Thomas Schirrmacher

Thomas Schirrmacher is a 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).

Thomas Schirrmacher
Schirrmacher and Pope Francis on his 82nd birthday (2017-12-17)
BornJune 25th, 1960
Schwelm in Germany
NationalityGerman
CitizenshipGerman
EmployerWorld Evangelical Alliance, Martin Bucer Seminary
Known forChristian moral philosophy, human rights, religious freedom
Spouse(s)Christine Schirrmacher

Schirrmacher serves the World Evangelical Alliance as Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns (responsible for Theology, Intrafaith Relations, Inter-faith Religious Freedom) and as Chair of the Theological Commission. Since 2014 he is president of the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights.[1]

In 2016 he was ordained as bishop of the Communio Christiana (a church in Anglican tradition). [2] On October 27, 2020, Schirrmacher was elected the next General Secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance. His term of office begins in March 2021.[3]

Biography

Family

Thomas Schirrmacher was born on June 25, 1960[4] to the German professor of Telecommunications engineering Bernd Schirrmacher and his wife Ingeborg. His great-grandfather was the historian Friedrich Wilhelm Schirrmacher. Thomas Schirrmacher is married to Christine Schirrmacher who is 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 University in Bangalore.

Career
Schirrmacher at the President of Albania 2015

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 religions studies and is Vice President for International Affairs. From 1994 to 1998 Schirrmacher was professor of missions at the Philadelphia Theological Seminary and since 1995 he is professor for systematic theology at the Whitefield Theological Seminary.[7] He is professor of 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 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 and since 2008 president of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (Bonn, Brussels/Geneva, Cape Town, Colombo, Brasília).[11] He also is their speaker for human rights.[12] According to media he is one of the leading experts on the topic of persecution of christians.[13] Several times he was speaking as expert on human rights in the German Parliament.[14] In October 2015 he was the only evangelical member of the catholic synod on family lead by Pope Francis.[15] He is president of the International Society for Human Rights,[16] manager of the Religious Liberty Commission of the German and the Swiss Evangelical Alliance, and director of the International Institute for Religious Freedom 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]

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,[18] Pope Francis,[19] and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and gives lectures all around the world. 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),[20] and Member of the International Committee of the Global Christian Forum.[21]

He has authored and edited more than 90 books, which have been translated into 17 languages.[22][23]

Honours

Schirrmacher received the following honours:

  • 1996: Honorary doctorate for his “Ethics” from Whitefield Theological Seminary (Lakeland/Florida)
  • 1997: Honorary doctorate from the Anglican Cranmer Theological House
  • 2002: ‘Man of Achievement’ in ethics of international development, International Biographical Center Oxford
  • 2006: Honorary doctorate at the University of Bangalore in India
  • 2007: Franz-Delitzsch-Förderpreis for his dissertation on ‘Hitlers Kriegsreligion’
  • 2008: Human Rights Award Pro Fide[24]
  • 2016: Magister Praetor Order of merit for achievements relating to the planning of a civic central council of Christians in the Near East and Middle East (Oriental Christian Council) and for promoting the House of Ghassan, specifically noting “that he [enabled] the House’s personal contact to Pope Francis and to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew”[25]
  • 2016: Knight Grand Cross the highest order of the knightly order “The Sacred Order of Michael Archangel” for his efforts in the cause of human rights and religious freedom in the Near and Middle East[26]
  • 2017: ‘Stephanus-Sonderpreis’ for religious freedom by the Stephanus-Stiftung (Frankfurt)[27]

