announced as the magazine's incoming Editor-in-Chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dion Forster</span>

Dion Angus Forster is an academic and clergyman. He serves as a professor of Public Theology in the Faculty of Religion and Theology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David P. Gushee</span> American ethicist

David P. Gushee is a Christian ethicist, Baptist pastor, author, professor, and public intellectual. Growing up, Gushee attended and completed his college years at College of William and Mary in 1984. After college, he received his Ph.D. in Christian ethics from Union Theological Seminary in 1993. Among the titles listed, Gushee has shown hard work and dedication in different parts of his job and was awarded for his achievements. Gushee is most known for his activism in climate change, Torture, LGBT inclusion, and Post-evangelicalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism</span> Major branch of Christianity

Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes justification of sinners through faith alone, the teaching that salvation comes by unmerited divine grace, the priesthood of all believers, and the Bible as the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice. The five solae summarize the basic theological beliefs of mainstream Protestantism.

Anthony B. Bradley is an American author and was professor of religion, theology and ethics at the King's College in New York City, where he also served as the chair of the Religious and Theological Studies program and directed the Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program. He is also a research fellow for The Acton Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heiner Bielefeldt</span> German philosopher and historian

Heiner Bielefeldt is a German philosopher, historian and Catholic theologian. He is Professor of Human Rights and Human Rights Policy at the University of Erlangen. From 2010 to 2016, he served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Bucer Seminary</span> European multinational evangelical theological seminary and research institute

The Martin Bucer Seminary is a European multinational evangelical theological seminary and research institute in the Protestant reformed tradition. The seminary is named after the reformer Martin Bucer.

Christine Schirrmacher is a German academic who specialises in Islamic studies. She is professor of Islamic studies at the University of Bonn and at the Evangelical Theological Faculty (ETF), Leuven.

References

  1. "ISHR – At a glance". International Society for Human Rights..
  2. President International Institute for Religious Freedom.
  3. Who is Who in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Wien, 1999{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).
  4. "Schirrmacher, Friedrich Wilhelm – Catalogus Professorum Rostochiensium". cpr.uni-rostock.de. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  5. "Publikationsansicht: "Der göttliche Volkstumsbegriff" und der "Glaube an Deutschlands Grösse und heilige Sendung": Hans Naumann als Volkskundler und Germanist im Nationalsozialismus; eine Materialsammlung mit Daten zur Geschichte der Volkskunde an den Universitäten Bonn und Köln". magazine.One UG (in German). Berlin: Scientific commons. 2000. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23..
  6. "Dr. Schirrmacht at bucer.de". Martin Bucer Seminary.
  7. Administrative Bulletin of Whitefield Theological Seminary
  8. Thomas Schirrmacher at Academia.edu
  9. "Oxford Advanced Studies Program". www.fcllaw.org.
  10. Thomas Schirrmacher at Gebende Hände.
  11. An example of his lectures: Statement concern about Muslim states actions regarding religious Freedom.
  12. So he is for example mentioned by the BBC concerning the question "Are there really 100,000 new Christian martyrs every year?“. In 2013 he was involved in a documentary on the Persecution of Christian of the second german TV-Channel ZDF: Gefährlicher Glaube. See also on this topic Schirrmachers book: The Persecution of Christians Concerns Us All.
  13. Events of Thomas Schirrmacher in the German Parliament.
  14. Schirrmachers reports of the Synod were published by Christianity Today: Inside the Vatican Synod on Family. Another interview on the Synod with Thomas Schirrmacher was published on Rome Reports.
  15. ISHR at a glance.
  16. "Dr. Schirrmacht at iirf.global". International Institute for Religious Freedom. 15 January 2022.
  17. Freedom of Religion or Belief
  18. "Website of the Communio Christiana". See also "Standing Committee of the Communio Christiana". 15 April 2014.
  19. "My Consecration as a Bishop". Thomas Schirrmacher. 9 June 2017. See also "Letter to the Archbishop William Paul Mikler" (PDF). Gerhard Meyer.
  20. "WEA International Council Appoints Dr Thomas Schirrmacher as Next Secretary General/CEO"., "The New Head of the World Evangelical Alliance Wants to Talk". 19 October 2021.
  21. "WEA Accepts Secretary General's Resignation for Health Reasons". 12 April 2024.
  22. The Pope’s Resignation Did Not Come as Such a Great Surprise – An Interview with Thomas Schirrmacher.
  23. Schirrmacher: ‘Debating Catholic leaders with a Bible in your hand is much easier nowadays’.
  24. See A new Page of History is Written: “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct” published and Vatican publishes book to commemorate 10/11 years of „Christian Witness in a multi-religious work“ with a message from the SG of WEA.
  25. "Beirat / kooptierter Beirat". zocd.de.
  26. "Global Christian Forum News" (PDF).
  27. Leadership World Council Religions for Peace. See also Christine and Thomas Schirrmacher speak up on Extremism and the Oppression of Women in a Faithful Conversation of Religious for Peace.
  28. Advisory Board Institute for the Freedom of Faith & Security in Europe
  29. "Books published by Dr Schirrmacher". Thomas Schirrmacher.
  30. "Thmomas Schirrmacher im Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek". DNB.
  31. Evangelische Nachrichtenagentur Idea: Menschenrechtspreis für Prof. Thomas Schirrmacher.
  32. Pakistanische Menschenrechtsanwältin erhält Stephanus-Preis at the Wayback Machine (archived March 12, 2018)
  33. "Schirrmacher receives honorary "Doctor of Humane Letters"".
  34. Health Media Award
  35. "Katalog". D-NB. 2011-02-21. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  36. Zander, Helmut (2011-02-21). "Eine Studie von Thomas Schirrmacher" [Hitlers Religion] (in German). NZZ. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-02-21.