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).

Thomas Paul Schirrmacher
Official office photo of the WEA
Born (1960-06-25) 25 June 1960 (age 64)
NationalityGerman
CitizenshipGerman
Employer(s)World Evangelical Alliance, Martin Bucer Seminary
Known forChristian moral philosophy, human rights, religious freedom
SpouseChristine Schirrmacher

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

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Family

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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

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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

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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 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)

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

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

Honours

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Schirrmacher received the following honours:

Works

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Books (selection)

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Articles (selection)

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References

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  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.
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