Works

Books (Selection)
  • Schirrmacher, Thomas, Human Rights Threatened in Europe (PDF), Contra mundum.
  • ——— (1985), Theodor Christlieb und seine Missionstheologie (Dissertation) (in German), Verlag und Schriftenmission der Evangelischen Gesellschaft für Deutschland, ISBN 3-87857209-3.
  • ——— (2002), Anwalt der Liebe: Martin Bucer als Theologe und Seelsorger : Beiträge zum 450. Todestag des Reformators (in German), VKW, ISBN 978-3-93282933-8.
  • ——— (2007), Hitlers Kriegsreligion: die Verankerung der Weltanschauung Hitlers in seiner religiösen Begrifflichkeit und seinem Gottesbild (3 volumes) (in German), VKW, ISBN 978-3-938116-31-9.
  • ——— (2008), World mission: Heart of Christianity (PDF), Hamburg: RVB, ISBN 978-3-928936-37-8.
  • ——— (2008), The Persecution of Christians Concerns Us All: Towards a Theology of Martyrdom (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-938116-65-4.
  • ——— (2008), May a Christian Go to Court? (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-938116-63-0.
  • ——— (2002), Hope for Europe: 66 propositions, Nürnberg: VTR (in 14 languages[28])
  • ——— (2013), Human Trafficking: The Return to Slavery (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-070-1.
  • ——— (2013), Culture of Shame / Culture of Guilt (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-044-2.
  • ——— (2013), Advocate of Love - Martin Bucer as Theologian and Pastor (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-058-9.
  • ——— (2013), Leadership and Ethical Responsibility: The Three Aspects of Every Decision, Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-072-5.
  • ——— (2013), The Koran and the Bible (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-069-5.
  • ——— (2016), Creation Care and Loving our Neighbors: Studies in Environmental Ethics (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-116-6.
  • Schirrmacher, Thomas, ed. (2009), Calvin and World Mission: Essays, Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-93811684-5.[29]
  • Schirrmacher, Thomas (2016), Kaffeepausen mit dem Papst: Meine Begegnungen mit Franziskus, Bonn: SCM Hänssler-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7751-5763-6.
  • ——— (2017), Missio Dei: God’s Missional Nature (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-143-2.
  • ——— (2017), Biblical Foundations for 21st Century World Mission: 69 Theses Toward an Ongoing Global Reformation (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-151-7.
  • ——— (2018), The Persecution of Christians Concerns Us All, Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-156-2.
  • ——— (2018), Modern Fathers: Neither Wimps nor Tyrants (PDF), Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-175-3.
  • Schirrmacher, Thomas and David (2019), Corruption: When Self-Interest Comes before the Common Good, Bonn: Culture and Science Publishing (VKW), ISBN 978-3-86269-175-3.

Articles (Selection)

See also

References
  1. "ISHR – At a glance". International Society for Human Rights..
  2. "My Consecration as a Bishop". Thomas Schirrmacher..
  3. WEA International Council Appoints Dr Thomas Schirrmacher as Next Secretary General/CEO
  4. Who is Who in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Wien, 1999.
  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
  10. Thomas Schirrmacher at Gebende Hände.
  11. "Dr. Schirrmacht at iirf.eu". International Institute for Religious Freedom.
  12. An example of his lectures: Statement concern about muslim states actions regarding Religious Freedom.
  13. 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.
  14. Events of Thomas Schirrmacher in the German Parliament.
  15. 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.
  16. ISHR at a glance.
  17. Freedom of Religion or Belief
  18. The Pope’s Resignation Did Not Come as Such a Great Surprise - An Interview with Thomas Schirrmacher.
  19. Schirrmacher: ‘Debating Catholic leaders with a Bible in your hand is much easier nowadays’.
  20. Zentralrat Orientalischer Christen in Deutschland
  21. Global Christian Forum News
  22. "Books published by Dr Schirrmacher". Thomas Schirrmacher.
  23. "Thmomas Schirrmacher im Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek". DNB.
  24. Evangelische Nachrichtenagentur Idea: Menschenrechtspreis für Prof. Thomas Schirrmacher.
  25. Bonn Profiles – Press Reports: Thomas Schirrmacher receives the Order of Merit from the Royal House of Ghassan for his Activities relating to Human Rights in the Middle East
  26. Thomas Schirrmacher listet at the Officers of Sacred Order of Saint Michael Archangel
  27. Archived [Date missing] at ead.de [Error: unknown archive URL]
  28. "Katalog". D-NB. 2011-02-21. Archived from the original on 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  29. Zander, Helmut (2011-02-21). "Eine Studie von Thomas Schirrmacher" [Hitlers Religion] (in German). NZZ. Archived from the original on 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  30. Schirrmacher, Thomas. "Leopold von Ranke regarding my Grandfather Friedrich Wilhelm Schirrmacher". Thomas Schirrmacher. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
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